Your four-day band routine

Squatting Side Walk

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Stand with shoulders back, head and feet facing forward, abs braced, knees slightly bent.
3. Point your feet forward, slightly wider than hip distance apart. Keep tension in the band.
4. Lower your hips into a squat, pushing your knees out against the band.
5. Take a step sideways, leading with your knee. Repeat with the other foot for 10 steps.
6. Facing the same direction, step back 10 steps to the starting position.

Monster Walk

1. Place the band around both legs.
2. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips, core engaged, in a half-squat position.
3. Step forward and out to the side with one foot. Repeat with the other foot.
4. Keep taking big steps forward, with your knees and feet as wide apart as you can.
5. After 10 steps forward, return to the start by taking wide steps backwards.

Expert tip. The higher the band sits on the leg, the easier it is. For an extra challenge, put the band around your ankles or feet.

Standard Squat

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Stand with shoulders back, head and feet facing forward, abs braced, knees slightly bent.
3. Point your feet forward, slightly wider than shoulder width, so there is tension in the band.
4. Lower into a deep squat over 4 seconds. Keep your spine straight and your weight on your heels.
5. Pause for 4 seconds at the bottom.
6. Return to standing by pushing your heels into the ground and squeezing your glutes.

Bonus. Try a squat pulse. Bounce up and down at the bottom of the squat for extra glute work.

Expert tip. Think "sit back" rather than "bend knees". Keep your weight in your heels and do not let your knees cave inward. If your knees hurt, use a lighter band, squat less deep, or stop.

Seated Hip Abduction

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Sit on a chair with your back straight and your feet pointing forward, slightly wider than shoulder width.
3. Push your knees out, squeeze your glutes and hold for 4 seconds.
4. Bring your knees in, keeping your feet firmly on the floor.
5. You can also do this sitting on the floor, knees bent, feet flat, hands at your sides for support.

Side-Lying Hip Abduction

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Lie on your side with your lower knee bent.
3. Lean your upper body on your elbow, engage your core and keep a straight spine.
4. Extend your upper leg in front of you, with your foot flexed.
5. Raise your leg as high as you can and slowly lower it again.
6. Repeat on the other side.

Side-Lying Leg Raise

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Lie on your side with your legs in a straight line with your body.
3. Lean your upper body on your elbow, engage your core and keep a straight spine.
4. Raise your top leg as high as you can and slowly lower it again.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Side-Lying Clamshell

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Lie on your side with your head on your arm. Bend your hips to 45 degrees and your knees to 90 degrees.
3. Keep your hips straight, your knees stacked and your feet in line with your back.
4. Open the upper leg as wide as you can while your feet stay in contact. Squeeze your glutes, then close.
5. Repeat on the other side.

Donkey Kick

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Get onto your hands and knees, back neutral, abs braced.
3. Keep your face down so your neck is in line with your spine. Do not arch your back.
4. Drive one leg upwards, keeping the knee at 90 degrees and the foot flexed, until the sole faces the ceiling.
5. Lower slowly. Repeat on the other side.

Bonus. Pulse the leg 10 times at the top of the kick for extra glute work.

Expert tip. To make it harder, hold the top position longer and move more slowly.

Fire Hydrant

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Get onto your hands and knees, back neutral, abs braced.
3. Keep your face down so your neck is in line with your spine. Do not arch your back.
4. Drive your knee out to the side, keeping the 90-degree angle.
5. Lower slowly. Repeat on the other side.

Glute Bridge with Abduction

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, hip width apart. Brace your abs.
3. Thrust your hips up, squeezing your glutes, as high as you can. Hold for 4 seconds.
4. For extra glute work, push your knees outward while your hips are up.
5. Bring your legs back to parallel and lower your hips to the ground.

Bonus. Pulse your hips 10 times at the top of the bridge.

Elevated Glute Bridge

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Lie on your back with your legs on a bench at a 90-degree angle.
3. Brace your abs, feet hip width apart.
4. Thrust your hips up, squeezing your glutes, as high as you can. Hold for 4 seconds.
5. Lower your hips to the ground.

Deadlift

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Stand close to the bar so your shins graze it and it sits over the middle of your feet.
3. Point your feet forward, hip distance apart.
4. Bend at the hip and grip the bar at shoulder width, with your back flat and abs braced.
5. Lower your hips, keep your chest up and your back flat, and drive through your heels to lift the bar.
6. After the bar passes your knees, drive your hips forward to stand tall.
7. Lower the bar by bending at the hips, keeping it close to your body.

Expert tip. Practise with just the band and no weight first. When your form is right, add weight gradually.

Romanian Deadlift

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Point your feet forward, hip distance apart.
3. Hold the bar at hip level with your palms facing down.
4. Keep your shoulders back, spine straight, abs braced and knees slightly bent.
5. Lower the bar by moving your hips back as far as you can, keeping it close to your body, to just below the knee.
6. Squeeze your glutes and pull with your hamstrings to drive your hips forward and stand tall.

Step-Up

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Stand up straight with abs braced.
3. Place the heel of your leading foot on the box or bench.
4. Push through that heel and drive yourself up to standing on the box. Keep the leading knee pushing out.
5. Step down. Repeat on the other side.

Expert tip. Step-ups build single-leg and glute strength without loading your back. Use the light or medium band for a bigger range of motion.

Split Squat

1. Place the band just above your knees.
2. Stand a lunge-length in front of a bench, facing away from it, abs braced.
3. Rest the top of your back foot on the bench. The bench should be low enough that your back does not arch.
4. Lower your body until your rear knee nearly touches the floor and your front thigh is parallel to it.
5. Keep your front knee pushing outward and behind your toes.
6. Push through the heel of your front foot to return to standing. Repeat on the other side.