Move gently and stop if you feel sharp pain, dizziness, numbness, or symptoms that feel unsafe. This routine is general fitness guidance, not medical care.
Exercises
1. Band Hip Abduction
1 set · 12 reps · 20s rest · both sides
Push out against the band with the hips stacked. Move slowly and stop before the lower back joins in.
Steps
Loop a mini band around both ankles or just above the knees, depending on resistance preference.
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and a slight bend in the knees, hands on hips for balance.
Shift your weight onto your left leg and press your right leg straight out to the side against the band.
Pause briefly at the top of the lift, feeling the squeeze in the side of your right hip.
Lower the right leg back to the starting position with control, keeping tension on the band throughout.
Complete 12 to 15 reps per side, alternating legs once the working glute is fully fatigued.
Cues
Hips stay stacked.
Push against the band.
Move slowly.
Common mistakes
Leaning the torso to the opposite side to swing the leg out, which removes load from the glute medius.
Letting the hips rotate forward as the leg lifts, turning the movement into a hip-flexor exercise.
Using a band so heavy that form breaks — start light to feel the glute working, then progress.
Rushing the eccentric and letting the band snap the leg back in, losing half the time-under-tension.
2. Band Romanian Deadlift
1 set · 10 reps · 20s rest
Stand on the band and hinge. The resistance grows as you stand, right where the glutes work hardest.
Steps
Stand on the middle of a band with feet hip-width apart, holding one handle in each hand at your thighs.
Soften your knees slightly and lock your spine in a neutral position with your chest up.
Push your hips back behind you while letting your hands slide down your thighs toward your shins.
Stop when you feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings — depth matters less than tension.
Drive your hips forward to return to standing, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement.
Repeat for 10 to 12 reps, focusing on the hip-hinge pattern rather than band tension.
Cues
Hips travel back.
Spine stays long.
Squeeze to stand.
Common mistakes
Bending at the knees and squatting down instead of hinging at the hips — turns the move into a half-squat.
Rounding the lower back as you hinge, which puts load on the spine instead of the hamstrings.
Going too low and losing the hamstring stretch — stop where the stretch is strongest, not where the floor is.
Standing on too narrow a band section, making the resistance uneven and twisting the bar path.
3. Bodyweight Hip Abduction
1 set · 12 reps · 20s rest · both sides
Lift from the side of the hip, not the lower back. A small, slow range does more here than a big one.
Steps
Lie on your side on a mat with your legs stacked, your bottom arm extended under your head for support.
Stack your hips squarely on top of each other and bend the bottom leg slightly for stability.
Keep the top leg straight with the toes pointing slightly forward and your foot flexed.
Lift the top leg straight up toward the ceiling in a smooth, controlled motion.
Stop when you feel a strong contraction in the side of the hip — usually around 30 to 45 degrees.
Lower the leg back down slowly without letting it touch the bottom leg, then repeat for reps.
Cues
Hips stay stacked.
Lift from the side hip.
Move slowly.
Common mistakes
Rolling the hips back to lift the leg higher, which lets the hip flexors take over from the glute medius.
Lifting the leg too fast, which removes the time-under-tension that builds the glute.
Pointing the toes up instead of flexing the foot, which shifts the work off the side hip.
Letting the top hip drift forward — kills the side-glute contraction and turns the lift into a leg swing.