Reps Only exercise

Banded Lateral Walk form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The banded lateral walk is a side-stepping drill performed in a quarter-squat with a mini band around the knees or ankles, targeting the gluteus medius and minimus along with the hip external rotators. Coaches program it as a warm-up and prehab staple because it fires the lateral hip muscles that stabilize the pelvis and knee, improving mechanics for squatting, lunging, running, and cutting.

Banded Lateral Walk illustration

How to do Banded Lateral Walk

  1. 1Place a mini band just above your knees or around your ankles and stand with feet hip-width apart.
  2. 2Hinge into a quarter-squat with your chest up, core braced, and constant tension on the band.
  3. 3Step one foot out to the side, then follow with the trailing foot while keeping the feet from touching together.
  4. 4Stay low and level through each step; avoid bobbing up and down or letting your knees collapse inward.
  5. 5Breathe steadily and take the prescribed number of steps in one direction, then lead with the other leg to walk back.

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Track Banded Lateral Walk in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.