Exercise Profile
- Target Muscle Group
- Exercise TypeStrength
- Equipment RequiredBands
- MechanicsIsolation
- Force TypePush (Bilateral)
- Experience LevelBeginner
- Secondary Muscles
Abs, Hamstrings
Target Muscle Group
Glutes
Diagonal Band Walk Overview
The diagonal band walk is an exercise used to strengthen and build the muscles of the glutes.
One can use the diagonal band walk as a warm up/activation exercise or as a glute isolation exercise on their glute/leg workout day.
Diagonal Band Walk Instructions
- Begin in an athletic position with your knees bent, hips flexed, and eyes looking straight ahead. Wrap a band around your legs just above your knees.
- Keep the feet roughly shoulder width apart and take diagonal steps side to side as you move forward.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions both forwards and backwards.
Diagonal Band Walk Tips
- As you step, the feet should never come closer than shoulder width apart. The goal of the exercise is to the keep the feet wide, take small steps, and don’t allow the shoulders to move up and down as you step.
- Don’t allow your hips to posteriorly tilt (i.e. your zipper to tilt up towards your face) as you push your knees apart.
- You should feel this primarily in your glute medius (on the upper, outer portion of your hip).
- Your upper body should be slightly tilted forward, your hip angle should be below 90 degrees.
- Don’t allow the edges of your shoes to lift off the ground as you push the knees out. Control the range of motion using your musculature, not momentum.
- If you can’t seem to feel your glutes activating, palpate the musculature with your hands and focus on pausing the movement at the peak of contraction.
- If you find one glute has less contractility than another, perform twice as much volume on that side relative to the other until you have established an efficient mind/muscle connection.
2 Comments
what is the best amount of reps per set for this excercise. Because I do 10 steps to the left and than 10 to the right for 1 set. Is this enough?
If you're warming up, then yes, it would be enough. If this is going to be a part of your normal program, then two or even three sets would serve you well. Hope this helps!