Band Squats

Today's exercise is Band Squats , an excellent way to strengthen the thighs , glutes and hip muscles using resistance bands. By wearing a band around your knees, you get extra resistance, which helps activate your stabilizing muscles and improve your posture. This makes the exercise particularly good for building strength and preventing injuries.

Correct Technique for Band Squats

1. Place a resistance band directly above your knees, and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Lower your hips back as if you were sitting down in a chair and go into a deep squat .
3. Keep your weight on your heels, your knees pushed out against the band, and your chest up as you lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
4. Push up through your heels to rise back to the starting position, keeping tension in the band throughout the movement.

Common Errors

• Knees that collapse: Press your knees outwards against the band to prevent them from collapsing inward during the movement.
• Excessive forward bending: Keep your chest up and your back straight to avoid straining your lower back.
• Not deep enough: Make sure you lower yourself to at least 90 degrees at the knees to get maximum muscle activation.

Modifications and Variants

For beginners, you can start with a lighter resistance band or perform the movement without a resistance band to focus on technique. For a bigger challenge, hold a kettlebell or dumbbell in front of your body to add extra weight.

Repetitions and Sets

Perform 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions, with controlled movement. For more advanced athletes, you can increase the number of repetitions or include jumps between each squat to increase the intensity.

Breathing technique

Inhale as you lower into the squat, and exhale as you push yourself back up. Make sure to maintain even breathing throughout the set.

Videos showing Band Squats

Here are two videos demonstrating the exercise: