Banded Squat
The banded squat is a squat against a resistance band that runs under your feet and over your shoulders, so the band pulls you down as you stand up. It works the quadriceps and glutes, with the band tightest near the top of each rep, and it lets you load a squat with nothing more than a band.
Also called: Resistance Band Squat, Band Squat, Band-Resisted Squat, Accommodating-Resistance Squat · Equipment: band · Pattern: squat
Step by step
- Stand on the middle of a long loop band with your feet about shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly out.
- Squat down, take the top of the band in both hands and loop it over your shoulders behind your neck, or hold it in front of your shoulders.
- Stand up tall with the band taut, brace your trunk and keep your chest up.
- Sit down between your hips, bending your knees and hips together with the knees tracking over the toes.
- Descend until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, or as deep as your heels stay down.
- Drive through the whole foot to stand up against the band, finishing tall with the hips and knees straight.
- After the last rep, squat down to slip the band off your shoulders before stepping off it.
- Feet planted on the band, shoulder-width
- Sit down between your hips
- Knees over the toes
- Chest up, band pinned to your shoulders
- Stand tall against the band
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Prime mover | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus medialis | Prime mover | C |
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Adductors | Secondary | D |
| Erector spinae | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Band slipping under the feet
Fix: Stand on the band's middle with the whole foot, feet evenly spaced.
Cutting depth short
Fix: Sink until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor on every rep.
Knees caving inward
Fix: Push the knees out so they track over the toes on the way down and up.
Chest dropping forward
Fix: Keep your chest up and the band pinned to your shoulders throughout.
Rushing the top
Fix: Stand fully tall against the band and control the way back down.
What the research says
PowerRehab & prehabGeneral fitnessEnduranceFat loss & conditioning
- Band resistance — A meta-analysis of 8 trials found elastic-band training and conventional machine or dumbbell training produced similar strength gains.
- Depth and tension — A band is slack at the bottom of the squat and tightest at the top. In a 10-week study of barbell squats, full-depth training grew the glutes and inner thighs more than half-depth training.
- Bands with a barbell — In trained athletes, adding bands to barbell squats built more strength and power than the barbell alone.
- Load and effort — Research comparing loads finds muscle growth is similar across a wide range of loads when sets are taken close to failure. Studies show sets that finish a few reps short of failure capture most of the growth benefit.
- Frequency — Training a muscle about twice a week has been associated with more growth than once a week. Many lifters use banded squats as a warm-up or for home and travel training.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the banded squat in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.