Banded Lateral Walk

The banded lateral walk is a hip abduction drill performed in a half squat with a resistance band around the thighs, stepping sideways against the band's pull. It targets the glute medius, the muscle that stops the knee collapsing inward when you squat, run or land — which is why it turns up in warm ups and rehab far more often than in strength blocks. The half squat position is not decorative: standing tall lets the hip flexors take over and the band stops loading what it should. Keep the chest up, the knees behind the toes and the tension constant, including on the return step, where most people let the trailing foot snap back and lose everything. Two or three sets before lower body work is usually enough to feel the difference on the first heavy set.