Band Glute Kickback

The band glute kickback isolates hip extension, the gluteus maximus doing its single main job of driving the thigh backward, against a band anchored at floor level. Isolation is the point. In a squat or a deadlift the glutes work alongside the quadriceps and the hamstrings, and it is easy for a strong quadriceps to carry a set; here there is nowhere for the effort to go except the glute of the working leg. It also loads nothing through the spine, which makes it a useful choice for warming up before heavy lower-body work and for training around a back that will not tolerate loading. The mistake that undoes it is arching the lower back to send the leg higher. The range should end where the hip stops extending, not where the spine starts compensating.