Muscles worked
As in any squat, your quads and glutes do most of the work, helped by your inner thighs and trunk. What sets the band apart from weights is that the resistance rises the more the band stretches. At the bottom, where the squat is usually hardest, the band is at its lightest, and at the top, where you would otherwise be strong, it pulls the most. That makes the end of the movement, as you straighten your hips and knees, a bigger part of the work than in an ordinary squat.
Common mistakes
- Your hands drop from your shoulders. When the band pulls hardest, your hands tend to sink, and you lose resistance. Keep your hands at your shoulders and your elbows pointing slightly forward throughout the set.
- The band pulls you down. It is easy to let the band hurry you on the way down so that you drop into the bottom. Brake all the way down, so your thighs keep working even as the band eases off.
- The band is worn. A band with cracks or nicks can snap mid-set and whip towards your face. Check it before you start and replace it when it looks dry or worn.
Variations and alternatives
- The backpack squat keeps the resistance even through the whole movement, if you have no weights.
- The goblet squat in a gym, when you want to measure the load in kilos.
- The Spanish squat uses the band differently, behind your knees, and puts even more of the work on your quads.
Sets and reps
Bands suit moderate to high reps: 3 sets of 12 to 20 is a good range. Choose a band that makes the last reps really hard while they still look like the first ones. The guide to sets and reps describes which ranges suit different goals.
Make it harder by moving to a stronger band, doubling up two bands or pausing for a moment at the top, where the band pulls hardest. Bands have no kilos to write down, so note the band's colour or strength alongside your reps. Then you can work with progressive overload as carefully as with weights.