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Squats - With Bands

IntermediateStrengthTier T2

You stand with both feet on the middle of a resistance band and hold a handle in each hand at face height. You bend your knees and lower your thighs until they are level with the floor. Then you stand back up.

Targets: Knee
Muscles: Quadriceps, Gluteus Maximus

Stop if

Choose an easier exercise if pain reaches 6 out of 10 or becomes sharp. Stop and rest if pain reaches 8 out of 10.

This is the general ClapMove rule. This exercise has no extra stop rule of its own.

  • Pain 6 out of 10 or more: choose an easier exercise.
  • Pain 8 out of 10 or more: stop and rest.

Equipment needed

  • Works at home
  • Works at the gym

resistance_bands

Home Options

  • resistance band

Dosage

3

Sets

10

Reps / Time

45 sec

Rest

controlled

Tempo

Step-by-Step Guide

Set up

  • Stand tall with the handles at face height. The thighs are parallel to the floor at the bottom of the lowering phase.
  1. A woman standing upright with both feet on a resistance band, holding a handle in each hand up near her face.

    Step 1 of 3

    Stand with both feet shoulder-width apart on the centre of the band, and hold a handle in each hand at face height with a pronated grip, palms facing forward.

  2. The same woman, now with her knees bent and her thighs parallel to the floor, still holding the band handles at face height.

    Step 2 of 3

    Slowly bend your knees and lower your thighs until they are parallel to the floor, keeping the handles at face height, while exhaling.

  3. A woman standing upright with both feet on a resistance band, holding a handle in each hand up near her face.

    Step 3 of 3

    Stand with both feet shoulder-width apart on the centre of the band, and hold a handle in each hand at face height with a pronated grip, palms facing forward.

Breathing

  • Exhale while bending the knees and lowering into the squat, and exhale again while pushing back up to standing; this is unusual and not the more common pattern.

Safety Information

Check that the band has no visible cracks, thinning, or fraying before stepping onto its centre, since a band that fails under tension near the face could snap back unexpectedly. Keep the band's tension smooth and controlled throughout both the lowering and standing phases rather than letting it snap the handles up toward the face or yank the body forward or backward. Stop and release the band with control if you feel a sharp or pinching pain in the knees, hips, or lower back at any point in the range. Stop if the exercise causes pain or you become unwell. Seek appropriate professional advice about symptoms or suitability.

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Printed from clapmove.com. ClapMove is not a replacement for professional medical advice — always consult a healthcare provider before starting any exercise program.