Master the Lateral Band Walk for a Stronger Gluteus Medius

No total body or lower body workout is complete without glute activation exercises. The question is whether the lateral band walk ever makes an appearance in your client’s workout routines.

If not, they may not be building the strength and form they want in their backside. Understanding why begins with a basic knowledge of the gluteal muscles. And it ends with learning how to perform the lateral walk with proper form.

About Your Glutes – Gluteus Maximus, Medius, and Minimus 

The glutes are often the focus of aesthetic-based workout routines. A large, shapely booty is trendy, and a lot of people want it. There’s nothing wrong with this, but it’s important to understand this muscle group as a whole and why strengthening it does much more than just give you a certain look. 

The gluteus muscle group includes three muscles: 

• Gluteus maximus

• Gluteus medius

• Gluteus minimus

The names describe a size comparison. The maximus is the largest, while the minimus is the smallest of the glute muscles. 

Each muscle plays a different role, but together they are all essential for certain movements and stability in the hips. The glutes power rotation at the hip and thigh and help you balance when standing upright, walking, running, and engaging in other activities. 

What and Where is the Gluteus Medius Muscle? 

The gluteus maximus muscles make up most of the bulk of the visible portion of your backside. The gluteus medius is smaller and a little higher and to the outside compared to the gluteus maximus. 

Often neglected in workout routines—or only strengthened coincidentally while doing other exercises—the gluteus medius plays essential roles in the body and how it moves: 

• Stabilizing the hip, especially when on one leg as in running and walking

• Preventing hip drop

• Powering hip abduction and rotation

Strengthen the entire posterior chain with this series of exercises. 

Why You Need to Add Gluteus Medius Exercises to Your Routine

The gluteus medius is too often overlooked in favor of big power moves that mostly target the gluteus maximus. Strengthening this smaller glute muscle requires using smaller, more targeted movements, which are well worth adding to your routine. 

Gluteus Medius Exercises Counteract Dead Butt Syndrome

No, this is not an official medical diagnosis, but it is real. A syndrome of modern life, a dead butt occurs when you sit most of the day, usually for work. A sedentary lifestyle, even when punctuated by exercise, can seriously weaken the glutes, especially the gluteus medius. 

Even if you work out regularly, if you don’t specifically target this muscle, it won’t activate when you move. It’s not just weakness that is the problem. Dead butt syndrome can lead to poor glute activation (lazy glutes), even if the muscles are strong. 

Dead butt syndrome can lead to various types of dysfunction in the body, causing pain, injuries, and decreased athletic performance.  

Prevent or Alleviate Lower Back Pain

One of the many potential problems associated with weak or non-activated gluteus medius muscles is lower back pain. Researchers have connected the two, so if you can strengthen these muscles specifically, you’ll likely feel the relief in your lower back (1). 

Research has also connected certain gluteus medius activation patterns with a greater risk of low back pain (2). This is partially because the medius helps absorb some of the force every time your foot strikes the ground. (Low back pain is a major issue for many, impacting roughly 31 million Americans according to the American Chiropractic Association.) (3)

Improve Performance and Prevent Injury

Because the gluteus medius provides stability, it plays an outsized role in athletic performance. When not activated or strong enough, it can even put you at risk for an injury. 

Runners, for instance, rely on this glute muscle when on the road or trail. A 2016 review adds that the faster you run, the more the medius is worked (4). That makes building this muscle critical to sports performance, particularly if you want to increase your endurance.

Additionally, if you run, a weak gluteus medius can cause your knees to trend inward rather than remaining straight and in line with the rest of the legs. This can result in strain on the knees that cause pain and injury. Some studies report that strengthening the gluteus medius can assist with knee injury recovery. It works by improving function while also reducing knee pain (5).

In any sport that requires you to balance and be agile, which is nearly all of them, performance will benefit from stronger gluteus medius muscles. When switching rapidly from one leg to another, you need these muscles to keep you stable. 

How The Lateral Walk Exercise Boosts Gluteal Muscle Strength

Because the lateral walk involves getting into a partial squat position and moving side to side, it targets the gluteus medius. Technically, you can do this same movement without a resistance band. However, the use of a band increases resistance, providing greater strength gains.

Doing this resistance band exercise correctly means that you’re targeting your desired muscles. For instance, you don’t want to step too far to the right or left during the lateral walk. The use of a resistance band can help prevent this from occurring.

The Lateral Band Walk for Stronger Side Glutes: Mastering Form

Performing the lateral band walk with the right form increases its safety and effectiveness. Here’s how to do it:

1. Place the exercise band just above your ankles and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Bend your knees and drop into a partial squat position. At this point, your body weight is balanced on both the right and left leg.

3. Shift your weight to your right leg and step to the left with your left foot.

4. Follow with your right foot, stepping down about shoulder-width from the left foot.

5. Take another step to the left using the same approach.

6. Now shift your weight to the left leg and step to the right.

7. Follow with your left foot, stepping down when it is about should width from the right foot.

8. Take another step to the right taking the same approach

9. Continue repeating this pattern for the desired number of sets and reps, or your desired duration.

Keeping proper form throughout this exercise means that your back is straight and your abs are engaged. There is no upper body movement. The only thing that should be moving is your lower body.

Additionally, when stepping, don’t allow the knee to extend beyond the toes. This helps protect the knee joint. Also, strive to maintain control when stepping to the right and left. The more you focus when doing the lateral band walk, the easier it is to target the right gluteus muscle.

Selecting the Right Resistance Band

As with any resistance band workout, it’s important to choose the right band strength. Typically, the amount of resistance the band provides is designated by color. This makes it easier to grab the correct one when performing your strength training exercises.

New exercisers should start with a band that provides the least amount of resistance. Try the lateral walk with it and see how it feels. Another option is to do this movement with no band at all. Then, add the band once this movement feels more comfortable and good form can be maintained.

People with some lower body strength may find that they can begin this exercise with a greater level of resistance. In this case, start with a band that feels challenging but doesn’t compromise form. As strength increases, increase the resistance of the band.

One nice thing about using a band is that this same piece of equipment can be used in other exercises that target the glutes. Add the band to a squat to increase gluteal activation, for instance. A band can also be used to boost upper body resistance. Use it to perform biceps curls or triceps extensions.

Resistance bands are also great options for people who don’t have a lot of space or can’t afford a lot of strength training equipment. They can be stored in a cupboard or under the couch. They also travel well, making it easier to stay in shape while out of town on business or for a vacation.

Other Exercises for Maximum Glute Activation

Of course, you don’t want to focus solely on the gluteus medius during the workout or this can result in a muscle imbalance. A complete glute strengthening program works all of the gluteal muscles. So, incorporate other exercises in your routine, some of which might include the:

• Squat

• Lateral lunge

• Hip thrust

• Step-up

• Fire hydrant

• Romanian deadlift

Be sure to give the glutes adequate time to recover, especially if your workout is intense. Don’t work these muscles two days in a row. Aim for a three-day break if you work with heavy resistance or do a lot of glute activation exercises.

Want to become the go-to trainer for clients interested in building strong glutes? ISSA offers Glute Specialist certification. In this course, you will learn which glute exercises can provide your clients the best results. It also teaches you how to market yourself as a certified glute trainer, increasing your demand.

References

1. Cooper, N. A., Scavo, K. M., Strickland, K. J., Tipayamongkol, N., Nicholson, J. D., Bewyer, D. C., & Sluka, K. A. (2016). Prevalence of gluteus medius weakness in people with chronic low back pain compared to healthy controls. European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society, 25(4), 1258–1265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-015-4027-6

2. Nelson-Wong, E., Gregory, D. E., Winter, D. A., & Callaghan, J. P. (2008). Gluteus medius muscle activation patterns as a predictor of low back pain during standing. Clinical Biomechanics, 23(5), 545–553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2008.01.002

3. Back pain facts and statistics. ACA Hands Down Better. (2020, May 19). Retrieved February 8, 2023, from https://handsdownbetter.org/health-and-wellness/back-pain-facts-and-statistics/

4. Semciw, A., Neate, R., & Pizzari, T. (2016). Running related gluteus medius function in health and injury: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 30, 98–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2016.06.005

5. Kim, E.-K. (2016). The effect of gluteus medius strengthening on the knee joint function score and pain in meniscal surgery patients. Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 28(10), 2751–2753. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.2751