Band Lying Hip Internal Rotation

How to do the Band Lying Hip Internal Rotation

1. 1Loop a resistance band around both feet or just above your ankles and lie on your side on the floor or a bench.
2. 2Stack your hips and shoulders, bend both knees to roughly 90°, and keep your top knee resting on the bottom knee.
3. 3Brace your core and keep your pelvis stable so it does not roll forward or backward during the movement.
4. 4Keeping your knees together, rotate your top foot upward and away from your body to lift it against the band's resistance.
5. 5Rotate from the hip as your foot moves, feeling the work on the outer hip rather than the lower back.
6. 6Pause briefly at the top of the rotation without letting your pelvis shift.
7. 7Lower your foot back down under control until the band tension eases.
8. 8Complete all reps on one side, then turn over and repeat on the other side.

Form tips

• Move slowly and deliberately so the hip does the work instead of generating momentum from your torso.
• Keep your knees pressed together throughout the set to isolate hip rotation rather than letting the legs spread.
• Choose a band light enough that you can complete the full range of motion without your pelvis rocking.
• Keep your bottom leg and hips anchored so only the top hip rotates.

Common mistakes

• Rolling the pelvis backward to swing the foot higher, which shifts the work off the target hip and reduces tension on the gluteus medius and TFL.
• Letting the knees drift apart, which turns the movement into hip abduction and loses the internal-rotation focus.
• Using a band that is too heavy, forcing you to use your back and lose control of the rotation.
• Rushing the reps and bouncing through the range instead of controlling both the lift and the return.

Frequently asked questions