Glutes exercise
Band Pull-ThroughHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Glutes, Hamstrings
- Also works
- Lower back
- Equipment
- Band
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Band Pull-Through?
- Loop a long band round a post at ankle height and stand facing away from it.
- Straddle the band, holding it with both hands between your legs, arms straight.
- Push your hips back with soft knees and a flat back, letting the band pull your hands back between your legs.
- Drive your hips forward to stand tall.
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top, then repeat.
Cues
- Hips back, then hips through.
- Arms are just ropes.
- Squeeze, don't lean back.
Common mistakes
- Squatting instead of hinging.
- Pulling the band with your arms.
- Leaning back to finish.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
The home version of the cable pull-through: a long resistance band looped round a post (or any solid anchor) at ankle height behind you. The band pulls hardest at the top, where the glutes finish the hip extension.
Starting position
Stand facing away from it, straddling the band, feet a little wider than shoulder-width, toes out a little. Hold the band with both hands between your legs, arms straight. Walk forward until the band has some tension.
The movement
Soften the knees and push the hips back towards the post, the trunk tipping forward with a flat back, the hands and band travelling back between the thighs. Drive the hips forward to stand tall, squeezing the glutes at the top without leaning back. The arms only guide the band.
Breathing
Breathe in as you hinge back, breathe out as you drive the hips forward.
Tempo
About 2 s back, about 1 s forward, a 0.5 s squeeze at the top.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
| Measure | Target | Good range | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trunk from vertical at the bottom | 65° | 55–75°, back flat | |
| Knees at the bottom | about 34° | 20–40° (a hinge, not a squat) | |
| Hands at the bottom | 9–14 cm behind the knees, between the thighs | between the legs | |
| Stance | feet a little wider than shoulder-width, toes out 10° | — | |
| Arms | straight (elbows ≤ 21°), angled back by the band | never pulling | |
| Top | standing tall, hips locked out | no lean back |
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Band Pull-Through is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
Sources
- ACE Exercise Library, "Cable Pull-through" (stand facing away from a low anchor, hinge at the hips, then drive the hips forward; arms straight)
- NSCA, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 4th ed. (2016)
