Exercise guide
Resistance Band Toe Side Walk
- Beginner
- Compound
- Timed hold
- Hips
- Lower legs
This exercise simultaneously targets the calves and lateral glutes by combining a sustained calf raise with lateral movement, improving ankle stability and hip abductor strength.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Place a mini resistance band around your ankles.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart to create initial tension on the band.
- Rise onto the balls of your feet, lifting your heels as high as possible.
- Maintain a slight bend in your knees and keep your torso upright with hands on your hips or in front of your chest.
How to do it
- While staying high on your toes, take a controlled step to the side with your lead leg, exhaling as you move.
- Step the trailing leg toward the lead leg to return to a hip-width stance, inhaling during the transition.
- Maintain constant tension on the band by never letting your feet touch or the band go slack.
- Perform the prescribed number of steps in one direction, then reverse the movement to return to the starting point.
Form checklist
- Keep your heels elevated and off the floor for the entire duration of the set.
- Ensure your toes and knees stay pointed forward, avoiding any inward or outward rotation.
- Maintain a tall posture and avoid leaning your torso in the direction of the step.
- Keep the steps small and deliberate to maximize time under tension.
Pro tips
- Focus on pushing through the big toe of the standing leg to stabilize the ankle and prevent it from rolling outward.
- Actively squeeze the glute of the trailing leg to control the band's resistance as it pulls your leg back in.
- Imagine you are walking on a tightrope to force more engagement from the deep stabilizing muscles of the lower leg.
Make it harder
- Move the resistance band down around the balls of your feet to significantly increase the demand on the calves and ankle stabilizers.
- Perform the movement in a quarter-squat position to increase the load on the glutes while maintaining the calf raise.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the resistance band toe side walk work?
- The resistance band toe side walk primarily targets the calves and glutes, and also works the adductors, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the resistance band toe side walk?
- The resistance band toe side walk uses resistance band.
- Is the resistance band toe side walk good for beginners?
- Yes. The resistance band toe side walk is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.
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- Barbell Band Assisted DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius