Abductors · Isolation movement
Banded Clamshell
An isolation exercise for the abductors, with the glutes working too. You need resistance bands.
Working range
12–20reps
Progression: double progression
- Primary muscle
- Abductors
- Secondary muscles
- Glutes
- Equipment
- Resistance band
- Difficulty
- Beginner
How to perform the Banded Clamshell
- Loop a resistance band around both thighs just above the knees and lie on your side with knees bent.
- Stack the hips and keep the feet together, heels in line with the glutes throughout the set.
- Brace the core so the pelvis stays still and the lower back does not rock backward as you open up.
- Rotate the top knee upward against the band like a clamshell opening, squeezing the outer glute.
- Lower the knee back down slowly to keep tension on the abductors rather than letting it drop.
Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.
Common mistakes
- •Rocking the pelvis backward as the knee opens so the movement comes from the trunk, not the hip.
- •Letting the feet drift apart so the movement loses the clamshell shape and the band tension.
- •Snapping the knee closed on the return rather than lowering it slowly against the band.
Variations & alternatives
Swap in one of these when the equipment is taken or the main lift has stalled.
Use this exercise in a program
The Banded Clamshell fits into hypertrophy and strength splits that prioritize abductors volume.
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