Banded Clamshell
A side-lying hip opener with a loop band above the knees, lifting the top knee while the feet stay together.
How to do it
- Loop a mini band around both thighs just above the knees.
- Lie on your side with the hips, knees, and feet stacked and the knees bent about 90 degrees.
- Rest the head on the bottom arm and place the top hand on the floor in front of the chest.
- Keeping the feet together, lift the top knee as high as you can without rolling the pelvis back.
- Pause at the top, then lower the knee under control until it almost meets the bottom knee.
- Finish the set, then switch sides and match the same range.
Key technique cue
Feet together, pelvis not rolling back — open the knee slowly, no momentum.
Common mistakes
- ✕ Rolling the top hip backward, which lets the low back and TFL take over.
- ✕ Letting the feet come apart, which removes the clamshell constraint.
- ✕ Rushing the lift and using momentum instead of a slow hip rotation.
- ✕ Placing the band on the knee joint instead of just above it.
Benefits
- ✓ Targets the gluteus medius for hip abduction and pelvic stability.
- ✓ Needs only a mini band and floor space, so it fits any warm-up.
- ✓ Prepares the hips for squats, lunges, and single-leg work.
Progression: from easier to harder
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Step 1 You are here - Banded Clamshell
- Bodyweight Hip Abduction
- Fire Hydrants
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Step 2
About the exercise
The banded clamshell is a side-lying hip drill. You lie with the hips, knees, and feet stacked, knees bent, and a mini band just above the knees. The top knee lifts toward the ceiling while the feet stay together and the pelvis stays quiet, then the knee lowers under control. That action is hip abduction and external rotation, which loads the gluteus medius on the upper hip. Trainers use it as activation work before squats, lunges, and running because the glute med is often quiet after long sitting. It is a low-load glute-med drill that belongs in warm-ups, not as a heavy strength main, and it fits hip-stability work that later progresses into lateral walks and banded squats.
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