How to do a Bodyweight Kneeling Banded Deadlift
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Bodyweight Kneeling Banded Deadlift
Workouts with Bodyweight Kneeling Banded Deadlift
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Bodyweight Kneeling Banded Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. This compound exercise primarily targets the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. By performing this exercise while kneeling and using a loop band, you introduce instability and resistance, which can help improve muscle activation, balance, and stability. This is an excellent exercise for beginners and those with mobility limitations.
- Secure a loop band to a stable anchor point.
- Kneel on the ground, facing away from the anchor point—feet closer to it.
- Position the other end of the loop band around your hips.
- Adjust the tension in the resistance band by moving closer or farther away from the anchor point.
- Hinge your hips back, and lean forward slightly, maintaining the tension on the band.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to drive your hips forward.
- Return to the starting position.
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1. Loop Band Deadlift
43.9 mSCORESWAPPED 233 TIMESA compound exercise, the Loop Band Deadlift focuses on the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Using a loop band offers progressive resistance, improving form and strength over traditional deadlifts.
- Beginner
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2. Loop Band Good Morning
51.2 mSCORESWAPPED 227 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Good Mornings. Like Good Mornings, this exercise is a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), but especially the hamstrings, and lower back. Using a Loop Band to add resistance allows you to have more resistance at the top of the movement than the bottom.
- Beginner
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3. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 140 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.
- Beginner
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4. Loop Band Romanian Deadlift
55.3 mSCORESWAPPED 121 TIMESTargeting the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, this variation uses a loop band to add resistance to the hinge movement. The band's tension increases as you stand, mimicking the resistance profile of traditional weightlifting while being gentler on the lower back. This exercise improves flexibility, strength, and posture, making it a valuable addition to lower body and core training routines.
- Beginner
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5. Dumbbell Good Morning
63.8 mSCORESWAPPED 115 TIMESThe Dumbbell Good Morning is a strength exercise that focuses on the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Holding a dumbbell at chest level or placing two dumbbells on the shoulders, you hinge at the hips and lean forward with a straight back, then return to the starting position. This movement emphasizes hip mobility and back strength, improving posture and stability. It's a versatile exercise suitable for all fitness levels, offering a low-impact alternative to enhance lower back and hamstring flexibility and strength.
- Beginner
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6. Bear Crawl
6.1 mSCORESWAPPED 92 TIMESBear Crawl is a compound, bodyweight exercise that primarily targets the core, shoulders, and legs. By moving on all fours, you engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously while also enhancing coordination and stability. This exercise adds an element of cardio, making it a great way to build endurance and functional strength, with practical benefits for overall body control and movement.
- Beginner
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7. Seated Leg Curl
98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 79 TIMESSeated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
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8. Single-Leg Cycles
12.5 mSCORESWAPPED 67 TIMESSingle-Leg Cycles is a core-centric, bodyweight exercise that targets the abdominals and hip flexors. By pedaling your legs in a cycling motion, you maintain continuous tension in these muscle groups. Performing the exercise one leg at a time can help improve coordination and balance, as well as ensure balanced muscle development by addressing any potential imbalances between sides.
- Beginner
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9. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
80.8 mSCORESWAPPED 61 TIMESSingle Leg Romanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. Performing this exercise on one leg, is a great way to identify, and help address, discrepancies in mobility, strength, and stability between sides. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve their ability to perform a large number of other compound lower body movements like Squats, Lunges, or even Olympic lifts.
- Intermediate
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10. Dumbbell Clean
88.6 mSCORESWAPPED 59 TIMESDumbbell Clean is a variation on the more standard Clean. Like other Clean variations, this is a compound, explosive movement that targets a wide range of muscle groups. The use of dumbbells makes this exercise much more accessible to anyone unfamiliar with Cleans in general as you can use lighter weight. In addition dumbbells can help more advanced lifters build stability, as well as identify and address imbalances between sides.
- Beginner
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