Do you need some how-tos on doing monster walk exercises?
While Frankenstein and Dracula won’t be a factor in this conversation, one thing is non-fiction: Monster walk exercises make you feel much less spooky in your muscles if done right. So if you’re feeling lower back pain, hip tightness, or poor balance, these exercises might be for you.
Monster walks can make a huge difference.
I added monster walks with band exercises before doing any of my usual squats, lunges, deadlifts, and cardio because they’re known to “wake up” the glutes and hip stabilizers. This ensures my larger muscles don’t overcompensate during heavy lifts or other bold movements.
8 monster walk exercises that I use myself (and can’t rave about enough) are:
1) Standard Monster Walk With Band
2) Reverse Monster Walk
3) Wall-Supported Monster Walks
4) Seated Monster Walks
5) Lateral Monster Walk with Overhead Reach
6) Monster Walk Squats
7) Monster Walk Squats with Pulse
8) Isometric Monster Walk Squats
In this article, I’ll cover 8 monster walk exercises I love, along with details of what a monster walk even is, the benefits, the muscles worked, and some common mistakes made. I’ll also cover the scarily good self-message tool that I use before monster walks to up my game.
How to Do Monster Walk Exercises: 8 Easy How-To’s
Check out these 8 monster walk exercises that I use in my personal gym routine:
#1. Standard Monster Walk With Band
Targets: Hips, glutes, and lumbar stabilizers (deep core muscles)
How to Do It:
1) You can start by placing a resistance loop band around your thighs or ankles.
2) Stand strong with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, and core braced.
3) Step diagonally forward and to the side with your right foot – follow with your left.
4) You can continue this for 10 to 12 steps, then reverse back.
Pro Tip: Keep tension in your resistance band the entire time, not allowing your feet to come too close together between the monster walk steps you take.
#2. Reverse Monster Walk With Band
Targets: Hamstrings, glutes, and lower back stabilizers
How to Do It:
1) Place the resistance band around your ankles or shins to begin.
2) Take small, controlled steps backward at a diagonal angle while maintaining a squatting stance.
3) You can walk 10 to 15 steps back, then return forward.
Pro Tip: Try leaning slightly forward to activate your glutes on a larger scale and avoid overarching your lower back area, which can cause muscle loss and pain.
#3. Wall-Supported Monster Walk With Band
Targets: Glutes and upper back posture muscles
How to Do It:
1) Start by standing with your back against a flat wall, resistance band firmly around your thighs.
2) Position your arms so they’re in a “W” shape against the wall – elbows bent and hands up.
3) Perform standard sideways monster walks while maintaining your contact with the wall.
4) Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together.
5) You can do 3 sets of 8 to 10 steps in each direction.
Pro Tip: Gently pull your elbows and shoulders into the wall as you do this monster walk exercise to fully activate your entire posterior chain for a boost of benefits.
#4. Seated Monster Walk With Band
Targets: Glutes, hip external rotators, and lumbar support muscles
How to Do It:
1) Sitting on the edge of a sturdy bench or chair, wrap the resistance band around your thighs.
2) Press your knees outward against the band – then, pulse them apart and back together slowly.
3) You can do 3 sets of 15 reps with this monster walk exercise.
Pro Tip: Stay upright and don’t round your back – keep your spine tall and core gently engaged. Good posture while exercising reduces your risk of any back injuries.
#5. Lateral Monster Walk with Overhead Reach
Targets: Core, glutes, latissimus dorsi, and thoracic mobility muscles
How to Do It:
1) Start this monster walk exercise by wrapping the resistance band around your ankles.
2) Hold another light resistance band or towel over your head with your arms extended upward.
3) Engage your core and drop into a slight squat – just enough to activate your glutes and stabilize your spine.
4) Step laterally to the right, keeping constant tension on your ankle resistance band (your feet shouldn’t come closer than hip-width apart).
5) You can take 8 to 10 steps in one direction, then switch to the other.
Pro Tip: Keep your arms locked out and your shoulders away from your ears to maximize lat activation, which can improve functional strength and prevent any injuries.
#6. Monster Walk Squats
Targets: Core, glutes, quads, and lumbar stabilizers
How to Do It:
1) To begin, place the resistance band just above your knees.
2) Position yourself in a shallow squat position with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3) Step diagonally out to the right – all the while staying low. Then, bring your left foot in, keeping resistance on the band.
4) After a few steps, you can reverse the direction. Every 2 to 3 steps, try dropping slightly deeper into the squat, holding for 2 seconds before continuing.
Pro Tip: Don’t let your knees collapse inward – press out against the resistance band to keep your form strong and your glutes fully engaged throughout the exercise.
#7. Monster Walk Squats with Pulse
Targets: Quads, core, glutes, and deep hip stabilizers
How to Do It:
1) Start with a resistance band around your mid-thigh area.
2) Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, lowering into a squat position where your thighs are parallel to the floor (or as low as what’s comfortable).
3) Take a diagonal step to the right and forward, staying low and maintaining tension on your resistance band. Try to avoid leaning side to side here.
4) Pause, then perform 3 mini squat pulses in place – around 2 to 3 inches up and down. Pulses are small, controlled movements that keep your muscles under tension throughout the exercise.
5) After the pulses, step your left foot forward and return to your OG squat stance, staying low.
6) You can repeat this pattern, alternating legs, for 8 to 10 steps forward, pulsing after each.
Pro Tip: Keep your chest lifted and back straight during the monster walk pulses to avoid folding forward (this optimizes your power, targeting the right muscles).
#8. Isometric Monster Walk Squats
Targets: Abductors, glutes, and lower back stabilizers
How to Do It:
1) Begin by dropping into a deep squat with the resistance band around your thighs.
2) Keep that low squat stance without standing up, doing small side-to-side steps – monster walks style – for 10 to 12 steps.
3) You can repeat this for 2 to 3 rounds.
Pro Tip: Move slowly and controlled. Remember: this exercise isn’t about speed – try to engage your abs to help keep your spine neutral for full power and benefits.
All righty, these are the 8 best variations of monster walk exercises. You can also check our founder, Ben, performing a similar exercise in the video below: Lateral band walks.
What Is the Monster Walk Exercise?
The monster walk exercise is a resistance band workout designed to strengthen your hip abductors, glutes, and core – muscles that play a key role in pelvic stability, posture, and lower body alignment. It gets its uniquely fun name from the wide-legged, crouched walking motion, resembling a monster-like shuffle. Though this exercise isn’t your usual Monster Mash jive.
For the most part, the monster walk is a functional movement, meaning it targets muscles that support everyday activities like walking, standing with proper posture, and climbing stairs. Monster walks emphasize small, stabilizing muscles instead of focusing on larger muscle groups – especially your gluteus medius and gluteus minimus – which are often stiff, tight, and sore from sedentary habits. [1]
Weak hip abductors and glutes are strongly associated with:
→ Lower back pain
→ Knee valgus (inward knee collapse)
→ Poor balance and gait
→ Hip instability or tightness
Studies published in some of my favorite active lifestyle journals have shown that hip strengthening exercises, including lateral band walks (like the monster walk), can help reduce injury risk in athletes and improve lower limb alignment during any dynamic movements. [2]
The monster walk also adds external resistance, which increases glute activation compared to bodyweight alone. EMG (electromyography) studies have confirmed that using a resistance band – especially placed around your ankles or thighs – results in higher muscle recruitment, particularly in the glute medius, which helps control pelvic tilt and leg rotation. [3]
In short?
Monster walks play a key role in correcting imbalances, preventing injury, and building foundational strength for your entire lower body, back, and spine.
What Muscles Do Monster Walks Work?
Learn more about the muscles that doing monster walks can work below:
→ Gluteus Medius, which is the primary target of a monster walk; it’s key for hip stability and preventing knee collapse
→ Gluteus Maximus, which provides power for hip extension and posture support
→ Gluteus Minimus, which helps with hip rotation and stabilization
→ Hip Flexors, which assist in controlled leg movement during the monster walk exercise steps
→ Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL), which supports side-to-side motion and hip abduction
→ Quadriceps, which engage during some squatting variations and certain step transitions
→ Hamstrings, which assist with balance and posterior chain activation
→ Core Muscles, which stabilize your spine and pelvis during movement
→ Lower Back Stabilizers (AKA multifidus and erector spinae), which help maintain posture and resist twisting
→ Calves (especially with ankle band placement), which activate to control foot placement and balance
The Benefits of Doing a Monster Walk Exercise
Here are some cool benefits of the monster walk you need to know about:
→ Activates Underused Glute Muscles
The monster walk exercise can specifically target your gluteus medius and gluteus minimus – muscles that are often neglected in a lot of standard leg workout routines. Strengthening both of these muscles helps to improve hip stability and reduce strain on your lower back and knees.
→ Reduces the Risk of Lower Back Pain
By strengthening the muscles that support your pelvis and core, the monster walk can help offload pressure from your lumbar spine – a cause of lower back pain. For extra support and alignment during lower-body moves like this, we recommend our very own back muscle massage device, The QL Claw.
The Claw works by helping any tight, stiff, or sore glute muscles relax and calm down. When loose and calm, these glute muscles can properly support your pelvis and core, two MVPs in stabilizing your lower back. By using it before monster walks, you’re encouraging proper form, firing the right muscles, and reducing excess load on your spine.
To summarize: better glute activation = less compensation = less lower back pain.
→ Rehabilitates and Prevents Injuries
Did you know that physical therapists often prescribe monster walk exercises in rehab for conditions like IT band syndrome and hip bursitis – especially for runners? They’re gems.
→ Enhances Athletic Performance
A strong gluteus medius improves lateral movement control, balance, and explosiveness, which are key elements in sports like basketball, tennis, and soccer. Athletes often incorporate the monster walks I mentioned above into warm-ups to boost long-term performance.
→ Strengthens the Core and Lower Body Together
Because you need to brace your core to maintain posture while walking in a squat, the monster walk exercise doubles as a core stabilizer, helping to train coordination within your muscles.
→ Easy to Modify for All Fitness Levels
Whether you’re doing a monster walk with a band around your thighs for newbies or down at the ankle for extra resistance, this exercise is scalable and effective no matter your level of fitness.
→ Requires Minimal Equipment
All you need for a monster walk exercise is a resistance band and a few feet of space. It’s the perfect move for home workouts, warm-ups, travel routines, or even physical therapy seshes.
→ Improves Posture and Gait Mechanics
Strengthening your hip abductors and core improves how you walk, stand, and even turn – making the monster walk a functional movement that carries over into everyday life.
8 Common Monster Walk Mistakes
Before you get to monster walkin’, take a look at these common mistakes people make:
Mistake #1. Knees Collapsing Inward
Why It’s Bad: Taking the load off your glutes puts stress on your knees and lower back
How to Fix It: Consistently press your knees outward against the band to maintain tension
Mistake #2. Standing Too Upright
Why It’s Bad: Makes the monster walk exercise less effective by reducing glute activation
How to Fix It: Keep a slight squat stance to engage your posterior chain
Mistake #3. Letting Your Feet Come Too Close Together
Why It’s Bad: Eliminates band tension and makes the monster walk exercise more challenging
How to Fix It: Keep your feet hip-width apart, even between steps
Mistake #4. Taking Steps That Are Too Big
Why It’s Bad: Shifts focus to your quads or strains your lower back
How to Fix It: Use small, controlled diagonal steps to isolate your glutes and hips
Mistake #5. Moving Too Fast
Why It’s Bad: Momentum can take over, causing your muscles to not activate properly
How to Fix It: Slow down and breathe – focus on muscle engagement, not reps
Mistake #6. Skipping Both Directions
Why It’s Bad: Only doing the monster walk in one direction can lead to muscle imbalance
How to Fix It: Always do it in all directions – forward, backward, and lateral
Mistake #7. Forgetting to Breathe
Why It’s Bad: Holding your breath can cause tension and reduce your performance
How to Fix It: Use steady, controlled breathing like in yoga
Misake #8. Placing the Band Too High or Too Low
Why It’s Bad: Resistance band placement can change the difficulty and target certain areas
How to Fix It: For more gluteus medius activation, place the resistance band around your ankles or just above the knees, but not on your knees themselves
Massage Those Glutes Before Monster Walk Exercises
If your monster walk routine isn’t giving you the results you want, your gluteus medius might be falling asleep on the job. This deep, often-overlooked muscle plays a massive role in your hip stability, posture, and lower body power. But if it’s tight or under-activated, you’re not just wasting reps – you’re potentially reinforcing poor movement patterns and other haunted habits.
Before you strap on that resistance band to start your monster walking, I recommend trying to loosen and wake up your glute medius first. Enter: our self-massage tool: The Claw.
By releasing tight fascia and built-up tension around the glute medius before you start training, you can:
→ Improve hip mobility and movement control
→ Increase muscle activation during monster walk exercises
→ Reduce compensation from the low back or hamstrings
→ Build stronger, more stable glutes over time
Learn how to massage and release your glute medius with The Claw the right way in this article.
Or to see the QL Claw perform some serious glue med work, check out the video below:
Check out The Claw in our online store:
Hear what people have to say about the QL Claw below.
FAQs on Monster Walk Exercises
What Does the Monster Walk Exercise Do?
Monster walk exercises target your hip stabilizers – especially the gluteus medius and gluteus minimus – to improve your lower body strength, stability, and alignment. They’re great for building good posture, balance, and joint support, specifically during squats, lunges, or running.
Do Monster Walks Grow Glutes?
Absolutely! When done consistently, monster walk exercises help activate and strengthen your glutes, particularly the gluteus medius. While they won’t bulk your glutes like heavy lifting can, they’re a great option for muscle engagement and sculpting in your daily workout routine.
Do Monster Walks Strengthen the Knees?
So – Indirectly, the answer is yes, they can. By strengthening the muscles that stabilize your hips and thighs, monster walk exercises reduce stress on your knees and can help prevent knee pain or injury – especially in activities like running or jumping. We love a tricky question!
How Often Should You Do Monster Walks?
You can do monster walks 2 to 4 times per week.
What Do Monster Walks Work?
Monster walk exercises can work your:
→ Gluteus Medius
→ Gluteus Maximus
→ Gluteus Minimus
→ Hip Flexors
→ Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL)
→ Quadriceps
→ Hamstrings
→ Core Muscles
→ Lower Back Stabilizers
→ Calves
What’s the Difference Between a Monster Walk vs. a Lateral Walk?
The difference is that monster walks involve a diagonal forward/backward step with resistance, while lateral walks focus on side-to-side motion. Both workouts target your glutes and hip stabilizers, but monster walks engage a slightly wider range of movement patterns.
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