Monster Walks: How-to, Benefits & Variations
Monster walks target glutes, hip abductors, and quads. Step diagonally in a quarter squat with a resistance band, keeping constant tension. Builds hip stability and corrects knee alignment.
Monster Walks: How-to, Benefits & Variations
Stand up from your chair right now and take a step sideways. Feel how little effort that took? Your hip abductors barely had to fire. That sideways stability muscle group has been coasting on autopilot for years, and the consequences show up in places you wouldn't expect: knee pain during lunges, a hip that clicks when you climb stairs, lower back stiffness that no amount of stretching seems to fix.
The monster walk exercise forces those sleeping muscles to wake up. You drop into a quarter squat, wrap a resistance band around your legs, and take slow diagonal steps forward and back while fighting the band's constant pull inward. Sophie Jones, who programs monster walks in four of our workout series, puts it bluntly: "This band is literally making me wanna fling my legs in... I'm really trying to control it." That fight against the band is the whole point. Your gluteus medius and minimus fire at high activation levels throughout the movement, and a 2020 meta-analysis ranked exercises like banded walks among the highest for gluteus medius recruitment. For anyone dealing with knee instability, hip tightness, or the gradual bone density decline that comes with hormonal shifts, monster walks address the root cause rather than the symptom.
Athlete Mode: Workout 6
Sophie Jones
How to Do Monster Walks
Place a resistance band just above your knees (for moderate resistance) or around your ankles (for more challenge). Stand with your feet hip-width apart so there's light tension on the band even at rest.
Lower into a quarter squat: hips back, chest up, back flat. Sophie Jones cues it as keeping your hips forward with your abs tight. Your knees should track over your toes, not collapse inward. This squat position is where you'll stay for the entire exercise.
Step your right foot forward and out on a diagonal, then follow with the left foot, keeping your feet at least hip-width apart the entire time. Never let the band go slack between steps. Take 4-6 steps forward.
Reverse direction by stepping backward on the same diagonal pattern. The backward portion is harder because your quads are already loaded and the band wants to pull your knees together. Maintain the same wide stance.
Keep your feet parallel with toes pointing forward throughout. Sophie cues: small little movements, do not try and do big steps. Slow, controlled steps generate more muscle activation than large, fast ones.
Breathe steadily. Exhale as you step to help maintain core stability. Complete 2-3 trips forward and back (roughly 20-30 total steps) per set.
Muscles Worked
Primary
Gluteus medius and minimus
The primary targets. These muscles sit on the outer hip and control lateral stability. A 2020 meta-analysis of therapeutic gluteal exercises found that banded walking patterns produced among the highest gluteus medius activation of any exercise tested. During monster walks, these muscles fire with every single step to push the knees outward against band resistance.
Gluteus maximus
Maintains the squat position and stabilizes hip extension throughout the walking pattern. The sustained isometric hold in the quarter squat keeps the gluteus maximus under constant tension. A 2023 biomechanics study of hip-focused rehabilitation exercises confirmed significant gluteal force output during banded movement patterns.
Secondary
Quadriceps
Hold the quarter squat position throughout all steps. The sustained knee flexion makes this a sneaky quad burner, which is why Sophie Jones programs monster walks in her Athlete Mode series.
Core (transverse abdominis, obliques)
Stabilize the pelvis and prevent lateral trunk sway during stepping. Without core engagement, the upper body compensates by leaning side to side, and the glutes get a free pass.
Hip external rotators
Work constantly to push the knees outward against band resistance. This rotational component is what makes monster walks therapeutic for knee valgus and patellofemoral pain.
Why this matters in perimenopause
The gluteus medius is the muscle most women never think about until something goes wrong. A weak medius lets the knee collapse inward during single-leg activities like stair climbing, hiking, and even walking on uneven ground. A 2023 systematic review linked hip abductor weakness to patellofemoral pain syndrome. During perimenopause, estrogen decline accelerates both muscle wasting and bone density loss. A meta-analysis of 27 RCTs showed resistance training improved lean body mass and lower-body strength in menopausal women. Monster walks target the exact muscles that keep your hips and knees aligned under load.
Coach's Tips
"Grab the band around the ankles, and you wanna get to the back of the room keeping the band super tight." Sophie Jones doesn't mince words. The band must have tension at all times. If you can hear slack snapping between steps, your stance is too narrow or your steps are too small. Widen your feet until you feel the burn before you even start walking.
Sophie Jones
"Making sure we're not coming in, our knees aren't coming in. Nice and wide on that stance." Sophie repeats this cue across every monster walk set. The instinct to let your knees drift inward is the exact pattern this exercise trains you to resist. If you catch your knees caving, stop, reset your stance, and start the set over. Sloppy reps teach sloppy movement patterns.
Sophie Jones
"We're gonna add four pulses at the end at the top and then four pulses at the end at the bottom." Linda Chambers adds squat pulses at each end of the walk. Those pulses extend the time under tension right when your glutes are screaming loudest. It's a brilliant progression that doesn't require heavier resistance.
Linda Chambers
"This is not to be done fast. If you're doing it fast, you're cheating." Sophie says this mid-set, and she's right. Speed lets momentum do the work. Slow, deliberate steps with constant tension produce far more gluteus medius activation than rushing through the reps. Treat each step like it's its own exercise.
Sophie Jones
Exhale as you step to maintain core stability. Most people hold their breath during banded walks because the effort sneaks up on them. Steady breathing keeps your core braced and prevents the compensatory trunk lean that lets your glutes off the hook.
"I'm gonna put my band a little bit lower... round the ankles." Sophie moves the band from knees to ankles mid-workout to increase the lever arm and resistance. Start with the band above the knees if you're new to monster walks. Once that feels manageable for 3 sets of 20 steps, drop the band to the ankles. The difference is dramatic.
Sophie Jones
If your lower back aches during monster walks, two things are happening. First, you're standing too upright instead of sitting into the squat. Second, your core isn't engaged. Sophie cues: keeping my back nice and flat, keeping my tummy nice and tight. Those two corrections eliminate the lumbar strain.
Sophie Jones
Why This Matters for You
Hip stability isn't something you think about until it disappears. Stepping off a curb sideways. Catching yourself when someone bumps into you in a crowd. Holding a heavy grocery bag while your toddler pulls on the other arm. All of these demand strong hip abductors, and those muscles weaken quietly during perimenopause as estrogen drops and muscle protein synthesis slows.
A meta-analysis of 27 RCTs confirmed that resistance training improved lean body mass and lower-body strength in menopausal women. The monster walk targets the exact hip muscles that conventional strength training often misses. Squats and deadlifts strengthen your glutes in the sagittal plane. Monster walks work the frontal plane. You need both.
There's a knee piece too. A 2023 systematic review found that hip abductor weakness directly correlates with patellofemoral pain. During perimenopause, joint laxity changes as hormones shift. Keeping the gluteus medius strong reduces the load on the knee joint by maintaining femoral alignment during movement. Two sets of monster walks three times per week is the minimum dose that makes a measurable difference.
Variations & Modifications
Monster Walks Without Band
lowSame quarter-squat walking pattern, no resistance band. This is your starting point if you're learning the movement or recovering from a hip injury. Focus entirely on keeping your knees pushed outward and maintaining a consistent squat depth. You should still feel your outer glutes working. If you don't, sit deeper into the squat. Once you can do 3 sets of 30 steps with good form, add the band.
Banded Monster Walks with Pulses
medium-highLinda Chambers' signature progression. Walk the standard monster walk pattern, then add four squat pulses at each end before reversing direction. Those pulses extend time under tension right when your muscles are most fatigued. The burn shifts from your outer hips into your quads and deep into the gluteus maximus. This is the variation that makes people grip the wall.
Ankle-Band Monster Walk
medium-highMove the band from above the knees to around the ankles. The longer lever arm increases resistance significantly without needing a heavier band. Sophie transitions to this placement mid-workout: "I'm gonna put my band a little bit lower... round the ankles." Keep your steps even smaller with the ankle placement to maintain control. This is the banded monster walks variation that targets the deepest hip stabilizers.
Benefits
Builds the hip muscles nothing else reaches
The gluteus medius sits on the side of your hip and controls every lateral movement your body makes. Most exercises miss it. Squats, deadlifts, and lunges work in the forward-and-back plane. Monster walks force side-to-side activation. A 2020 meta-analysis found banded walking patterns rank among the highest exercises for gluteus medius and minimus recruitment. Nothing else loads these muscles as directly with so little equipment.
Protects your knees from the inside out
Knee pain during squats, lunges, and stair climbing often traces back to hip weakness, not knee damage. A 2023 systematic review linked patellofemoral pain to deficits in hip abductor strength. When your gluteus medius can't stabilize the femur, the knee collapses inward under load. The monster walk exercise trains the exact muscle responsible for holding the knee in alignment. I've seen women eliminate long-standing knee pain in four weeks of consistent banded walks.
Needs one band and two metres of floor space
A mini resistance band weighs nothing, costs a few dollars, and fits in a handbag. The monster walk workout needs no bench, no rack, no gym. Hotel room. Living room. Office hallway at lunch. The monster walks benefits compound because the barrier to entry is essentially zero. You will actually do this exercise consistently because nothing can stop you.
Warms up everything below the waist
Monster walks appear in the warm-up section of Sophie Jones' Athlete Mode and Total Body Conditioning workouts for a reason. The sustained quarter squat activates your quads. The banded stepping fires your glutes. The diagonal pattern wakes up your hip rotators. Three minutes of monster walks before a lower-body session replaces a 10-minute generic warm-up. Your squats and deadlifts feel different after a set of these.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Letting the band go slack between steps
This is the most common error and it defeats the entire purpose of the exercise. If the band loses tension, your glutes stop working. Sophie cues: take the feet as wide as we need to, so there is always tension on the band. Keep a wider base than you think you need. You should feel the band pulling your knees inward from the first step to the last.
Standing too upright instead of holding the squat
Your hips need to stay low throughout every step. Standing up shifts the work from your glutes to your hip flexors and reduces activation significantly. Think of it as walking while sitting in an invisible chair. Sophie cues: hips are staying nice and low. If your quads aren't burning by step 10, you're not low enough.
Taking huge, fast steps
Big steps swing your body weight laterally, which creates momentum that your muscles don't have to control. Sophie nails this one: small little movements, don't try and do big steps. Each step should be about 15-20 centimetres. Slow and deliberate. If you're moving fast, the band is doing the moving for you.
Knees caving inward on the return steps
The backward portion is where form breaks down because fatigue sets in. Your brain stops cueing your hips to push out, and the band wins. Drive your knees outward the entire time. If you feel your knees caving, pause, reset your stance wide, and continue. Sophie cues: drive forward, trying to push the knees outwards, so I'm using that band as resistance.
Workouts Featuring This Exercise
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Frequently Asked Questions
Related Exercises
Banded Lateral Walk
Same band, same muscles, different direction. Lateral walks move side-to-side while monster walks go diagonally. Pair them for complete hip abductor training.
Clamshell
Isolates the gluteus medius from a side-lying position. A gentler starting point if monster walks feel too intense on your knees.
Glute Bridge
Targets the gluteus maximus while the spine is fully supported. Combine with monster walks for complete glute development: maximus plus medius.
Fire Hydrant
Another gluteus medius exercise from a hands-and-knees position. Excellent if standing banded walks aggravate your knees.
Donkey Kick
Targets the gluteus maximus from a kneeling position. Pairs well with monster walks in a lower-body circuit.
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