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Want to grow your glutes, improve hip mobility, and supercharge your workouts? Add a resistance band! Read the blog for band recommendations and top exercises.
Whether you like to exercise at home or in the gym, resistance bands can add a new intensity to your workout routine. They're also relatively inexpensive, small, and light, making them an easy purchase that you can take anywhere. Resistance bands can be used for different purposes and give you a whole-body workout. With that said, they add an especially intense burn when used during a glute workout.
Still, if you've never purchased a resistance band, you might not be sure where to start. Which brand makes the best resistance bands? How do you begin to use resistance bands for glutes? Let's discuss.
Why Use Resistance Bands?
Resistance bands and glute bands are great pieces of exercise equipment, whether you're new to working out or have been on a fitness journey for years. Other pieces of equipment, can be incredibly expensive - for example, dumbbells are about $2 per pound, which quickly adds up when you're buying a basic set of 5, 10, and 20 pounds. Meanwhile, resistance bands are affordable. Most bands are around $15 each, or you can find sets of three for about $40.
Resistance bands are also very easy to store. You can fold a resistance band up and throw it in a drawer or your gym bag. Plus, they're ideal to travel with, since they won't add much weight or take up space in your luggage.
A resistance band provides a low-impact workout that can suit just about anyone. Resistance bands also allow you to do a wide range of exercises on your upper and lower body.
Lastly, bands offer a similar challenge to that of dumbbells since they can be made in different "weights" - usually extra light, light, medium, heavy, and extra heavy.
Different Types of Bands
Aside from the different "weights" that a resistance band can be, they also come in a variety of styles. Some are long and can be tied to an anchored piece of furniture or looped around your body twice to add difficulty. Others are short loops. Some are pure rubber, while others are thick, stretchy cloth.
No type of resistance band is necessarily better. You simply need to remember that bands that are smaller or less stretchy have more resistance, while those that are longer or are more flexible have less resistance.
When discussing glute workouts specifically, thicker cloth glute bands with a grippy lining are most popular. These bands are made specifically for working the glutes, so they're designed to stay put across your legs while you work out.
How to Properly Use a Resistance Band for Lower Body
There are several ways to use resistance bands for lower body workouts. You can put a resistance band around your thighs, just above the knees. You can also place the band around your ankles, depending on the movement you'll be doing. We'll cover specific exercises below.
Resistance bands are great to use:
In a bodyweight workout
In a workout using free weights
During your warm-up to activate the glutes and hips
While using a glute band, it's important to be mindful of your knees. Your knees should always be driving outward, as this protects your joints.
The Best Resistance Bands for 2024
TRX is a widely trusted brand for workout equipment. You've likely seen TRX suspension straps in the gym. The same brand makes high-quality, challenging glute bands.
This particular set includes three - light, medium, and heavy. Each band is made of supersoft fabric that doesn't tug or pull uncomfortably against the skin. They also have adjustable sliders so you can get the perfect fit.
Theraband is one of the original companies to offer resistance bands, so you know you're in good hands. These bands are made of natural rubber, which has been used in progressive resistance programs for over 40 years.
These bands are unique because they actually arrive as long stretches of flexible rubber. You can hold and tie them as necessary, depending on the exercise you want to do.
I recommend this particular set because it includes three weights, allowing you to challenge yourself progressively.
If you're looking for value for your money, Fit Simplify is a great option. This set includes 5 different bands for under $15. With resistance ranging from extra light to extra heavy, you can use these bands for all types of workouts.
This set of bands is a great option if you like to work out in shorts. They have a soft cloth exterior with a rubber non-slip inner strip. They'll stay in place on your thighs without pulling or tugging.
The brand also uses premium manufacturing so that the bands last a long time. With over 30,000 positive reviews, it's fair to say that these bands deliver what they promise.
If you're looking to set up an entire home gym, the Bodylastics set provides a comprehensive multiuse system. For $50, you get five different bands with increasing resistance, padded ankle straps, detachable handles, and a door anchor.
With this set, you can work the glutes as well as the rest of the legs, upper body, and core. If you want to increase the intensity, you can even stack the bands to add up to 96 pounds of resistance.
6 Key Resistance Band Exercises to Tone and Build the Glutes
As you'll quickly find out, adding resistance bands to your workout routine can challenge you in new ways. You might start with a lighter band to learn the correct form, then move on to heavier bands. Here are six excellent exercises to start with.
1. Clamshells
Begin by placing your resistance band about an inch above your knees, then lay down on your side. You can use the arm that's on the ground to rest your head on. Lay with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and keep your feet together.
Pull the knee that's on top toward the sky, leaving the other leg on the ground and opening your knees like a clamshell. Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze the glutes before lowering your top knee to the bottom one.
Repeat. Be sure to do the same amount of reps on the other side.
2. Standing Kick Backs
Stand with your knees bent slightly and hips shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on a chair to steady yourself if needed. Hinge at the hips so that your upper body is at a slight angle toward the ground.
Place the resistance band around your ankles. Slowly lift your leg behind you, leading with your heel and keeping your foot flexed, pausing at the top before returning your foot to the ground. Repeat.
3. Glute Bridge
Put the resistance band just above your knees. Lay with your back flat against the floor and legs bent at a 90-degree angle, feet on the floor.
Push your hips up into the air and drive through your heels. Focus on squeezing the glutes together to power this movement. Pause at the top, still squeezing, then lower back to the ground. Repeat.
4. Standing Lateral Leg Lift
With this movement, you can put the resistance band around your ankles or just above your knees. Stand with your hands on your hips. Keep feet hip-width apart. With your knees bent slightly, balance over your left foot and raise your right foot into the air, heel leading the way. Raise it as high as you can to the side, then lower it down.
Repeat the same thing on the other side - balance on your right leg, then lift your left leg into the air. Lead with the heel of your left foot. Be sure to maintain a slight bend so you don't lock out your left knee.
5. Unilateral Bridges
A unilateral bridge is also referred to as a single-leg glute bridge. To perform this movement, put the glute band just above the knees. To get into a starting position, lay on the floor on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
This is the same position you were in for a regular glute bridge. To make it a single-leg glute bridge, you'll either lift one foot slightly off the ground or put that foot on your opposite knee, as if you were sitting cross-legged.
Now, lift your hips into the air, pushing through the foot that's still on the ground. Squeeze the glutes, especially the glute attached to the one leg that's providing the power. Lower back to the starting position and repeat. Be sure to repeat an equal number of times on each side.
6. Banded Squats
Begin by putting the resistance band around your legs, just above the knees. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your spine in a straight line, with your eyes looking ahead and your chest upright.
Hinge forward, focusing on moving your hips back and then down, lowering into a squat. Drive your knees outward as you sit back, keeping your chest and shoulders up. Go as low as you can comfortably control, hold at the bottom while driving the knees apart, then push through the heels to stand.
So, what's your favorite way to get in a killer glute workout using a resistance band? Let us know in the comments below!
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