Looking to get a shapely, toned butt? When you’re working out, targeting your glutes and making them really work can be a difficult feat. The muscles here are quite small, which means that you have to work extra hard to activate them. Luckily, there’s one piece of resistance gear that could be your secret weapon: booty bands. Here’s everything you need to know about booty bands and how you can use them in a resistance band butt workout at home or in the gym.
What Are Booty Bands?
Booty bands are certainly a hot topic right now, but do you know what they are? In short, these pieces of gym equipment are mini resistance bands which you can use to target your glutes and lower muscular areas. You can use them in your everyday workout regime to add some extra resistance and make the muscles work harder than they otherwise would do. You may have heard people also refer to these bands as butt bands, resistance bands, and mini bands. However, they are all the same thing.
Do Resistance Band Butt Workouts Really Work?
Feeling a little skeptical about the idea of booty bands? It’s true that there’s no miracle piece of equipment that will tone your butt overnight. However, getting some booty bands and using them correctly could give you the edge when it comes to getting the shape you want. The key is making sure that you do the right resistance band butt workouts for you.
How does a booty band workout work? Well, research has found that resistance band training is as effective as traditional weight training.[1] That means that you get as much out of using booty bands as you would out of using weights. However, it can often be hard to target the small ancillary muscles within your glutes. By adding a level of focused tension to the area, you can make these muscles work to their full potential.
Of course, everyone is different and you won’t know whether they work for you until you try them for yourself. When you start resistance band butt workouts, you should feel that these muscles engage and you feel the burn. Since these muscles are typically tricky to target, you may find that working them feels completely alien to you.
How to Use Them
Unlike general resistance bands, booty bands are usually only used for lower-body workouts. To start a resistance band butt workout, you need to wrap the mini bands around your feet, ankles, or thighs. You then complete a set of exercises, which will normally see you stretch the bands using the strength of your legs and glutes. You can either add booty bands to the moves that you already undertake or engage in a completely new routine.
When you’re wearing them, you will find that it takes more strength and energy to complete moves and exercises. The additional resistance here will make your muscles work harder than they otherwise would. With that in mind, you can complete the same types of activity that you usually do but get toned up much faster.
The Ultimate Booty Band Workout
Looking to boost your butt? Including booty bands in your workout means that you can effectively target your glutes and get more out of your training. There’s a wide variety of lower body exercises you can try, all of which will help you to improve both your muscle tone and strength. Check out our ultimate booty band workout here.
Glute Kickbacks | 20 reps
Glute kickbacks should be an essential part of your resistance band booty workout. These simple exercises are easy to master and you can do them with minimal fuss.
Equipment you’ll need:
- Booty band
- Exercise mat
How to do it:
- Stand on the mat and place your booty band around your ankles.
- Step one foot forward to make sure that there’s a level of resistance in the band.
- Shift your weight forward onto your front foot. Keep your core strong for extra balance.
- Kick your back leg out and upward. Keep your leg straight as you move.
- Keep the level of tension and bring your foot back to the mat.
- Repeat the exercise 10 times on each leg.
Tip: If you’d like a deeper and more intense exercise, lean your upper body forward as you move. You will feel the burn!
Squat Side Lifts | 30 reps
Squats are an absolute must when you’re doing any type of booty band workout. However, this next exercise puts a small twist on the classic exercise.
Equipment you’ll need:
- Booty band
- Exercise mat
How to do it:
- Start by standing on the mat with the booty band around your thighs.
- Edge your legs outward so that they are a hip-width apart.
- Squat down as deep as you can manage.
- Come back up and, as you do, kick one leg directly out to the side.
- Return to your start position and repeat. Alternate which leg you kick.
Hip Bridge Pulses | 30 reps
If you’re used to doing hip bridges as part of your general workout regime, these exercises should be relatively straightforward. Add them to your resistance band butt workout for killer results.
Equipment you’ll need:
- Booty band
- Exercise mat
How to do it:
- Start by lying with your back flat on the mat. Raise your knees with your booty band around your thighs.
- Move your pelvis upward into
bridge position. Keep your glutes and core tight. - Keep your feet solidly on the mat and push your knees out to the side.
- Pulse your knees outward while keeping the resistance. Repeat 30 times.
Booty Band Shuffle | 20 reps
Ready to do the shuffle? This next move is the ideal addition to your resistance booty band workout and is surprisingly fun to do. Give it a whirl!
Equipment you’ll need:
- Booty band
How to do it:
- Stand with your booty band around your ankle and your feet a hip-width apart.
- Squat downward while keeping your core and glutes engaged at all times.
- Take a step sidewards, bringing one foot as far out as you can manage.
- Bring the other foot toward the first one to close the gap.
- Repeat this move by stepping your other foot out in the opposite direction.
- Keep the shuffle going for 20 repetitions.
Tip: When closing the gap, you don’t want to bring your feet too close together. Make sure there is still some resistance
on the booty band.
Backward Donkey Kicks | 20 reps
Despite the somewhat funny name of this exercise, this is an activity that is seriously hard work. But it’s well worth the effort as you’ll tone up in no time by doing it on the regular.
Equipment you’ll need:
- Booty band
- Exercise mat
How to do it:
- First, get down on your hands and knees on the mat.
- Wrap the booty band around one of your ankles, and one of your knees.
- Kick one of your legs upward, keeping the tension in your glutes.
- Hold the leg at the top of the move for a couple of seconds. Then, release.
- Alternate legs and repeat this move 20 times per set.
Tip: Make sure that you keep your back as flat as possible at all times. Arching your back will mean that the move is less effective.
Lunge and Lift | 30 reps
Adding some lunges is a fantastic way to get more out of your resistance band butt workout. This next exercise takes things to a new level by adding extra difficulty to the move.
Equipment you’ll need:
- Booty band
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet apart and your booty band around your thighs.
- Step forward and crouch down into lunge position. Make sure that both legs face forward and are perfectly aligned with one another.
- Move your weight onto your front leg and kick your back leg upward.
- Bring it back down to the floor.
- Repeat this action 30 times, alternating legs as you do so.
3 Tips For Choosing the Right Butt Bands
1. Choose the right size for you
The mini bands tend to come in a range of different sizes. You simply have to choose which is right for a) your shape and b) your skill level. Thicker booty bands require a high skill level as they give you more resistance. Pick your band wisely.
2. Have a budget already in mind
One of the best things about booty bands is that they are a cost-effective way to supercharge your workout. You can get a standard mini band for around $20-$30. Before you start shopping around, ensure you have a budget in mind. Don’t get caught out paying too much.
3. Look for a high level of quality
Scrimping on gym equipment is always a mistake. The same can be said for butt bands. When shopping for butt bands, you want to feel the material and see how durable it really is. With any luck, you’ll be putting a high level of pressure on these bands. Should you opt for a piece that’s of inferior quality, the chances are that it won’t last long.
Conclusion
Now that you know the best
way to boost your butt, it’s time to invest in a quality booty band and
get started. Use the workout guide here as something of a starting point. None
of the exercises are too difficult for beginners, and so you should have no
problem at all. Once you master these exercises, you can kick things up a gear
and try some more advanced moves. Good luck and happy training!
