Not firing up your glutes is like trying to drive a car without the engine switched on.
You may be doing exactly the right things. But without those glutes activated, you will not effectively gain muscle mass. Simple as that.
Muscle activation is essentially getting the muscles ready and ‘turned on’ to allow optimal results in muscle gain.
You know the feeling when you walk away painlessly from a leg and butt workout and just know that it has had a minimal effect. Or worst, an effect in completely the wrong places.. Integrate some resistance band exercises into your routine and you will most definitely feel the burn!
A resistance band is one of the most crucial and inexpensive pieces of gym equipment that you will ever buy!
Although they can be incorporated in your workout in a multitude of ways, you cannot underestimate the power they have in growing glutes. They keep all three major muscles in the bum: the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus activated and firing all at once! The bands work by providing extra resistance to a particular movement, meaning more muscles (some that are rarely stimulated or activated) are turned on to help stabilise the body. This results in more drastic strengthening and toning.
It’s extremely common when performing movements like squats or lunges, for the quads to take over and dominate.
This can mean putting unwanted pressure on your knees and legs, which obviously, is not ideal when the focus of the workout is to target the glutes! Keeping your heels firmly planted throughout any glute exercises will ensure the right muscles are activated. However, by incorporating a resistance band to a butt workout. You are ensuring the right muscles are all activated without having to think too much.
Here are three exercises incorporating resistance bands that will fire up your glutes for you and make sure your gaining the most out your booty workout!
1) Banded Crab Walks
You may feel slightly silly doing these.. But they are an INCREDIBLY effective way of switching all three booty muscles on and getting them ready for the heavy legs session you have on afterwards.
Place the band just above the knees
Stand in a shallow squat position with your feet hip-width apart (make sure your knees do not overlap your feet)
Keeping the same distance (hip-width) between your feet at all times, take a step to the right with your right foot. Then follow with your left foot. At no point should your feet come together. Always maintain the hip-width distance
Take five steps to the right then five steps to the left, then five steps forward, five steps backward
Repeat 10 times
2) Banded Glute Bridges
Make sure you squeeze your glutes throughout this exercise for optimal results!
Place the band just above your knees
Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, knees bent and feet flat and shoulder-width apart
Squeeze your glutes and abs, lift your hips so they are in line with your back
Repeat 20 times
3) Banded Squats
Simple concept but the added resistance really gets your glutes working and allows you to feel the muscles activated and thus, how they should be kept throughout your workout!
Place band just above your knees
Stand with your feet hip-width apart
Bend your knees ensuring that they don’t overlap your feet and squat!
Do this quick activation session before every legs and butt workout and you will be ensuring that all the right muscles are switched on and ready to grow!
