Hey, glute girls! We've all heard the same old clichés about building a better butt: Squat, squat, squat it out! Leg day is the best day of the week! Train your butt, train your brain!
But do you ever find yourself in a rut, doing the same old exercises to build your glutes over and over again? You are not alone.
Top 7 Glute Resistance Band Exercises for Killer Curves
Here are 7 killer band glute exercises to mix up your routine so you can build a better booty!
1. Reverse Band Walks.
You can do these with a band looped around your feet, or use an actual resistance band.
To get into the starting position, start standing up tall and then sit back into a sumo squat with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart.
Keep your core tight and hands on your hips while you maintain this wide foot stance throughout the exercise.
With hands still on your hips, walk forward by taking small steps out to the sides until you feel your glutes stretching and hamstrings lengthening (don't lean forward or round your shoulders).
Your goal is to cover as much distance as possible during each set of 10 reps.
For more resistance, move slower and take bigger steps; for less resistance, move quicker and take smaller steps. You can also move in a circle instead of forward, which is great for dynamic mobility and working on the ankle and hip stability.
2. Elevated Glute Bridge.
This exercise is fantastic for strengthening the glutes so you can improve your yoga or pilates bridge pose, or just become stronger overall!
Place your heels on top of a bench (or step) with your knees bent to 90 degrees.
Grab hold of a weight plate (or medicine ball, box, etc.) with both hands at chest level and roll it out far enough that it won't pull you back as you are lying down. Then lie completely flat on the ground with shoulder blades touching the floor underneath you, and arms flat at your sides with palms down.
Push through your heels, bracing your abs as you lift your glutes up to the ceiling, squeezing your booty at the top without letting your low back arch off of the floor.
Alternately, reach both arms overhead for more of a challenge.
3. Monster Walk.
This particular exercise is great if you want some dynamic mobility work in addition to strengthening your glutes!
To get into position, set up just like you would for an elevated bridge-feet on a bench or step with knees bent to 90 degrees and hands holding weight plates at chest level (a medicine ball, box, etc., will also do).
Keeping shoulders squared forward and core braced, walk forward by taking small steps out to the sides until you feel your glutes stretching and hamstrings lengthening (don't lean forward or round your shoulders).
Continue walking in this manner for 10 - 20 yards before reversing direction.
4. Sumo Walk.
This one can be done just like reverse band walks with feet looped through a band or with an actual resistance band attached to something sturdy at about hip level.
With hands-on-hips, take small steps side-to-side while maintaining the wide foot stance so that you get a nice stretch in your inner thighs.
Your goal is to cover as much distance as possible during each set of 10 reps. For more resistance, move slower and take bigger steps; for less resistance, move quicker and take smaller steps.
5. X-Band Walks.
These are similar to banded/band walking exercises but with a rotation twist!
In my opinion, this variation is most effective when you go one complete rotation before coming back to your starting position for 10 reps per side.
To get into the starting position, place a small looped band around your feet.
Place your hands on your hips while maintaining an upright posture throughout the exercise.
Keep one foot in front of the other as you step out to one side by taking small steps across your body until you feel your glutes stretching. Then step back to the starting position by taking small steps across your body with the opposite leg.
6. Banded Sumo Walks.
This exercise is another great one for working on strength and dynamic mobility simultaneously!
Set up just like for an elevated bridge with feet on a bench or platform, knees bent to 90 degrees, and hands holding weight plates at chest level (a medicine ball, box, etc., will also do).
Keeping shoulders squared forward and core braced, walk forward by taking small steps out to the sides until you feel your glutes stretching and hamstrings lengthening (don't lean forward or round your shoulders).
Continue walking in this manner for 10 - 20 yards before reversing direction.
7. Banded Lateral Walks.
Lateral walks are another great way to strengthen your glutes while also working on dynamic mobility (particularly in the hips). You can do these with or without resistance bands, depending on your level of strength and comfortability with the exercise.
The key is to take small steps side-to-side while maintaining an upright posture throughout the movement; over time you will get stronger and gain a greater range of motion.
If you're using a band, attach it around your feet so that there is tension during the entire exercise. With hands-on-hips, stay tall and take small, controlled steps laterally.
Wrap-Up
Don't let the lack of glute development in your booty hold you back from feeling confident in your favorite jeans, dresses, bathing suits, or yoga pants....you get the idea ;).
If you feel your glutes lacking in strength and/or definition, give these 7 band exercises a try to whip them into shape! Make sure that when you're doing these exercises your feet are hip-width apart with toes pointed slightly outward. This will help ensure that you're working your glutes properly!
