Resistance bands are one of those sneaky products that look harmless but are actually a kick-ass (uh, literally) way to add resistance to bodyweight workouts with minimal equipment.
Whether you’re warming up for leg day or working toward booty gains, incorporating resistance bands into your routine is an easy way to fire up those glutes. Not only can you use them anywhere (making at-home workouts a breeze), they’re also super inexpensive—wins all around.
“Bands are the bomb,” says Orangetheory Fitness coach Garner Pilat. “They target muscles you wouldn’t normally be working, especially the gluteus medius (what up, side booty!). In most people, this muscle is underdeveloped, which can then lead to lower-body injuries. Preventing injuries while working your junk in the trunk—who wouldn’t want that?”
There’s a ton you can do with resistance bands, but you can get started by combining these four moves for an eight-minute booty burn. Try each move for 30 seconds, resting for 30 seconds as you transition into the next, twice through. If you’re feeling spicy, up the intensity to 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds of rest.
1. Plank Jacks
Pilat says: “This is one of my favorite moves—not only is the plank working your entire core but adding the hop also gets your heart rate up, so it’s a great warm-up with or without bands! Control is everything here—be sure to keep your butt in line with your torso to avoid too much bounce.”
Try it: Starting in a forearm plank with the band just above your ankles, stack your shoulders over your elbows and keep your butt in line with your torso. Engaging through the legs, jump your feet out to shoulder-width and then back in for 30-45 seconds, keeping space between your feet as you jump in—try not to let them touch! If you feel your low back drooping, take a break. Drop to your knees and pop back up when you’re ready.
2. Fire Hydrants
Pilat says: “I love this move because it doesn’t take much to feel it—try to keep your back as flat as you can while you lift your leg to 90 degrees. The non-moving side will definitely feel a cheek-burn here too!”
Try it: Start in a tabletop position with your shoulders over wrists and hips over knees. With the band just below your knees, spread the fingers wide, engage your lower abdominals, and tuck your tailbone to protect your lower back.
Pressing the right hand into the mat, keep your knees bent at 90 degrees as you lift the left leg as high as you can without dropping your right hip. Return to center and repeat for 15 seconds on the left side before switching to the right for 15 seconds (if you’re going for 45 seconds, do 20 seconds on each side and take a little extra rest). Child’s pose feels awesome after this move.
3. Lateral Step-Outs
Pilat says: “This is a lower-body burner. Holding a squat is challenging enough, but adding in alternating lateral steps will spice things up for that booty! With step-outs, remember to get low and stay low, leading with your heel as you step side-to-side.”
Try it: With the resistance band just above your ankles, separate your feet to hip distance and sit back like you’re going to sit into a chair.
Like a regular squat, your weight should be mainly in your heels (feel those glutes and quads already, huh?) and your knees in line with your feet. Keeping your butt low and chest upright, hold your body weight in your left foot while stepping your right foot out to the right about 8-10 inches. Return to center and repeat on the left side, alternating for 30-45 seconds.
For an added challenge, raise the band up to mid-shin or choose a thicker resistance band.
4. Squat to Kickback
Pilat says: “I love this combo-move because adding a kickback to the basic squat allows you to improve your core stability and balance. Make sure you’re tucking your tailbone and engaging your lower abdominals as you kick back to protect your lower back.”
Try it: With the band just above your ankles, stand with your feet hip distance apart. Perform a squat by sitting your butt back like you’re sitting into a chair, keeping your chest up, knees over feet, and weight evenly distributed in your feet.
Stand all the way back up, then keep your torso upright as you lift your right leg behind you to a 45-degree angle—you don’t have to lift very high to fire up your gluteus medius, so if you feel your back arching, make the move smaller. Alternate legs for 30-45 seconds.
For an added challenge, raise the band up to mid-shin or choose a thicker resistance band.
