Men’s Health/Eric Rosati
There are certain workout formats that have sprung up on fitness social media that might, at first glance, only appear to useful for a specific type of person. The most ubiquitous and obvious of these is something you might classify as the “booty day workout.” You know the drill: A yoga pants-clad trainer points to their rear, then to a mini band, then begins a round of band-resisted movements with nary a weight in sight.
Most men looking to build muscle might skip right past every single one of these workouts, and in the same token, totally dismiss the idea of using mini bands as a tool in their fitness arsenal. If you’re making that type of blanket judgment, you might wind up ignoring key areas that can help to make your workouts—and big, important movements like squats, which no one would dismiss—even stronger.
Trainer Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S., knows that some people might hesitate to pick up a band—but she thinks that you should leave your preconceived notions at the door. “In my Live workouts, I often coach that yes, they are “booty band” workouts,” she says. “But in the gym, we trainers actually use them for activation drills or “finishers” because resistance bands do a good job at… you guessed it, adding resistance!”
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Especially when you’re working at home, you have to find novel ways to challenge your muscles. Without a ton of weight at your disposal, bands can help to switch things up—and provide a slightly different focus than you’re used to.
“Joints have neutralizing and stabilizing muscles—stabilizers provide stability, while neutralizers prevent unwanted motion,” Atkins says. “Resistance bands do a great job at hitting a lot of those stabilizing muscles, which is why I specifically train doing some of these exercises pre-sweat (or pre-run) to prime the body for movement.”
You’ll need some bands for the series, of course. If you don’t have any, check out this set from Perform Better.
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds
Start by performing 2 to 4 rounds of the series before a workout as an activation drill, or at the end as a finisher. “If you are looking for a total burn, you could add a few reps of these post-workout to make sure those muscles are firing,” says Atkins.
Want to learn more moves from Atkins? Check out our series full of her workout tips, Try Her Move. You can also take on her new 30 day challenge in our streaming All Out Studio app, check out her Le Sweat workout app, and follow her on Instagram to find out when she’s hosting live workouts from her living room.
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