Resistance bands are cheap, simple to use and easy to sling in your gym bag – they are the perfect workout accessory.
Use them at home, at the gym or in the park, resistance band workouts are great for toning, building strength and activating your muscles.
But faced with one of these giant elastic bands, it can be tricky to know what exactly you’re meant to do with them. They are so versatile – but a bit of guidance can make sure you’re getting the most out of your workout.
We asked Richard Tidmarsh, owner of Reach Fitness to design us the perfect resistance band workout to focus on the glutes and wake-up our lazy bum muscles.
So many of us rarely engage our flute muscles – even when we’re in the gym – relying instead on our hamstrings to do the heavy lifting. That might be why we’re not seeing the peachy results we’re after even hours of squatting.
Richard thinks waking up your glutes with this simple and effective workout could be the answer.
‘In general, people’s awareness of their posture and alignment when working out is poor,’ says Richard.
‘The use of resistance bands is often a good way to teach people about the correct movement patterns and to activate muscle groups more effectively.
‘My top three movements with a resistance band would be the banded glute bridge, the banded flip flop and the lateral skater push.’
Resistance band exercises for your bum muscles
Banded flip flop
Banded glute bridge
Lateral skater push
‘These three movements all focus on the glutes,’ explains Richard.
‘Which for me are the most important muscle group in the body. If you can get these performing, you are opening the door to better results in the gym.
‘The use of a resistance band in these movements revolves around giving you an external feedback to work against during a movement.
‘For the majority who have lazy glutes from sitting at a desk for hours on end, this external feedback helps them actually feel and thus start to use their glutes.’
Activation is key. You can do all the squats you like, but if your flute muscles aren’t firing then your bum isn’t going to get any stronger or any more toned.
You can buy a pack of resistance bands for a couple of quid on Amazon – and they could be a serious game changer for your fitness results.
I am Team GB
Toyota has teamed up with Team GB to re-launch the hugely successful participation campaign ‘I am Team GB’.
Inspired by the achievements of Team GB athletes and the amazing efforts of local community heroes, Team GB has created ‘The Nation’s Biggest Sports Day’, which will take place on the 24thAugust.
Over the weekend, there will be hundreds of free and fun activities across the country, put on by an army of volunteers; the ‘I am Team GB Games Makers’.
To Join the Team and be part of The Nation’s Biggest Sports Day sign up at: www.IAmTeamGB.com
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