On the orange background: Trainer Lena Marti is wearing Alala Crusade Sports Bra, $55, Shop Avocado Fire Vintage Leggings, $85, Nike Metcon 4 Sneakers, $150,. This Workout Will Make You Sweat Without Hurting Your Joints.6 Effective Resistance Band Exercises to Work Your Butt.20 Resistance Band Exercises to Strengthen Your Entire Body.Do all of the reps on one side, then switch to the other side.Pause at the top, then push your foot away from you to straighten your leg and return to your starting position. With the band still looped around your left foot, bring your left knee up and toward your chest so that your shin is parallel to the floor.Prop yourself up on your elbows, so that you feel your core engage. Lie faceup on the floor, loop a resistance band around your left foot and then hold each end of the resistance band in each of your hands.

If you’re short on time, you can try our 6-Move Resistance Band Workout farther below. Marti has created a 10-Move Resistance Band Workout to hit all the muscles in your glutes. There are two workout options depending on how much time you have available. You can also opt for non-looped resistance bands, like these from Gaiam, which are even more versatile since you can tie them into a loop or use them flat as needed depending on the exercise.

We like this cuffed mini band option from SPRI, which is great for moves like banded walks, ankle jumping jacks, and more. Resistance bands are relatively inexpensive, and there are tons of options online. “I’m working with the bands first, every single time.” She also suggests picking just two moves to do before every lower-body workout to warm up and activate your glutes. Marti recommends doing her 10-move workout two or three times per week. The solution? A resistance-band butt workout. When your hips are tight, you’re more likely to initiate movements like squats from your knees instead of your hips, putting the pressure on your legs instead of your butt. There are several things that can cause quad dominance, but one of the big culprits is tight hips. People who are quad-dominant tend to overuse their quad muscles during certain movements. If you’ve ever heard a trainer say someone is “quad-dominant,” this is what they’re talking about. In exercises like squats and lunges, it can be common for your quads to take over, when you really want your butt to be doing the majority of the work. Lena Marti, a NASM-certified personal trainer in New York City, tells SELF that resistance bands are great for activating your glutes-which basically means getting them ready to work-and for “burnout” style workouts, during which you’ll do high reps at a lower resistance (think: barre class). While there are a bunch of ways to use this handy tool, a resistance-band butt workout is an especially great idea. They’re lightweight, versatile, and a lot less painful than a dumbbell if you happen to drop one on your foot. A resistance band is one of the most inexpensive, convenient pieces of workout equipment you can own.

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