Are Booty Bands Really Helpful?
We sang praises to resistance units before, and they definitely found their way. The straps are affordable and portable, so it’s no surprise they’re popular, but why are they the main focus of many glute-focused workouts? Do you really need him if you really want to pump up your ass?
By the way, there is a company called “Booty Bands” but the term “Booty Bands” also applies to the general category of resistance bands that can go around the knees or hips. Some are made from durable stretch fabric, while others are made from more traditional rubber. There is no shortage of workouts that include using these bands for squats, kickbacks and glute bridges, all of which promise significant glute gain. However, as with many popular workouts, the promises are exaggerated.
Resistance bands have pros and cons in common
Before we dive into the specifics of prey groups, it’s worth taking a look at the pros and cons of all resistance bands. Here we compared them with dumbbells , and, as you remember, we made the following conclusions:
- Resistance bands can provide more overall “weight” than small dumbbells.
- Rubber bands wear out over time
- Resistance bands change depending on how difficult they are, depending on how much you stretch them.
It’s easy to find upper-body exercises that can be done with dumbbells, but it’s not always easy to lift at home heavy enough to do challenging lower-body workouts. One-legged work like lunges and split squats can help, and yes, resistance bands can be part of the picture if they’re heavy enough.
Light exercise won’t do you good
If you are trying to build your glutes, you are trying to build muscle. And the most effective way to build muscle is to lift heavy, not a million repetitions of light work (although this can work if you’re very patient).
So how do you know if you are working hard or “hard enough”? As we mentioned earlier , you need to do a small number of reps (12 or less, most of the time) that are heavy enough to make the last few reps feel really hard. If you’ve used the same strap or weight for a while, try a harder one from time to time to see if you are stronger than you think. If so, then it’s time to move on.
I mention this here because the striped booty workout is usually pretty straightforward and easy. If you are doing exercise with stripes and they fit our definition of severity and seem really difficult to you, then they may well do what they promise. Stick to the straps for now.
But most of us need real heavy weights to give your glutes (or any part of your body) the right workout. Deadlift champions need a lot of strength in the glutes, but you won’t see powerlifters avoid the bar to focus on YouTube workouts with stripes, you know?
The straps are best for warm-ups and accessories
Put it all together, and it’s clear that ribbons are best served as a side dish to your workout – either as an appetizer or as a dessert. To build muscle, the main course should still be heavy lifting.
So you can do band kickbacks as part of a warm-up or as a high-rep finisher after a day at the gym. You can use them for “activation” exercises, which is more or less the newfangled word for warm-up. But straps are not a substitute for your squats , deadlifts , weight lunges, or hip jumps . And if you’re doing squats with a bandage on your knees, then the squats do the real work, and the orchestra suggests – continuing our food metaphor – perhaps a little side dish.