Fitness coach Becky Greenan, better known as “Built by Becky” to more than a million Instagram followers, says that she is a “married mama of two,” but despite the deficit that family life imposes on her time, this “strength and confidence” advocate is never short of a way to make gains. So, if you are looking to grow your glutes but can’t find time to juggle the gym with other tasks, this six-move banded glute workout is a gamechanger for taxing your muscles during a time-crunch.
Glute workouts that utilize resistance bands are perfect for those who can’t reach the gym due to the pressures of family, work, travel, or all three! Offering great glute activation for beginners, or even those who want to change things up after a block of lifting heavy weights.
“You need resistance bands in your training,” enthuses the fit female, while sharing her time-saving glute workout, detailed below.
Becky Greenan’s Banded Glute Workout
Perform 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 20 reps
- Glute Kickbacks (repeat each side)
- Forward Squat Jumps
- Hip Thrusts with Abduction
- Single Leg RDLs (repeat each side)
- Static Squat into Rear Toe Taps (repeat each side)
- Sway Squats
The 6-Move Express Resistance Band Glute Routine
There’s nothing quite like the traditional gym space when it comes to getting your sweat on around likeminded people, but if time is short or the gym is just too much of a stretch, then resistance bands are a great alternative for toning and building the glutes. Whether you’re training in a hotel room or enjoying the heat of a sunny yard, these six moves will lead to success.
To begin, choose a resistance band that you can get 10 to 20 reps out of, repeating for 2 to 3 sets with each exercise. The intensity level of the band is usually depicted by color, with yellow as the easiest and black or purple as the toughest, but this system is not universal, so look for some signage on the band, or check the specifics before making a purchase. The beauty is that a band is the only equipment you’ll need here.
Starting out with glute kickbacks, Greenan’s back foot extends outwards and into the air while the front foot provides a fixed base. This movement works the glutes and hip flexors. Second is the banded squat jump. “Keep legs pushed outwards against the band’s resistance,” advised Greenan, for maximizing hip muscle activation. Not only does this movement improve your jumping ability by powering up the quads and glutes, but it also helps build explosive power. Be sure to brace your core and push through the feet and hips when making each leap.
“Built by Becky” adds abduction at the end of each hip thrust by pulling her knees apart at the top of the lift. With no machine or barbell in sight, you’ll tax the glutes, quads, hamstrings, erector spinae, core, and abductor muscles during the process. Fourth-up, is the banded single leg RDL, working on balance and strengthening the lower body, while making sure to squeeze the glutes as you straighten the body back up.
The penultimate movement combines two exercises as you start with a static squat and extend out into backward toe taps. As with all these exercises, feel free to build your confidence without the band, and add it in once you feel comfortable. Static squats are tougher than they look, because they keep the tension maintained, activating the core, quads, and glutes, while the rear toe taps place additional load on the hamstrings and obliques.
For her finisher, Greenan rounds out her outdoor banded session with sway squats, a variation of the side lunge where lateral swaying movements require a bend of the knee and open the hips as the body shift from side to side, making for a perfect choice for cooling down.
Depending on your own fitness level, you can adjust the intensity of the band or just use your bodyweight until you feel confident enough to move on to the band. You can also increase or decrease the number of sets to suit your ability, but however you practice this workout, try to make it challenging, and be sure to enjoy toning while on a time-crunch.
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