Use bands like you mean business with this versatile and effective leg workout for women. Variety will make you want to train and keep you busy for a long time with a program like this.
We already have a great perception of what bands can do when used in conjunction with upper body exercise regimen. Today we will see how they can be effectively used to target the lower body as well as core. Bands can be used in a leg workout when we want to isolate muscles, or hit larger leg muscles. They can be used in the gym as well, and a great benefit to bands is that they are practical and easy to use in almost every scenario. Same band can serve multiple purposes, that is if you are not inclined to acquire any new ones. Or you can strategize your training programs with bands of various difficulty levels. All in all, you can get a great workout in, and not feel worried that you are left behind by your fellow gym counterparts.
How to train with intent with bands:
You may have wondered why some women isolate legs, while some do more traditional versions of squats and lunges. Don’t fret about these things, as you will get a clearer picture in a moment.
When we consider how isolation movement functions, we can observe that a muscle functions from a more rigid position and doesn’t get enough support from other muscle groups. So it has to carry out a lot more work than if we would consider entire legs moving in synchronicity.
Good example of this is hip abduction with a single leg versus a squat. In abduction, it is easier to isolate hips and glutes, thus creating more efficient firing rate and better contractions in the future workouts. Squats on the other hand also work the hip muscles, by opening it and making your glutes externally rotate and because of this, saving your back and allowing you to have a better posture over time, as well as saving your back.
Both of these exercises are great for strength training, and no one will make a mistake by doing them. However, when it comes to looks and curves, there needs to be a set of rules we have to abide by.
One of those rules would be to incorporate progressive overload with your leg workouts. That is especially important for females, since their legs can be altered by many situations that this wondrous life offers. Take pregnancy, for example. Ligaments of the pelvis soften during pregnancy, and as a result, may become weaker in the future. Take footwear. High heels are not exactly the best thing to wear for your health. And this can go on and on. Important thing is that you get stronger with bands,gradually, and proceed from there to incorporate smaller bands for multiple reps.
Training methods and logistics:
When you get stronger, you have to keep in mind that you will have to look better and have a more efficient weight loss. It is a simple logic of being able to do more. Here is where it is at. You can do 10 lunges with your bodyweight (for example). This means that you won’t be able to do that much with any considerable external resistance. And as a result, you may stall your progress.
Consider the quite opposite scenario. You have been working with a reasonably difficult band with quality contractions, and you can choose from your palette of bands what to do next. Options are practically limitless in this case, as the foundation is good and the performance is not lacking.
This works like a bank and a paycheck. Bank is your body. Paycheck is what you earn after some time. If you haven’t earned much, it will be hard to store it in a bank since you use even that small amount. If you earn a lot, you can choose where it goes and be your own boss.
Overall decision is that you can’t go wrong with being strong.
Exercises:
1.Hip thrusts
This one will make you hate yourself, but you better be sure it is for good reason. Glutes work best when they are activated at end range hip extension. You will know what I am talking about as soon as you give this one a try.
Place a stool or a bench at waist level, and put a band on two solid surfaces, as shown in the picture. Make sure your abs are braced and thrust upward with enough force. Learn how to incorporate force into your program, and you will see results sooner because you are exerting yourself more and you won’t be able to do as much of the training program if you are doing this explosively.
For strength, do 3 sets of 8 reps, with a heavy band, and make them explosive and hold a bit on the top position.
For hypertrophy, do 5 sets of 10 with a lighter band, but move consciously through the movement, and really squeeze the glutes through the movement.
This exercise targets the glutes mostly, but quads and hamstrings will be working too.
2.Front squats
Step on the band and hold it there either in a zombie like fashion where you look like you are sleepwalking. Or hold it like in a more CrossFit like manner if your wrists are flexible enough.
Make sure your abs are contracted for greater force output. You can lean more if you want to target the glutes more, or stand upright for quad activation.
Strength: 3 sets of 8, with a heavy band, push through the movement
Hypertrophy: 4 sets of 10, go slowly and engage the quads.
3.Lateral walk
Quite easy to set up, this exercise is really simple and really useful to do if you want these glutes to pop (gluteus medius and gluteus minimus). Hip abductors will also benefit from these.
Just put a band like in the picture, and walk in one direction in a controlled tempo. Switch sides when the burn is too much. Hypertrophy is the main intent of this kind of movement.
4.Flutter kick
Put the band on the ankles and perform a paddling motion, like you are swimming. This exercise is amazing for the core as well as lower back. You can do them with a stopwatch, accompanied with planks.
5.Lunges
A staple movement in any great program that ever mentioned legs, lunges are a sure way to build legs. You can do them with a long or short stride. The band can be put as in the above picture or you can use the one that has handles. Any rep range will do, as long as the execution of the movement is good.