Exercise of the Week - Butt Blaster with Bands
Tuesday May 8, 2007
Yep, I'm still on a resistance band kick this week and, today, I'm highlighting one of my favorite band exercises...the Butt Blaster. This one is a big favorite with my clients as well because it's simple, but it works mutliple muscles - the glutes and hamstrings as well as your abs and back, which will work to stabilize your body throughout the movement. This move is a great addition to a complete lower body routine.
Do it right: Get on your hands and knees and wrap a medium-heavy resistance band around the right foot. Hold the handles in each hand, placing them on the floor below the shoulders. Begin the move with the right knee bent and flex the foot while extending the right leg straight back, squeezing the glutes. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 10-16 reps. To increase intensity, wrap the band around your hands for added tension. If you have knee problems, you may want to skip this move.
Comments
It’s really important that your abs are retracted and your neck is relaxed.
This is a typical resistance band exercise where the band just feels cumbersome and annoying. Plus you can end up being uneven because you have to switch legs.
I think wall sits are much more effective, build the entire glutes and legs at once and are easier on the knees. Wall sits with a ball between the knees or inner thighs can add an added challenge if the knees are stronger.
With the direction of the resistance, it doesn’t directly oppose the glutes the way holding the leg up normally, or with an ankle weight, would. If it’s just going to resist leg extension then a person would be much better off squatting.
Wall sits are easier on the knee because a lot of your weight is born on the wall. Less resistance usually makes things easier, though not necessarily better.
To be honest, I think if not for the lesser resistance, wall sits would be harder due to holding an isometric position in a very weak portion of the knee’s RoM. Wall sits remind me a lot of those hack squat machines (and not the type done behind the back with a barbell).
I’m not sure what the point is with holding a ball between the legs unless you want to build stronger adductors. I much prefer an outer sweep since unlike inner leg muscle it doesn’t increase chafing, and helps me to lift both legs for karate kicking (kicking leg and base leg)
Squatting with a band trying to pull your legs together and resisting that is much better, since most people forget to keep their legs from buckling in anyway.