Oxygen Magazine Booty Building Workout

Summer is comin’ in hot (quite literally here in AZ), which means it’s time to tuck away those shape hiding sweaters and jeans and bust out the shorts and swimsuits. If you’re anything like me, swimsuit season can feel daunting, and for as long as I can remember, my booty has topped off my list of insecurities. I tried a million different methods and seemingly a thousand different pieces of workout equipment to tone, tighten, and grow my glutes before finally stumbling upon the game changer of all game changers!

I truly believe the biggest difference in my booty came about when I started banding my moves. The bands force your muscles to engage differently and really work your medial glutes, which gives that heart shape and creates that figure we’re all working for. Who knew a big piece of fancy elastic could transform my booty in such a big way?! Pun intended! So when Oxygen Magazine asked to feature my favorite booty building workout, I jumped at the chance. This is seriously my go-to workout, and I kind of feel like I need to shout it from the mountain tops to help other women who are struggling to grow + shape their buns like I was for SO many years. 

I’ve included the workout below AND a break down of each move too! Bonus Tip: You can actually find most of these moves built right into our workouts inside TRANSFORM with Chris + Heidi.

The Workout

Warm up: Do 5-10 minutes of cardio and dynamic stretching.

HP-Oxygen Magazine workout opt

Cool down: Do 5-10 minutes of stretching the large muscles of your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and back.

Tip: Do this workout once a week as you get used to the band, then add another session for optimal results. 

Here are some of my favorite booty building accessories: 

 

First up, how to choose and use your bands :

  • Choose a band that suits the activity you?re doing and the range of motion desired.
  • Secure it around your legs evenly either above your knees or just below. I prefer above the knee because I have some knee issues and it?s more comfortable above.
  • Decrease the weight you?d normally use because of the additional challenge of the bands. Your muscles are being challenged in a new way, and you won?t need to use a lot of weight to make the move work for you.

The Moves

#1 Banded Barbell Back Squat

(Recommended band: L/XL)

Setup: Hold a barbell across your upper back and traps?not your neck?and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly. Your elbows should be pointing down, your focus forward and your core braced.

Move: Kick your hips back, then bend your knees and lower your glutes toward the floor. Descend for a count of two until your hip crease comes below your knees. Hold at the bottom for three seconds, then rise back to the start.

Tip: Make sure your knees are tracking over your toes, even with the band around your legs. If they are not, decrease the weight you?re using so you can maintain proper form.

#2 Banded Romanian Deadlift

(Recommended band: S/M)

Setup: Secure your band and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold a barbell in front of your thighs with your arms extended, holding it either with an overhand or alternating grip.

Move: Keeping your back flat, hinge at your hips and slowly lower the barbell, keeping it close to your body and pressing outward against the band to keep your knees in position. Lower to knee level or just below, then rise slowly to the start, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Tips: I love the band for this move because it wakes up my hamstrings and glutes and makes them fire first, taking the back out of the picture. The depth to which you lower depends on your individual flexibility. If your back starts to round, you?ve gone too far.

#3 Princess Lunge with Kettlebell

Setup: Hold a kettlebell in a goblet position (with both hands in front of your chest, elbows down), and stand with your feet together.

Move: Keeping your hips square and your chest lifted, take a large step behind and on the diagonal with one foot, bending both knees and lowering until your back knee touches or almost touches the floor. Step back to the start and continue, alternating both sides.

Tips: Do these on a step or platform to increase intensity: Stand on top, then step behind and off the step to the side, trying to touch your knee to the floor. Don?t step too far to the diagonal because this will cause your hips and shoulders to twist. Play with the distance until you find a spot where you can keep your hips square and still hit those glutes hard.

#4 Banded Barbell Hip Thrust

(Recommended band: L/XL)

Setup: Secure your band, then sit with your upper back against the end of a flat bench and hold the barbell in your hip crease with both hands. Your knees should be bent, feet flat and placed shoulder-width apart, toes forward.

Move: Hold the barbell steady as you simultaneously press your hips upward while pressing your knees outward against the band until your hips come level with your knees. Pause briefly, then slowly lower to almost the start before the next rep.

Tips: I prefer to do these on a bench instead of the floor because you get a bigger range of motion and can really hit those deep glutes the most. Play with your foot position to target different areas of your glutes.

#5 Banded Side Squat Walk

(Recommended band: S/M)

Setup: Stand with your feet together and secure the band above your knees. Lower into a squat.

Move: Hold this low squat as you walk to the side one direction for 20 steps, then the other direction for 20 steps.

Tips: Try to go both directions without standing up. If the burn is too hot, shake it out for a few seconds, but get right back to it. Chip away! Keep your chest lifted and your weight in your heels to best hit your glutes.

#6 Banded Abducting Ball Roll-In

(Recommended band: L/XL)

Setup: Secure your band, then lie on the floor with your heels, ankles, and calves on top of a stability ball. Lift your hips to align with your head and heels, and extend your arms.

Move: Keep your hips lifted as you roll the ball toward your glutes while simultaneously pressing your knees out against the band. Pause before rolling slowly back to the start.

Tips: I turn my feet out a little on top of the ball so that when I press outward against the band, my knees track over my toes. If you?re having trouble balancing tighten your core muscles to stabilize your lower body and take some of the ?weight? off the ball.

#7 Pop Squat

Setup: Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides.

Move: Jump your feet apart (toes forward) and land in a deep squat. Spring up as high as you can into the air, then land with your feet together, knees slightly bent (not shown). Repeat right away.

Tips: You can also do this move on top of a step. Add one or two risers and stand on top. Jump your feet down on either side into your squat so your butt just barely touches down, then jump back up on top. Always land softly with bent knees when doing explosive movements to protect your joints.

As that new booty starts to appear, please share your results on social media and tag me so I can see the results of all of your hard work!

Happy booty building!

Heidi

PS: Want even more band, booty building, and total body workouts? Check these out and don’t forget to download our app!

My 11-Week Booty Building Workout | Featured on Dr. Oz
Build-A-Booty Workout Video with The Glute Goddess
The Glute Goddess? ?Best Booty On the Block? Workout
Top 10 At-Home Exercises for Total Body Toning
Smolov: Squatting out of my comfort zone!
My Top 4 Fat-Blasting Cardio Workouts

7 Responses

  1. Hi Heidi,

    I love your posts! I watched your workout videos where you incorporate the use of elastic resistance bands; LOVE IT! I also greatly appreciate you specifying which type of resistance band you used for a given exercise- thank you, SO helpful!!

    I was searching for the brand that you said you use and suggested- the 4KOR Resistance Band. Unfortunately, they are not sold on Amazon Italy- where I live. I’ve been trying to research the various similar brands to understand which one would be best for me to buy. In my research, I came across 2 typical types of resistance bands sold; I would appreciate it if, based on your knowledge and experience, you could help me understand the difference between these two approaches to resistance bands, so I could better assess which one would best suit my needs.

    The two types are: 1) 3 resistance bands that are of the SAME SIZE, but vary in their level of ‘resistance’; light, medium, and heavy, and 2) 3 resistance bands that are of different sizes, Small/Medium, Large, and XLarge that differ in how much bigger they are between eachother (like yours in inches/cm).
    Could you please clarify any information or opinion you have in which situation a person may benefit from these two types of resistance bands, and of their advantages/disadvantages in using each type for a particular exercise? Thank you for your help in this and in all your other informative, functional, and inspiring posts!

    P.S. This could make a great future post; helping many of us in understanding how to choose a good resistance band, and the proper use and benefits to incorporating them into many exercises; taking a workout to the next level!

    1. Hi Paj: The main differences between light, medium, and heavy is the degree of resistance, and the same is true for the different sizes…a smaller band offers a higher degree of resistance. Which size to use for which exercise is similar to choosing a dumbbell weight. It depends on your level of fitness and what your goal is with that particular exercise that day. I hope that helps! 🙂

  2. I have these workouts saved and have been doing them when I can since you posted! It’s usually only once a week that I can fit all of them in, but it’s amazing how much of a difference you can tell after!

  3. They you so much for sharing! I bought some mini bands months ago to force good form & change the muscle activation in glute/leg training. My leg workout ironically is pretty close to yours. Here’s to hoping this booty grows high & tight!!!

    1. Hi Amber: There are links for the bands in the post! They are awesome – you’ll love them! 🙂

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