Hip and Glute Mini Band Routine
What muscle groups are going to cause a ton of trouble for you if they’re not strong? Hips and glutes. Well, technically everything but I’m on a 5K run kick right now so we’re focusing on strengthening the hips and glutes. Half of this routine will require a mini band and the other half will require one kettlebell. Please find a kettlebell within your strength range, we want to work the glutes and hips and going light isn’t going to do anything for you. The same is true of the mini bands. Find one that has enough tension to give you a workout, but don’t go over the top to the point where you won’t be able to walk the next day. Choose something within your limits and range.
Hip and Glute Mini Bands Routine
Get out your trusty interval timer and set it for 6 rounds of work, 30 seconds on 10 seconds off. We’re going to end up doing 3 cycles of this, but the timer I use wouldn”t let me set for 18 rounds so I just reset it 3 times.
Round 1 and Round 2
Put the resistance mini band around your ankles, push your hips back slightly like you’re about to squat, bend your knees and walk to your right never letting your feet touch. Keep going to the right until you either run out of room or the timer runs out. If you run out of room, go back left. When the timer runs out you’re going to go left until you run out of room, then go right and continue going until you run out of room. Keep your toes pointed forward, don’t let your feet roll out either inward or outward. You want your feet pointing straight forward. The video below is close enough to what I’m describing, but the band is a little higher than how I described it.
Rounds 3 and 4
Static Hold Clamshells. Do 1 side for 30 seconds then the other side for 30 seconds. Place the band above your knees, lie on your side, engage your core and place your knees slightly in front of you. Lift your top leg while keeping your knee bent and hold. Remember to breathe. You should feel this in both the hip and glute of your raised leg.
Rounds 5 and 6
This is going to be 2 rounds of the exact same exercise – glute bridges with the mini band around your knees. Once you bridge spread your knees apart then contract back in (this is pretty much a clamshell from a bridge position.) Hold your bridge for the full 30 seconds while clamshelling.
Kettlebell Glute and Hip Exercises
Get yourself a kettlebell and get ready for 3 rounds of 10 reps of 2 exercises – the double arm kettlebell swing and the goblet squat. Do the swings first then transition to the goblet squat. Take as much rest as needed between rounds. Both exercises are compound exercises, meaning they’ll be working multiple muscle groups at once. The kettlebell swings will also help with your cardio, so if you’re prepping for a 5K fun run you’ll get an extra bonus out of swinging.
