Exercise(s) of the Week

This week I thought I’d bring you a couple different exercises.  Today I’ll be going over ”X-Band Walks,”  and tomorrow I’ll cover pushup variations.  Lets start off with X-Band Walks…

As you see in the video, “X” the band and put it around your feet.  Make sure to keep your chest tall, and shoulders blades down and back.   Be sure not to use “body english.”  (keep your shoulders level throughout)

Obviously, you must have a band to do this.  I got mine from Perform Better.  Over to the right of your screen, you can just click on the Perform Better picture that will take you to the Performbetter website.  When you get there, put “superbands” in the search engine and it will take you right to your band options.  For X-Band Walks, I suggest either using the 1/2″ or 1″ wide band, depending on your strength and how reps you are going to perform. (the thicker the band, the harder it is)

X-Band walks are great for glute-activation.  Strength Coach Mike Boyle coined the term, “glute amnesia.”  Basically, with all of the sitting that we do, our glutes are sleeping.  So we need to wake them up!   When I (and my clients) am training legs, I always make sure to perform X-Band Walks as part of my warm-up.  Getting your glutes firing will help your performance on your leg exercises. It will also help take the load off of the lower back, and help make your knees feel a whole lot better.  Last week before I squatted, I forgot to bring my band to the gym with me…my knees didn’t like me.  And yesterday during my squat session, I remembered my band and my knees thanked me 30 different times.    (30 reps was the total number of reps I performed for that squat session)  Seriously, what a difference it made! 

Whenever I go to train at a commercial gym, I see ladies waiting in line to jump on the hip aBduction (outter thighs) machine.  If you are someone that trains at home, you can get your own aBduction “machine” for less than $20.  Or at the very least, bring the band to the gym with you so you no longer have to wait in line to get on that machine.

This post just scratches the surface as far as the importance of getting those glutes firing.  Just know this; stronger glutes will help with sports performance, decrease your chance of injury, and get your booty looking a lot more purdy!  And who doesn’t want that.

Tomorrow, I’ll go over pushup variations.  EVERYONE should be peforming pushups, no matter how advanced you think you may be, or how new to this you are.  So be sure to check back tomorrow…