Legs. We want strong, sleek, and toned legs.We do NOT want to stuff them into those super cute boots while feeling like it’s a sausage casing. Men don’t mind bulk. Actually, they aim for it. So leg workouts for men just won’t be the same as leg workouts for women. The great news is that there are a ton of leg workouts for women at home using a booty band, all of which will tone those gams and may even trim an inch off too.
Let’s consider a few reasons why leg workouts are important.
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Your glute muscles are the largest muscles in your body. Working bigger muscles increases your metabolism which leads to increased calorie burn.1 Who doesn’t want that? Forget the cardio, opt for resistance training to strengthen those stems. Mini loop bands are ridiculously effective at targeting entire muscle groups around the booty.
Strengthening your legs reduces the risk of injury. Muscle imbalances and lack of mobility may be behind everything from back pain to knee issues. Having a leg workout plan builds muscle, stabilize joints, and improve overall stability.
Leg workouts improve your performance. The stronger your legs are, the faster and longer they can take you. This is true whether you’re training hard for your first Tri, or just trying to make it through the day. Well-developed leg muscles translate into more speed and endurance, which improves your performance no matter the sport.
Your legs carry you through life, literally. Whether it’s your early morning run or your mad dash to catch the train, climbing the stairs to your 4th floor walk-up or carrying laundry from the basement up to your bedroom, chasing after kids or pushing a cart around the grocery store, you need strong legs that can support you throughout the day. Try adding resistance to some of your daily repetitive movements, whether it’s a kick, squat, lunge, jump, or curtsy.
Your legs are arguably the most important muscles to work. Their strength (or weakness) becomes especially noticeable when you’re leg training for a race, heading out for a day on the slopes or trying to make it through a spin class. In this post we’ll share our top ten leg workouts for strength training.
We’ve already given you many ideas for training your legs with resistance bands, so today we’re going to talk about booty bands. Booty bands are super effective for building a round, firm booty and they’re great for toning your legs too.
Before we jump into the best leg workouts, here are a few things you should know about using booty bands.
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Positioning: When placed around your thighs, booty bands may roll around a bit. Ours mini loop booty bands are extra thick so they grip onto your legs better, which helps prevent them from rolling. Either way, rolling is normal for beginners to experience, so don’t get discouraged! Try moving the bands slightly up or down until you find the sweet spot where the band doesn’t roll up or down your leg. If you’re struggling to find that sweet spot it may be that your band doesn’t have enough resistance. Try using a stronger booty band or double up and see if that solves the problem.
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Booty bands will stretch and will eventually break at some point. This is the nature of all latex or rubber-based products. Ours are made with over 20+ layers of latex for extra durability, but like all resistance bands, they too are not immune from snapping. They can last for years if you keep them out of the sun and don’t stretch them over 2.5x their resting length often. To be on the safe side, it’s good to replace them with newer, tighter bands periodically to drastically reduce the risk of snapping. We encourage people reduce their consumption by only using what you need, so just make sure you check your bands for rips and tears periodically and swap them out when necessary. If you find one with a tear, toss it and get a new one. Remember these are essentially large rubber bands, so popping one on yourself could hurt.
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Booty bands have different levels of resistance. When a move starts to feel too easy, increase the resistance you’re using. If you’ve reached the max resistance from this set of bands then it may be time to double up. Put a second band on top of the first to challenge yourself even more. Remember if you’re not challenged, you’re not getting stronger!
Top 10 Leg Workouts for Women at Home
Side leg lifts
Place the booty band around your calf muscles or lower thighs. Start with your feet shoulder width apart. Balancing on the right leg, lift your left leg out toward the side, keeping it straight as you lift. Your leg should only go as high as it can while keeping the left hip stable. If your hip raises or you start to lean to the side, you went too far. Do 10-15 reps then repeat on the other side. The booty band should remain taught around your legs throughout this exercise.
Jumping jacks
With the booty band around your lower calf just above the ankle, jump both legs out to the sides, while your hands lift out to the sides then up above your head. Jump both feet back to center while your hands come back down to your sides. Repeat this exercise 10-15 times.
Side lunge
The booty band should be around your thighs, an inch or two above the knees. Start with your feet shoulder width apart. Balancing on your left leg, step your right leg out to the side. Place all your weight onto the right leg then lean into a squat. Your right leg should be at a 90-degree angle, keeping your back straight, sticking your booty out behind you and leaning slightly forward with your chest. Your left leg remains on the floor, straight out to the side, and is bearing no weight. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds, then push off the right heel, transferring your weight to the left leg while bringing the right leg back to the starting position. Do 10-15 reps on each side. Bonus: Grab some dumbbells for an extra challenge.
Duck walks
The booty band should be placed around your thighs, 1-2 inches above the knees. (Heads Up: It may roll during this exercise. If it does, stop and readjust, moving the band down lower towards your knee.) Starting with your right leg, step slightly forward and diagonally to the right into a lunge. Both knees should be at a 90-degree angle. While keeping your legs slightly bent, step the left leg forward and diagonally to the left. Bring the right leg up to meet it, keeping both legs bent in a squatting position. Now repeat the steps backward. Step slightly backward and to the right into a diagonal lunge with your right leg, then, with bent legs, step slightly backward and to the left with the left leg. Remember to aim for a 90-degree angle with both legs after each step. End by bringing both legs together and keeping them bent into a semi-squat position. Repeat this set 5x.
Side lying leg lifts
The resistance band should be around your lower calf. Lie on your side with your head resting on your arm that’s on the ground. Slowly raise and lower the top leg while keeping it straight. Repeat this 10-15 times, then roll over onto your other side and repeat.
Side lying taps
The resistance band should be around your lower calf just above the ankle. Lie on your side with your head resting on your arm. Lift your top leg, then lower it to the floor in front of you, touching your toe to the ground. Lift the leg up to center then lower it behind your body, letting your toe touch the ground behind you. Lift the leg back up to center. Repeat 10-15x on each side.
Clams
The resistance band should be around your thighs, 1-2 inches above the knee. Lie on your side with your legs bent and stacked together in front of your body. You will be lying in a quasi-fetal position but with your back straight. Keeping your feet together and your hips stable, lift the top knee up as far as you can go, then slowly lower it back down. Your feet stay together for the entire movement. Repeat this 10-15 times on each side.
Fire hydrant
Get down on your hands and knees with the band around your thighs, placed 1-2 inches above the knee. Lift your right leg out to the side, while keeping your right knee bent in a 90-degree angle. Raise the knee as far as you can while keeping your back flat and hips flat. Slowly lower it to the ground. You may feel like a dog near a fire hydrant, which is how this move got it’s name. Repeat this 10-15 times on each side.
Squat to lateral leg lift
Start with the band around your lower calf, just a few inches above the ankle. Your feet should be shoulder width apart. Sticking your booty behind you, lower into a squat, then as you stand up, lift one leg straight out to the side. Place it down on the floor as you ease back into a squat, then raise up while lifting the other leg. Repeat 10-15 times. Bonus: grab some dumbbells for a bigger challenge!
Hinge
This is one of my favorite moves because it strengthens those hamstrings that we use soooo much in running. Loop the band over the toe of your left foot, holding the other end in your right hand. Stand up straight and make sure the band is securely under your foot. Now slowly bend over, keeping the legs, back and arms straight. Stand up, lifting yourself from your hamstrings, with a straight back. Squeeze the glutes as you come back to standing, then slowly bend over again.
Bonus: For an extra challenge do this exercise balancing on one leg.
To do this, lift one leg straight up behind you as you hinge forward. Picture your body as a flat plane, as far forward as your chest goes, that’s how high your leg should rise behind you. Squeeze your left glute and tighten your abs as you lift your chest up and come back to center.
Don’t be afraid to mix in your booty band with your other exercises! Keep your band around your thighs and you can add in a side or back leg lift with upper body repetitions. Think push-up/leg lift or bicep curl/side lunge. There are unlimited ways you can mix up your exercises to keep it interesting and challenge yourself. Remember, if you’re not challenged, you’re not getting stronger.
Time to bust that booty. You got this!!!
Need mini loop bands? Look no further. We got your back… and booty.
1 - Source: Increasing muscle mass to improve metabolism
