Reaching for a miniband at the gym may not seem as impressive as grabbing a pair of heavy dumbbells, but this small tool can help you build a stronger body.
"Incorporating a continuous-loop miniband in exercises makes them more challenging and will make your muscles burn," says Sean De Wispelaere, a coach for Men's Health Thrive in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. "That’s because it provides constant resistance throughout the exercise, which recruits more muscle fibers and activates muscles that you don't normally use. Conventional weights can't do that."
Minibands come in a few different grades of resistances. You may be tempted to use the thickest band right away. However, if the resistance is too high, you won't be able to perform all of the reps with perfect form, De Wispelaere says. Pick a resistance that allows you to finish all of the prescribed reps, but it’s tough to do so.
Want to give it a shot? Start by adding a miniband to the three exercises below for bigger gains.
1. HIP RAISE
Do this: Grab a medium-strength band and loop it around the tops of your shins. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat. Squeeze your glutes to lift your hips off of the floor until they form a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Pause, and then lower.
Why it works: The miniband is trying to pull your knees together. You must activate your hard-to-reach gluteus medius—a muscle that helps rotate your thigh inward and outward—to keep your knees in place.
"The gluteus medius is often neglected because the larger gluteus maximus usually kicks in first,” says De Wispelaere. "Waking up this muscle allows you to use all of your glute strength when performing heavy-loaded exercises like squats so you can lift more weight."
2. MOUNTAIN CLIMBER
Do this: Grab a band of light resistance, loop it around the soles of your feet, and assume a pushup position. Slowly pick up your right foot and drive your knee toward your chest. You should feel the band pulling your foot back. Be careful not to round your back. Reverse the movement, bringing your right foot back to meet your left. Repeat with your left foot. Continue to alternate back and forth.
Why it works: "The mountain climber is a great core exercise because it works your abs, glutes, and shoulders," says De Wispelaere."But adding tension to the movement with a miniband adds an extra hit to your hip flexors, the group of muscles on the front of your hips."
Sitting all day can make these muscles extremely weak, inhibiting your athletic performance. Strengthening them will help you accelerate faster during sprints, lift more weight during lower-body moves, and decrease your risk of injury.
3. BEAR CRAWL
Do this: Grab a band of light resistance, and loop it around your wrists so it rests just above your hands. Get down on your hands and knees. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders. With your back flat, lift your knees a couple inches off the floor. Crawl forward 10 yards.
Why it works: As your arms and legs move, the more than two dozen muscles in your core must resist the urge to rotate and flex. When you add the miniband, your shoulders and arms must fight against resistance every rep. Now your bases of support aren’t as strong.
“Your core must work overtime to stay stable since your arms are taxed,” says De Wispelaere. If you do this often enough, you'll soon notice more stability, strength, and power in everything you do—plus a more chiseled middle.
