The mini-band loops are a favorite piece of equipment in the Performance U training system because they’re extremely cost-effective, travel-friendly and offer a variety of unique exercise applications. Especially when it comes to training the hip musculature.
The following are the Top 3 Mini-Band Exercises used in the Performance U training approach.
Mini-Band Supine Hip Bridge March
We developed this exercise to create a double-whammy on the hips, by hitting both the hip flexors and the hip extensors in one comprehensive exercise. Not to mention, the additional demand on the muscles of the torso and hamstrings.
Here’s a video tutorial:
Mini-Band Plank March
We developed this exercise as a compliment to the supine version (shown above), as this mini-band exercise is very anterior chain dominant, whereas the supine version is more demanding on the posterior chain. Also, due to the plank position, this exercise brings the shoulders into the game a bit.
Here’s a video tutorial:
Mini-Band Box Step
Whereas the two mini-hand exercise applications provided above focus on hip flexion and hip extension, the mini-band box step focuses mostly on hip abduction and a bit on hip external rotation (to resist valgus collapse at the knee from the force of the mini-band).
In other words, what we don’t get from the mini-band supine hip bridge march and from the mini-band plank march, we get from the mini-band box step – making this exercise a fantastic compliment to the two above mini-band exercises.
Here’s a video tutorial:
The Performance U Mini-Band Butt Blaster Circuit
In the performance U training approach, each of the 3 applications above are sometimes used as stand-alone exercises, and other times used together, circuit-style, as a protocol we originally called the “mini-band hip series” until several personal training clients remanned it the “mini-band butt blaster circuit.”
Whichever name you prefer to use to label this protocol, we’ve found that these 3 mini-band exercises provide a very unique training stimulus for the hip musculature, that when combined with foundational strength training exercise applications (like squat, deadlift and lunge variations), can serve to make lower-body workouts more comprehensive, and increase the strength band development of the glutes and hips.
Here’s how 1-set of the mini-band butt blaster protocol is done:
1a. Mini-band Supine Bridge March x8-10 reps on each leg (pause 1 sec at the top of each rep)
1b. Mini-Band Plank March x 6-8 reps on each leg (pause 1 sec at the top of each rep)
1c. Mini-Band Box-Step (6-8 steps up, 3-4 steps right, 6-8 steps back, 3-4 steps left) x 2-3 laps.
*We’ll usually perform 2-3 sets with 90 sec – 2min rest between sets.
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