With the holiday season coming up, millions of Americans are gearing up for a myriad, special parties and events to celebrate this festive time of the year. One of the most stressful things to think about, of course, is what to wear at these holiday soirees. For many women, that means firming up their bodies in preparation for fitting into that slinky, cocktail dress or form-fitting, evening gown. Utilizing the Mia Brazilia Bottom Band is a surefire way to strengthen and tighten your lower body and showcase your figure for the holidays. Deploy the Mia Brazilia Bottom Band and fire up the following five resistance band exercises for a new, desirable lower body and booty:
1.) 90 degree Band Squats
1.) 90 degree Band Squats
- Place the Mia Brazilia Bottom Band just above your knees and stand with your feet shoulder width apart, your chest upright, and your core activated. Slowly squat until both knees are bent to about 90 degrees (if you want to be challenged even more, go even lower without sacrificing form). At the bottom of the prone, squat position, stand up only one-quarter of the total distance, and then slowly lower once again (essentially a "squat within a squat") before standing all the way up to complete one repetition. While engaged in each repetition, be sure to push your knees outward against the band. Perform 12 repetitions of the 90 degree Band Squat station for optimal results. You will immediately notice in the following days that this type of resistance band squat stimulates your glutes, quads, and hamstrings and improves your future postural awareness by engaging your hip adductors.
- Locate the Mia Brazilia Bottom Band around both legs, positioning it slightly above the knees (if you wish to be challenged even further, try placing the Bottom Band further down around your ankles instead). Station yourself in a quarter-squat profile, with both feet directed forward at hip width apart. With the left foot, step left roughly one foot, and then slowly step in with the right foot the same distance so that both feet are back to the original hip-width distance apart. Repeat this step going in the opposite direction and continue alternating these steps side to side across the floor. Be sure to avoid standing up at any point of the exercise and maintain firm tension in the Bottom Band. If performed properly, you will feel an immediate burn on the outside of your thighs and hips. Perform 12 repetitions on each side of your body. After a few weeks, you will notice increased strength in your hip abductor muscles and your quadriceps.
- Apply the Mia Brazilia Bottom Band around and just above your knees. Find a bench or chair in the room that affords the opportunity for you to sit with your knees at a 90 degree angle. Rotate your torso slightly forward so that your chest in front of your hips. Start by lifting one foot off the floor by an inch or so. With the other foot firmly on the ground, stand up on this leg until you achieve full extension. Slowly return to your original, seated position for one repetition. Repeat each movement for 12 repetitions. You can either alternate legs for every repetition or complete all repetitions on the same league. Throughout each repletion, insure that you keep a hip-width distance between the knees. It is imperative that the knee of the standing leg does NOT shift inward. Instead, focus on keeping your knee in line with your leg by pushing out against the Mia Brazilia Bottom Band. This exercise is a great remedy to alleviate knee pain by strengthening the gluteus maxima and glutei medii as well as the quadriceps muscles to develop correct knee stability and orientation.
- Orient the Mia Brazilia Bottom Band around your ankles and stand erect with both feet hip-width apart. Activate your core muscles and slowly shift your body weight onto one of your legs. With the other leg, slowly kick backward about six inches. Return the engaged leg slowly and lightly tap the ground behind the planted foot with your raised foot. This complete movement equals one repetition. Repeat for 12 repetitions on each side, performing all the repetitions on one leg before switching over to the other leg and repeating for 12 repetitions. Be sure to not allow your hips to drop or twist during the Booty-Blaster Kickback station. Instead, keep your focus on strict form and balance. You will know if you are performing the station correctly if both your glutes and hamstrings are sore the following day (these two muscle groups are the primary beneficiaries of this exercise).
- Place the Mia Brazilia Bottom Band above your knees and lie on your side with both knees bent to 90 degrees. Elevate your head by stationing your lower arm as a support. Activate your core and keep both feet pressed firmly together. Drive the top knee toward the ceiling of the room as far as you can without compromising form. Slowly bring the knee down again for one repetition. Perform 12 repetitions for each side, completing all the repetitions on one side before continuing to the other side and repeating the repetitions. Through the entirety of the exercise, it is key to keep your hips stacked and perpendicular to the floor. Clamshells with the Bottom Band are excellent at strengthening your oblique muscles.