The squat with elastic is a great way to build up your thighs and tone your buttocks. At the gym or at home, this fitness exercise is ideal for making your bodyweight squats more challenging. Find out how to do squats with an elastic band to optimize the muscular strengthening of the lower body.
Why do squats with elastic?
The elastic band is a fitness accessory very popular in recent years.
The elastics allow to target the different muscles of the body. Inexpensive, they have the advantage of being able to be used anywhere, whether at home, in the gym or even on vacation.
To return to the rubber band squat, it can be performed at thewarming up or integrated into the body of your weight training program.
If you are just starting out, this move will help you progress. The band adds extra resistance and a more comfortable workout. direct voltage on your legs.
This can help you perfect your squat technique to avoid injury during your trainings.
The muscles involved are the same as in the bar squat:
- the quadriceps
- the buttocks
- the hamstrings
- the calves
- abs and lumbar region, to a lesser extent
The 2 main types of squat
When we talk about the rubber band squat exercise, there are actually 2 different techniques:
- the version with a classic elastic band, placed under the feet and around the shoulders (or in the hands)
- the version with a mini-elastic positioned above the knees
The squat with a classic rubber band
From the starting position, place your feet on the rubber band, shoulder-width apart. Grasp the rubber band and pull it behind your neck. You can also hold it in either hand.
While keeping the straight back and looking forward, the objective is to achieve a knee flexion to bring your buttocks towards the ground.
As you exhale and hold your knees out, push into the floor to return to a standing position. Your heels must always remain on the ground. The resistance of the rubber band will allow your muscles to contract more intensely.
The squat with a mini-band
The squat with a mini elastic is less difficult. It is interesting if you are looking to improve your execution techniqueThe use of the band ensures a good position of your knees.
It can also be useful in the context of a rehabilitation after an injury or surgery.
To do this, place the elastic so that it wraps around your right leg and your left leg, just above the knee.
As with the classic bungee squat, the movement is to bend your knees into a seated position and then come back up to a standing position by activating your leg muscles. Your hands can be placed on your shoulders, on your hips, or your arms can be extended forward or at your sides.
This exercise to build up the legs is particularly important for those who practice runningto prevent injuries. It allows a good development of the muscular mass around the joints and an improvement of the stability.
Some tips for doing this exercise
For this multi-joint exerciseIt is not necessary to choose the rubber band with the most resistance. As for the deadlift, it is better to go gradually.
As the weeks go by, you can increase the difficulty by switching to a harder elastic. This will allow you to work your thighs and lats. gluteal muscles in an efficient manner.
During exercise, the contraction of your abdominal strap is important. This will help you produce a clean movement without arching your back.
The breathing plays an essential role. Inhale as you descend and exhale to return to the standing position.
For a good development of each muscle group, you can perform 4 sets of 10 to 20 repetitions.
The different variants of this bodybuilding exercise
There are several variations of the squat with elastic :
- the sumo squat: the movement is almost identical to that of the classic squat, except that your feet must be further apart (and your toes oriented towards the outside) to solicit your adductors ;
- the goblet squat : for this exercise allowing to solicit the posterior chainYou will hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in your hands, attached to the elastic band;
- the jump squat: this movement can only be performed when using a mini-elastic, because you will have to perform a jump during the ascent phase;
- Barrel squat with elastic: you can also use elastic bands on a bar in a squat cage to increase the tension at the top of the movement.
Conclusion
Doing squats with elastic is effective for sculpting your thighs and shaping your buttocks. Overall, resistance bands are great accessories for any athlete to use in their training plan. To go further, find out how to Strengthen your different muscle groups with rubber bands.
