Mini Band ABS & BOOTY Workout

Mini Band Abs & Booty Workout is a tough mat based workout from Heather Robertson. Outside of the warm up there is only one standing exercise in the entire workout. Everything else is done on your mat with a booty band. My abs are still a little sore from Heather’s Cardio & Abs AMRAP so I was worried this might exacerbate that, but the core work in this workout isn’t nearly as brutal as it is in that workout. It still worked my core and my booty very well. Plus, using the booty band/resistance loop in the core exercises recruits the lower body so more than my booty was worked. Like most mat based workouts this is not a calorie burner. I only burned 94 calories. But I was sweating and my muscles were burning. The first exercise in Circuit 3, Side Bridge & Lift–OMG, my legs were shaking by the end of that interval. Then you get to do it again on your other leg! I used a variety of booty bands for this workout. I had my remote nearby in case I needed to pause the workout to swap bands but I was actually able to swap bands in the 10 second recovery allotted. I used my cloth elastic bands for all exercises where the loop is around your thighs/above the knees. I used both my heavy and my medium band (not at the same time). For all of the exercises where the loop is around your feet I used my medium rubber band. This is a great little workout for your core and to give yourself a little extra lower body work.

Mini Band Abs & Booty Workout is 39:47 minutes; 1:45 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: booty band/fitness loop and a fitness mat. This workout has 4 circuits and each circuit is done twice. The exercises are done interval style: 40 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the lower right hand side of the screen counting down intervals and recoveries. During the recoveries Heather previews the next exercise.

Circuit 1: (I started this circuit with my medium rubber loop around my feet)

1. Bicycle crunch (booty band is around feet, lay on back with hands behind head, one leg is extended straight and other is bent as if in mid-bicycle maneuver, legs are held isometrically in this position the entire interval, raise legs so knee comes closer to chest and tap knee with opposite elbow, lower legs and upper body back to start)
2. Repeat #1 on other side of body
3. Bent knee crunch (band is still around feet, still laying on back, knees are bent with feet on mat, raise legs bringing knees into chest, crunch upper body reaching hands to tap heels, feet are open so there is tension in the loop, lower upper body and legs back to start)
4. V-split (move band up so it is around thighs, lay on back and raise straight legs to ceiling, open and close legs) (here I swapped to my heavy cloth band)
5. Glute bridge (band is still around thighs, lay on back, knees bent and feet on mat close to glutes, raise hips in bridge and hold, open and close legs, lower hips)
6. Repeat #1-5

30 second rest

Circuit 2: (I used my medium rubber band for this circuit)

1. Oblique climber (loop is around feet, in straight arm plank, pull one knee under body to same side elbow)
2. Repeat #1 on other side of body
3. Prone press (lay on stomach, band is still around feet, arms are crossed in front of you, raise head/chest and legs, open legs and pulse against loop)
4. Angled kickback (band is still around feet, lean on one elbow and one knee, body is rotated to the side with top leg extended straight and top arm on floor to support you, raise and lower top leg)
5. Repeat #4 on other side of body

30 second rest

Circuit 3: (I used medium cloth band for this circuit)

1. Side bridge & lift (band is around thigh, in modified elbow side plank (on elbow and knee), knees are bent and top arm is raised to ceiling, raise hips and top leg, hold this position isometrically entire interval)
2. Clamshell (lay on one hip and elbow, legs are bent, band is still around thighs, open and close top bent leg keeping insoles of feet together)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 on other side of body
4. Bear kick backs (band is still around thighs, in bear pose (on hands and toes, with knees bent and elevated a few inches off the floor), alternate raising one leg, pushing sole of foot to ceiling)
5. Repeat #1-4

30 second rest

Circuit 4: (I used my medium cloth band for this circuit)

1. Reverse crunch (band is around thighs, lay on back with hands on mat beside hips, raise hips pushing feet overhead, lower legs, bending knees and tapping feet to mat)
2. Butterfly kickout (sit on mat, hands on mat behind you, loop is around thighs, raise legs a few inches off the floor, pull knees into chest while opening knees then push legs back out straight, raise torso when pulling legs in and lower torso when pushing legs out)
3. Single leg bridge (band is still around thighs, lay on back, one knee is bent and foot is on mat close to glutes, other leg is raised to ceiling, raise and lower hips)
4. Repeat #3 on other side of body
5. Jump squats (band is still around thighs)
6. Repeat #1-5

For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.