Happy New Years, everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog post on this website. Not going to lie, at one point I did give up. Writing just isn’t in my wheelhouse and I get bored quickly. However, I’ve had a shift in perspective and goals. I used to think I’d have to write out this 500-1000 word article for it to be worth peoples time to read. That kind of ideology is what ultimately let me to think that writing was a bit too much. As articulate and long-winded as I am in person, I’m not quite the same in writing. So then I realized I could just get straight to the point. Create content that the busiest of people could spare 2-5 minutes to read and maybe learn something.
Doesn’t it feel good when you come up with ways to make your life easier? I hope you can find this post useful to help make your life easier, too.
Today’s post is the beginning of a series I’d like to call “D-Money’s Exercise of the Month.” Some of these exercises aren’t new or very exotic, but they’re pretty damn powerful if you use them correctly. More often than not these drills/movements can be used in your warmp-up, at the end or during your strength routine.
So without further adieu, introducing: X-Band Walks
Targets: Glute Medius, Hip Abductors
What does it do? The X-Band Walks (a.k.a. cross band walks, a.k.a. lateral resistance walks, a.k.a. ass burners) is a fantastic drill to strengthen and stabilize your hips and stabilize the knee. That’s good news for people who live in weather where it can become very icy, or if you’re used to sitting on your tush all day it can “wake” that ass up. Having that stability in the knee and hip joints will give you a better chance from taking a nose dive slipping on ice. This is also a great drill to use pre/post knee or hip surgery if squatting and lunging still hurts.
When should you use it? The X-Band walks can be used just about anywhere in your programming. Whether it be in the warm-up as a stabilization drill for a lower body day, before you participate in a sporting event, or in between strength sets as a filler on upper body day.
How should you use it? You want there to be a level of fatigue in the glutes before you train them. Programming 15-20 reps going each direction is a good start depending on the strength of the band. You can also use them for time, anywhere from 20-30 seconds at the end of the workout for a finisher. Boom! Try it out and let me know what you think!
