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A resistance band, or a tension band, is a great addition to any strength training routine. These lightweight elastic bands are used to induce muscular contraction, helping build strength in the muscles as you pull the band. They were primarily used for rehabilitation but have also found use in strength workouts.
If you’re someone who is always on the go but still wants to get a good workout, you may want to look into getting a resistance band. Because they’re lightweight and small, they’re very easy to pack and use in any space, whether at home, in the office, or even when you’re traveling.
Do Resistance Bands Work?
Yes, they do! When you use exercise bands, it stretches to create tension. Your muscles have to overcome that oppositional force and in doing so, your muscles work harder. This results in stronger, more defined muscles.
A resistance band can also help you improve your range of motion, increase bone density, burn fat, and more. You can use these loop bands on their own but you can also add to them weighted bars and the like to increase resistance.Â
Can You Get Ripped With Just Resistance Bands?
Yes, it is possible to build muscle with a resistance band training routine. Using a resistance band recruits several muscle groups and provides you with extra intensity to the already challenging strength training exercises. One good set of bands is enough to get an effective full-body workout and build your muscles.
Can You Lose Weight With Tension Bands?
The best way to lose weight is to combine exercise with eating healthy. Cardio exercises can help you burn calories but it’s important to pair cardio with strengthening exercises as lean muscle mass can help boost metabolism and burn more fat.
Using a resistance band in your bodyweight routine can speed up the weight loss process as it will increase the intensity of your workouts. This means that you burn more calories and build muscle, which then speeds up your metabolism and burns fat, helping you lose weight. So yes, you can lose weight with a resistance band.
Do Resistance Bands Tone Your Stomach?
Resistance band exercises can help tone your stomach and strengthen your core. Using a resistance band can help you lose fat and build muscle, improving the overall composition of your body. It can also increase the firming power of abdominal exercises, allowing you to have a taut midsection.
Are Resistance Bands Good for Belly Fat?
Yes, they are! Resistance band exercises can be effective in burning belly fat, as well as strengthening your core.
Is It Ok to Workout With a Band Every Day?
Sure, you can train with a resistance band every single day but in general, it is recommended to perform strength exercises two to three days per week and on non-consecutive days.
This is because your body needs rest days to recover from the stress of the workouts. Still, depending on your fitness goals and experience level, it may be okay to work out with a resistance band every day. Keep in mind to do it with care and caution.
Can You Stretch With Resistance Bands?
Yes, you can! Stretching with a resistance band is one of the ways to increase your flexibility and range of motion. Using a resistance band can help get deeper into a stretch.
Are Resistance Bands Good for Older Adults?
If you’re an older adult who wants to keep up with an exercise routine, you can do so with a resistance band workout. Resistance band exercises are perfect for seniors as they can help maintain strength and muscle mass without overdoing it.
What is the Best Workout With Resistance Bands?
The best resistance band exercise will depend on your needs. There are ones that focus on the upper body such as an overhead press, chest press, and bent-over row.
There are also exercises that focus on the lower body, such as a single-leg deadlift and side taps. Doing these exercises a couple of times a week can give you a full-body workout.
What Exercises Can You Do With Resistance Bands?
Eager to work out your upper back, shoulders, glutes, and basically your whole body? Whether you’re an exercise newbie or an experienced one, these workouts can help you become stronger. Try out the following resistance band exercises!
Pull Apart
A pull-apart works your upper back, helps you have stable shoulders, and increases your mobility. To do a pull-apart, stand with your knees slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart. Grip the middle section of the band with both your hands at shoulder level, shoulder-width apart, your palms facing down.
Keeping your arms straight, pull the band out and back until your shoulder blades contract. Slowly return to the starting position. Stretch, squeeze, and release for 8 to 10 reps.
Deadlift
For your starting position, stand with your feet hip-width apart and a resistance band around your arches. Grab the top of the band with both hands, arm straight, and press hips backward into a hinge position. Drive down through the heels to stand up straight, squeezing your glutes at the top. This counts as one rep.
Banded Single-Leg Tempo Deadlift
Start standing on your left leg with your foot over the middle of a long resistance band. Hold one end of the band in either hand. Next, push your hips back to hinge at the waist as you lower your torso towards the floor and lift your right leg straight back behind your body until both are parallel to the floor. Then, drive through the left heel to reverse the movement and return to the initial position.
Stay-Low Curtsy Lunge
Start in a lunge with your left foot forward, and band around your thighs. Stay low with your chest lifted as you step your right foot to a curtsy lunge position. Return to the starting position, making that one rep. Complete 30 to 45 seconds of reps on one side, then switch to the other.
Kickstand Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift
Begin by standing with your feet staggered, right foot forward and left foot back resting on the ball of your foot. Put one part of the band around the right foot and the other part in your left hand.
Next, hinge your torso forward, keeping your back straight, then return to the starting position, keeping tension on the band the entire time. Complete 30 to 45 seconds of reps on one side then switch to the other.
Standing Banded Triceps Extension
Stand with your knees bent slightly, feet staggered, one foot forward flat on the ground and one behind, with your knee in a slight bend, heel raised. Loop the middle of the resistance band under the arch of the front foot.
Grasp the ends with your hands, and extend your arms straight up overhead, palms facing each other. Keep your upper arms still, bend at the elbows, and lower hands just behind your head. Reverse the movement to return to the start.
Single-Arm Triceps Extension
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and loop one end of a long band around your foot. Squat down to grab the other end and bring it to shoulder height. Next, bring it around your head so that you’re holding it with your elbow bent behind your head at around shoulder height. Press the band directly overhead, keeping your elbow fixed in one place.
Standing Side Taps
Step into a looped resistance band so that it is just above your ankles. Position your feet shoulder-width apart and let your bottom reach back. This is a modified squat position and you will stay in this position for the entire exercise.
Next, tap your right foot out to the right, feeling the tension on the band, and then bring it back to the center with your feet as wide as your shoulders. Then, tap your left foot to the left, feel the tension on the band, and bring it back to the center. Repeat this for 10 taps on each side.
Side Plank High Pull
Assume a high-side plank position with your feet stacked, bottom arm extended, and torso in a straight line from shoulders to hips. Position one end of a band under your planted hand and hold onto the other end with your free hand. The starting position is with the top elbow bend, and band loose.
Next, pull the band tight by raising your elbow and pulling as far as possible. Ensure that you maintain your form in the high-side plank position.
Banded Lateral Step-Out Squat
Begin by standing with a band wrapped just below the knees. Clasp your hands in front of your chest and position your feet under your hips. Take a big step to the right then bend your knees, sit back, and lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
Engage your glutes and press back up through the heels to the initial position. Repeat on the other side.
Lateral Walk
You will need two tube bands for this workout. Loop one resistance band just above your knees and another band around your ankles. Drop into a half squat position with your feet positioned as wide as your shoulders to create tension. Next, take a small step to the side, keeping tension in the bands as you move. Do all the steps in one direction, then switch.
Press-Up
Get in a plank position, draping the resistance band across your upper back and holding the ends under your hands. Next, drop your chest down towards the floor, then contract your glutes and abs and push straight up until your arms are fully extended. Do 5 to 15 reps if you can.
Penguin Crunch
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, holding a resistance band taut between your hands, arms extended straight overhead. Let your biceps frame your face.
Next, keep tension on the band as you crunch your upper body to the right. Then, return to the center, and repeat the same motion on the left.Â
Leg Extension
To do this lower-body resistance band exercise, you’ll need a chair or an incline bench. First, anchor a loop resistance band in a low position on a support such as a chair, and loop the other end around your ankle with the band positioned behind you.
While seated, step away from the anchor to create tension on the band, and position your feet hip-width apart. Then, shift your weight to your left foot and lift your right leg from the floor. Extend your knee straight out, and slowly lower to return to the initial position. Repeat for 8 to 12 reps, then switch legs.
Hollow Body Hold to Crunch
Loop a resistance band around your wrists and lie down on your back with your knees tucked into your chest, and your head, neck, and shoulders curled up. Train your gaze at your thighs and extend your arms to the frame the outside of your legs.Â
Then, raise straight arms overhead so your biceps frame the face while extending and lowering your legs to hover a few inches off the floor. Hold for a few seconds, and then return to start.
What Exercises Can I Do With Resistance Bands With Handles?
Not all resistance band exercises can be done with a tube or looped band. Here are some exercises that require you to use a band that is open-ended or has handles.
Overhead Press
Stand over the center of a resistance band with your feet positioned as wide as your shoulders. Grip each handle or end of the band, positioning your hands at shoulder height, your palms facing forward and your thumbs touching your shoulders.
Press straight up, your arms extended fully. Lower back down slowly to shoulder level. Repeat for 8 to 10 reps.
Bicep Curl
Anchor the resistance band under one foot and hold the handles in each hand with your palms facing upwards. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and slightly bend your knees. Start with your hands holding the ends of the band at hip level, arms straight down to the ground.
Bend your elbows to lift the ends of the band up to shoulder level, keeping elbows close to the ribs. Return to start. Repeat 20 reps for 3 sets.
Standing Chest Press
Anchor your resistance band on a cable column or sturdy support and position it at chest height. Grab each handle with your back to the band. Step forward to reduce the slack, positioning your hands at chest height.
With your elbows up and palms facing down, press the band straight out in front of you until your arms reach full extension. Squeeze your chest muscles, then return to the starting position. Do 12 to 15 reps.
Lateral Raise
One of the best resistance band exercises that target your delts is a lateral raise. To do this, start by standing with your knees slightly bent and your feet staggered, your right foot forward and flat on the floor, your left back heel high, and the middle of the resistance band looped underneath the arch of your right foot.
Grasp the ends of the band with your hands, and arms at the sides. Raise your arm outward to the sides until parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position slowly. That’s one rep.
Lat Pulldown
This exercise is great for working out the upper body. You will need a horizontal bar to do this. Anchor the resistance band overhead to a bar and kneel facing the anchor so that the band is positioned in front of you. Grip each end with your arms straight overhead and your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
Bending your elbows, pull the band down toward the floor while contracting your back muscles. Once your hands reach your shoulders, slowly raise them back to the initial position. Do 10 to 12 reps.
Lateral Squat to Cross-Body Row
Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Wrap a resistance band around the arch of your left foot and hold the ends with your right hand. Next, bend your left knee and sink back until your thigh is parallel to the floor, extending your right hand down toward your left foot.
Then, re-extend your left leg, bending your right arm with your elbow wide, and pulling your right hand up to chest height. That counts as one rep. Complete 30 to 45 seconds of reps on one side, then switch sides.
Bent-Over Row
Step on the resistance band with your feet hip-width apart. Grab one handle or end of the band in each hand, palms facing each other. Add a slight bend in your knees, pushing your hips back as you let your torso hinge forward.
Maintain a flat back with your core engaged. Let your arms hang straight down under your shoulders, your elbows bent slightly.
Then, drive your elbows straight up to bring the band to your chest, keeping your elbows tucked into your sides. Slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat for 10 reps.
Final Note
Resistance band exercises can sculpt your entire body, making them very effective in achieving your fitness goals. These exercises can also help improve balance, gait, functionality, and flexibility. Best of all, anyone of any fitness level can engage in elastic band resistance training. Start doing them today!
Keep in mind that if you experience any discomfort during the exercises, it’s best to stop and seek the advice of a certified personal trainer.
