This seven-move resistance band workout will help you grow stronger at home with just one piece of kit
When you don’t have barbells, dumbbells, or kettlebells to hand, grab your best resistance bands and get ready to fire up your muscles and strengthen your entire body. Even if you do have other kit available, resistance band workouts like this have a useful place in any man’s fitness regime.
Personal trainer and Represent 247 head coach Jake Dearden has put together a seven-move resistance band home workout that’ll test your lower body, upper body and core. Start by prepping your body with a full-body resistance band warm-up before following the recommended reps and sets for the below exercises.
Resistance Band Home Workout
- Banded Good Morning
- Banded Squat
- Banded Reverse Lunge
- Banded Single-Arm Shoulder Press
- Banded Bent-Over Row
- Banded Push-Up
- Banded Biceps Curl
1. Banded Good Morning
Reps: 8-10
Rest: 45 secs
Sets: 3
- Place the band around your neck, ensuring it’s resting on your trapezius (traps).
- Stand on the other end of the band.
- From a standing position, hinge at the hips, sending your bum back, while keeping your back straight and your core tight.
- Once you feel tension in the hamstrings, drive your hips forward to stand back up.
2. Banded Squat
Reps: 8-10
Rest: 45 secs
Sets: 3
- Place the band around your neck, ensuring it’s resting on your traps.
- Stand on the other end of the band.
- From a standing position, squat down until your hips are parallel with your knees and then stand back up, pushing up through your heels.
3. Banded Reverse Lunge
Reps: 8-10
Rest: 45 secs
Sets: 3
- Place the band around your neck, ensuring it’s resting on your traps.
- Stand on the other end of the band.
- From a standing position, lunge one foot back, keeping your back straight and your core tight.
- Once your back knee is almost touching the ground, drive off your front knee and stand back up.
4. Banded Single-arm Shoulder Press
Reps: 8-10
Rest: 45 secs
Sets: 3
- Hold one end of the band with one hand and stand with one foot in the middle of the other end.
- From a standing position, press the band overhead.
- Repeat the same number of reps with the other arm.
5. Banded Bent-over Row
Reps: 8-10
Rest: 45 secs
Sets: 3
- Hold the band with both hands and stand in the middle of the opposite end.
- From a standing position, bend over, while keeping your back straight and your core tight. This is your starting position.
- Pull the band towards your waist – your hands should be just wider than shoulder-width apart. Then go back to your starting position.
- Repeat.
6. Banded Push-up
Reps: 8-10
Rest: 45 secs
Sets: 3
- Hold the band in both hands with the band around your back and shoulders.
- Get into a push-up position.
- From here perform a push-up with the added resistance.
7. Banded Biceps Curl
Reps: 8-10
Rest: 45 secs
Sets: 3
- Hold one end of the band with both hands, while standing in the middle of the other end.
- From a standing position, keeping the elbows in a fixed position in line with the ribs, curl the band up.
- Slowly lower back down.
Benefits of training with resistance bands
Bands may not seem like they’ll do much on the surface, but you you can build muscle with resistance bands. In fact, research shows they provide similar strength gains to resistance machines and dumbbells.
The beauty of bands is that, despite their simplicity, you’re in control of the resistance level. By increasing the tension, you can increase how challenging each exercise is. The thickness of the band will also influence how much resistance it provides: thicker bands offer more resistance than thinner ones.
Bands are also portable and inexpensive, and ideal for anyone returning to exercise post-injury. So no matter where you are – at home, on holiday or on the move – there’s zero excuse not to pack a set and try out the best resistance band exercises.
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