You don’t need dumbbells or kettlebells to build muscle and strength from home. Just add this resistance band full-body workout to your routine.
This resistance band full-body workout will target all your main muscles. I recommend picking a pair of resistance bands that create a good amount of resistance in each exercise, but that you can still control through the movements.
Bands can challenge you in different ways to free weights – typically the upper portion of the movement is harder, because that’s when the band is stretched tight with the most resistance. Overloading the top part of an exercise in this way can create greater muscular activation.
Why you can trust the workouts in Men’s Fitness
Here at Men’s Fitness, we work with top professionals in their field to provide you with the best advice possible; advice that comes from tried-and-tested theories and techniques. Read more about us here. This resistance band full-body workout was devised by Omar Mansour, a personal trainer, running coach, fitness consultant and co-founder of Track Life Ldn. Find him online at omarmansour.co.uk or on Instagram @mromg.
Exercises in this resistance band full-body workout
1a. Front squat (45 secs)
1b. Seated back row (45 secs)
1c. Push-up (45 secs)
1d. Reverse lunge (45 secs)
1e. Overhead press (45 secs)
1f. Bicep curl (45 secs)
How to do this workout:
Complete the exercises back-to-back. Do each exercise for 45 secs, rest for 15 secs, then move on. Rest 60 seconds after the last exercise and repeat for a total of 4 rounds.
1a. Resistance band front squat
| Time | 45 secs |
| Rest | None, go straight into 1b |
Main muscles: Glutes, quads, hip adductors
- Stand on the band with feet shoulder width apart
- Rack the band under the chin, palms facing the sky and elbows facing forward
- Push the hips back and bend the knees performing a front squat while keeping your elbows high throughout and your weight over your heels
1b. Resistance band seated back row
| Time | 45 secs |
| Rest | None, go straight into 1c |
Main muscles: Lats, rhomboids, mid to lower traps, biceps
- Sit on the floor with your legs extended, loop the resistance band around the soles of your feet
- Pull the band toward your waistline, while squeezing the shoulder blades together
- Slowly release to the starting position and repeat
- Keep chest high throughout
1c. Resistance band push-up
| Time | 45 secs |
| Rest | None, go straight into 1d |
Main muscles: Pecs, delts, triceps, serrates anterior
- Place the band around the mid/upper back, under your arms, and loop the band through the palm of your hands
- Have your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your head in front of your hands and shoulders back
- From a high plank position bend your elbows and lower your body as one unit until your elbows are at least 90 degrees. (If you can keep form, go lower)
- Push the ground away from you and lock out as you return to the top of the movement
1d. Resistance band reverse lunge
| Time | 45 secs |
| Rest | None, go straight into 1e |
Main muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves
- Loop resistance band around your right foot, behind your shoulders, and around in front of your neck
- Keeping your upper body tall, step backward with your left foot and lower your body until your front knee is bent at least 90 degrees and the same for the back knee
- Push yourself back to the starting position
1e. Resistance band overhead press
| Time | 45 secs |
| Rest | None, go straight into 1f |
Main muscles: Delts, triceps, traps
- Put one foot in the middle of the resistance band
- Now grab both sides of the band – near the top – and bring it to shoulder height
- Brace your core and press the band overhead until arms are locked out
- Now lower with control back to shoulder height
1f. Resistance band biceps curl
| Time | 45 secs |
| Rest | 60 secs, then repeat 1a |
| Sets | 4 |
Main muscles: Biceps
- Stand in the middle of a resistance band
- Grab each side of the band with each hand
- Brace your core then curl the band up until your hands reach about shoulder level, before lowering with control
1h. Resistance band single-arm overhead extension
| Reps | 12 |
| Rest | 90 secs |
| Sets | Repeat the circuit 2-3 more times |
- Grab the band by both ends behind your back
- Extend the top arm up behind your head, while the other hand holds the opposite end of the band securely at your lower back
- Complete one side before switching
Need some resistance bands? We recommend trying the TRX Bandit Resistance Band Kit. Tried and tested by the Men’s Fitness team, we found them to be portable, lightweight, comfortable to use, and ideal for a tough, muscle-building workout in higher rep ranges.
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Photography: @imagegod
