Work your chest, back, shoulders, arms and core with this no-nonsense resistance band upper-body workout.
Investing in a set of resistance bands offers benefits beyond rehabilitation and stretching, as this upper-body workout demonstrates. It’s a workout I often utilise for upper body training, particularly when I’m short on time, travelling or just don’t have access to weights.
Lifting weights uses mechanical tension – where muscles contract strongly when heavily loaded – to build muscle. However, metabolic stress, when the muscle is worked hard for a long time – such as with resistance bands – is equally effective.
Resistance bands are cheaper, lighter, safer and more portable than dumbbells. They’re just as good at targeting specific muscle groups, too.
While there are plenty of exercises for full-body resistance band workouts, this session is aimed at just the upper body – incorporating exercises like rows, shoulder presses, curls and raises for the ultimate upper-body burn.
Why you can trust the workouts in Men’s Fitness
At Men’s Fitness we pride ourselves on delivering information that serves a singular purpose: to improve some aspect of your health, fitness or wellbeing. For over 16 years, we’ve been publishing authoritative health and fitness content – written by our expert editors and contributors. Each of our workouts has been created and tested by either a highly experienced editor or expert contributor. This workout was devised by PT Diego Carrete.
How to do this resistance band upper-body workout
Perform each exercise for the time stated. Complete the designated number of sets, with minimal rest between sets. Be sure to note the maximum rest between exercises and try to move between exercises in the same superset with minimal rest.
1. Staggered band row
2. Band shoulder press
3. Band flye
4a. Band lateral raise
4b. Band front raise
5. Band curl
6a. Triceps band extension
6b. Triceps band kickback
7. Band face pull
1. Staggered band row
| Time | 45 secs |
| Sets | 4 |
| Rest | 45 secs |
Why I like it: For such a simple-looking exercise, the staggered band row has a tremendous amount of benefits. I suggest it for people with limited ankle or hip mobility, allowing them to do deeper squats. It’s also great for improving balance, stability and proprioception.
How to do a staggered band row:
- Assume a staggered stance with the band looped under your front foot, and a slight bend in your back knee
- Hinge at the hips to lean forward, grasping hold of each end of the band
- From this position, with braced core, row each side of the band up to your hips
- Lower with control
2. Band shoulder press
| Time | 45 secs |
| Sets | 4 |
| Rest | 45 secs |
Why I like it: This one aims straight for the shoulders, triceps and upper back muscles. I find it really useful for correcting muscle imbalances in your upper body and it’s great for gradually increasing your overhead pressing strength without using weights or machines.
How to do a band shoulder press:
- Stand in the middle of the band
- Grab the other end with both hands and bring it to shoulder height
- Screw your heels to the floor and brace your abs, then press the band directly overhead
- Lower with control
3. Band flye
| Time | 45 secs |
| Sets | 3 |
| Rest | 45 secs |
Why I like it: This is a great isolation exercise for the chest and front deltoids. In some ways I prefer it to the dumbbell version because the resistance curve in band chest flyes is more evenly distributed and the load on your chest muscles is more consistent throughout the move.
How to do a band flye:
- Loop the middle of the band around a fixed object
- Grab both ends and face away from the anchor point
- Standing tall, bring your arms out the sides and arc your hands in to meet in the middle – in front of your chest
- Squeeze your pecs in the middle, then arc back with control
4a. Band lateral raise
| Time | 30 secs |
| Rest | Go straight into 4b |
Why I like it: Banded lateral raises allow you to pay particular attention to your outer delts, helping you to develop broader, more sculpted shoulders. Again I think bands are great for this as they allow you to keep the tension constant throughout.
How to do a band lateral raise:
- Stand in the middle of the band
- Grab both ends and stand tall
- Raise each end of the band out to the sides, stopping at just above shoulder height
- Return and repeat
4b. Band front raise
| Time | 30 secs |
| Sets | 3 |
| Rest | 45 secs, then repeat 4a |
Why I like it: What’s true for the band lateral raise is equally so for the front raise. The change in angle is good for working the middle deltoids and upper pecs too.
How to do a band front raise:
- Stand in the middle of the band
- Grab both ends and stand tall
- With straight arms, raise the band directly out in front, stopping just above shoulder height
- Return and repeat
5. Band curl
| Time | 45 secs |
| Sets | 3 |
| Rest | 45 secs |
Why I like it: One advantage for me of a band over a weighted curl is again that constant tension, meaning your biceps don’t get a break between reps. It’s great for building wrist and grip strength too.
How to do a band curl:
- Stand in the middle of the band
- Grab both ends and stand tall
- With palms facing away from you, keep your upper arms fixed in place, just bending your elbows to curl the band up to around shoulder height
- Contract your biceps at the top of the move, then lower with control
6a. Triceps band extension
| Time | 30 secs |
| Rest | Go straight into 6b |
Why I like it: As you’re using your shoulders and elbows for the movement, this exercise really helps strengthen and stabilize those areas. Your core’s working to keep you balanced and the unilateral aspect of the move means you can work on imbalances too.
How to do a triceps band extension:
- Loop the middle of the band around a fixed object on the floor – the legs of a bench work well
- Facing away from the anchor point, hold the band with one hand at shoulder height
- Extend the band overhead
- Fix your upper arm in place and bend at the elbow to lower the band back behind your head
- Lower as far as you can go with that upper arm fixed, then return the band overhead
6b. Triceps band kickback
| Time | 30 secs |
| Sets | 3 |
| Rest | 45 secs, then repeat 6a |
Why I like it: This is another great move for engaging the core muscles for developing balance and stability. Plus the banded kickback is one of the most effective exercises for bulking up your triceps.
How to do a triceps band kickback:
- Loop the middle of the band around a fixed object on the floor
- Hinge from the hips and grab the band with one hand
- Keeping your upper arm fixed in place, bend at the elbow to bring the band back behind your torso
- Flex your triceps at the top of the movement, then reverse with control
7. Band face pull
| Time | 45 secs |
| Sets | 3 |
| Rest | 45 secs |
Why I like it: This is one of the first exercises I’d suggest to those looking to improve shoulder mobility. We tend not to do too many exercises that really engage the rotator cuffs, but this has to be one of the best.
How to do a band face pull:
- Loop the middle of the band around a fixed object
- Stand facing the anchor point and grab both ends of the band
- Flare your elbows out to the sides to bring the ends of the band up to your ears – you should feel this in your upper back
Need resistance bands? Try the TRX Bandit Resistance Band Kit, which offers a portable and lightweight system that’s esy to get to grips with – even for complete beginners.
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