10 Resistance Band Exercises That Sculpt Your Entire Body, According to Experts

Reps: 20 reps for 3 total sets

Anchor the middle of your band around a set point such as a railing and grab the handles with both hands. Step back far enough for the band to be tight when arms are extended straight. Pull the elbows back to your ribcage to complete one row. Return to start and repeat 20 times and 3 sets. You can make it harder by adding a squat when you straighten the arms and stand when you pull the band back. This works the upper back muscles and helps with posture.

Reps: 20 reps for 3 sets in total

Anchor the band under one foot and hold the handles in each hand with your palms facing upwards. Stand with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulders width apart. Start with your hands holding the ends of the band at hip level with your arms extended to the ground. Bend your elbows to lift the ends of the band up to shoulder level, keeping elbows close by the ribs. Return to start Repeat 20 reps for 3 sets. You can make it more challenging by wrapping more of the ends around your hands or putting the anchor point under both feet.

Reps: 10 reps on each side for 3 total sets

Anchor the middle of the band under the right foot and stand with your feet shoulders width apart. Hold the handles in each hand and bend your elbows to put the hands at shoulder level with palms facing forward. Step left leg back and lift your arms overhead pressing the bands upwards with resistance. Lower the bands back to shoulder level and return to stand for one rep. Do 10 reps and then switch sides fort 3 sets in total. This works the shoulders and glutes.

Reps: 30 reps for 3 sets in total

Lay down on the floor, face up, with a long resistance band anchored under the middle of your back. Take the handles in each hand. Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor. Bend your elbows at 90 degrees with your knuckles up facing the sky. Press your hands to the sky by extending the arms straight over your chest and press your hips to the sky into a bridge. Lower to start position for one rep. Do 30 reps and 3 total sets. This works the chest, biceps, glutes, and quads.

Reps: alternate each side for one minute

Take a small, flat, closed loop resistance band and wrap it around your legs in between your knees and ankles until tight. Step to the right so the bad is really tight and squat half way down. Continue to step right and hold the squat (don’t stand all the way up in between steps) across the room as far as you can go, then repeat the same number of steps to the left back to start. It you are in a small space, just step once or twice to the left then the same number back to the right. Continue right and left for a total of one minute.

Reps: 20 on each side for a total of 3 sets

Keeping the band around your thighs, lay on your left hip and forearm. Stack your feet together and keep them glued while you lift the top (right) knee upwards. Lower knee for one rep. Perform 20 reps on each side and 3 sets. This works the outer thighs.

Reps: 10 to 20 reps for 3 total sets

Keeping a small, closed loop band around your shins, stand on your with your right foot and turn your left foot out 45 degrees so that both feet together make the letter “T.” The left heel should touch the arch of your right foot if you loosened the band. Start with feet wide enough so the band doesn’t slide down, and then kick the left leg back until you can’t go any further. Return to start for 10-20 reps. So the same number in the other side and perform 3 sets.

Reps: 20 reps for a total of 3 sets

Next we give the legs a rest and go back to arms, chest and back with the long resistance band. Stand up with your feet shoulders width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold each end of the resistance band and wrap the middle behind your middle back. Wrap your hands around the ends of the band so that there is no slack when you lift your elbows to shoulder height and bend them to 90 degrees with knuckles pointing straight ahead. Extend your arms straight in front of you so that you feel heavy resistance from the band. Return to start for one rep. Do 20 reps for 3 sets. Make it harder by marching in place or squatting when your arms return to start position.

Reps: 20 reps for a set of 3

Sit on a yoga mat with both feet extended in front of you. Anchor the middle of the band around your flexed feet at arch level so it doesn’t slide up. Hold the handles of the resistance band or wrap them around your hands until there is no slack when your arms are extended. Pull your elbows and hands back to ribcage so that the resistance is tight and you feel your upper back engaged. Squeeze the shoulder blades towards each other and keep the shoulders down and away from the ears. Extend your arms straight out for one rep. Do 20 reps for 3 total sets. This works the upper back and is good for the posture to avoid rounded shoulders.

Resistance bands come in many forms and are used for various types of workouts, including physical therapy, pre-workout mobility warmups, strengthening muscles, speed and agility drills, and stretching. There are a few different types of resistance bands you can choose from, depending on your goals. Some look like a long, round tube with handles at each end, while others that take the shape of a shorter closed loop. Resistance bands that are longer with handles can be used for more upper body and full body workouts, whereas the shorter closed loop resistance band is best for legs, glutes, and lower body, Glor says.

Resistance bands are inexpensive compared to machines and require little storage space, making them a great option to have on standby. Glor recommends incorporating resistance band exercises 2-3 times a week in conjunction with weights and different forms of cardio, like walking or swimming.