Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or a beginner, resistance bands provide a portable, affordable, and effective way to enhance your workout.

A Resistance Band is a flexible loop  of rubber or fabric, offering resistance during stretches to strengthen muscles. Compact and portable, it's a versatile fitness accessory for strength training, stretching, and exercise rehab, enhancing muscle definition and mobility.

What Size Resistance Band Should You Buy?

Resistance bands are available in a range of sizes, each offering different levels of resistance, from light to heavy. This diversity allows for progressive training as you build strength. To cater to various body parts, it's advisable to use multiple bands of varying resistance. This ensures versatility in your workout routine and accommodates different exercise needs.

To prove just how versatile resistance bands are, we’ve given you a breakdown of 8 of our favourite resistance band exercises along with their benefits. You can use this to create your own at home full body workout.

1 - Dead Bug

The resistance band dead bug is a core strengthening exercise. It enhances core stability, improves balance, and engages multiple muscle groups, including both the deep and superficial core muscles. By targeting these muscles, it helps prevent lower back pain and enhances overall functional strength.

• Attach the resistance band to a secure object. Hold onto the resistance band with both hands and lie on the floor with your legs bent and knees stacked over your hips.

• Hold the band directly over your shoulders with your arms fully extended.

• Extend one leg whilst keeping the other bent, then return back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

• Whilst moving your legs, keep the tension in the band by keeping your arms straight.

2 - Standing Shoulder Press

The resistance band standing shoulder press is a full-body exercise that primarily targets the shoulders and arms. It improves upper body strength and enhances shoulder stability. This compound movement increases functional strength, helping with daily activities.

• Step onto the centre of a resistance band with feet hip-width apart.

• Hold the band at shoulder height, elbows bent.

• Press the band overhead, fully extending your arms.

• Lower the band back to shoulder height.

3 - Seated Row

The resistance band seated row builds upper body strength and targets the back, shoulder, and arm muscles while engaging the core for stability. This exercise is perfect for building posterior chain strength, and can help you progress to more advanced back exercises such as pull ups and dumbbell row.

• Sit on the floor with your legs extended and loop a resistance band around your feet.

• Hold the band at the other end, sit up straight and pull the band towards your torso whilst squeezing your shoulder blades.

4 - Pallof Press

The resistance band Pallof press is a core-strengthening exercise that focuses on stability and balance. It works the deep core muscles, helping prevent lower back pain and improving posture. This exercise is effective in developing functional strength and is a great exercise for sprinters and cyclists who require a strong trunk.

• Attach a resistance band to a sturdy anchor point.

• Stand perpendicular to the anchor point, holding the band with both hands at chest level.

• Extend your arms and hold, resisting the band's pull.

• Return to the starting position.

5 - Standing Bicep Curl

A resistance band standing bicep curl strengthens the biceps and forearm muscles. It improves arm definition and muscle balance. This exercise is convenient for both beginners and advanced athletes who want to work on muscular tone in their upper body.

• Stand with both feet on the centre of a resistance band.

• Hold the band at your sides with arms fully extended.

• Curl the band upward, bending your elbows.

• Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.

• Lower the band back down and repeat for a set.

6 - Push Up

The resistance band push-up is a challenging variation of the classic push-up that engages the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It adds resistance for muscle growth and increases the intensity of the exercise. This promotes upper body strength, muscle definition, and functional fitness while allowing for easy adjustments to individual fitness levels.

• Place a resistance band around your back and hold the ends at chest level.

• Get into a push-up position with the hands on the floor, band wrapped around them and feet together.

• Perform push-ups, using the band for added resistance. Maintain proper form, engaging your chest and triceps.

7 - Lying Leg Curl

The resistance band lying leg curl targets the hamstrings, in particular where they insert at the back of the knee. It's a valuable exercise for athletes and fitness enthusiasts looking to improve their athletic performance and reduce the risk of lower body injuries. It is a great alternative to a machine leg curl if you’re training at home and do not have the space for machines.

• Lie on your stomach with the resistance band looped around your ankles.

• Secure the band's ends under a sturdy anchor or have a partner hold them.

• Bend your knees and curl your legs upward against the band's resistance.

• Lower your legs back down and repeat for a set.

8 - Zercher Squat

The resistance band Zercher squat is a lower body exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps muscles, although other lower body muscles are recruited such as the hamstrings and glutes. This is an alternative to the back squat and can be used to add variety to your training.

• Stand on a resistance band with feet shoulder-width apart.

• Cross the band in front of you and rest it in your elbow creases.

• Perform a squat by bending your knees and hips, keeping your back straight.

• Push back up to the starting position.

Adding Resistance Bands to your full-body workout is a game-changer. This adaptable piece of kit helps to improve strength and flexibility, making home and gym workouts more effective. With their compact design, resistance bands are a powerful fitness solution, helping you sculpt a stronger and more resilient body.

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Tags: Equipment > Resistance Bands ; Misc > Workouts