12 Jun 2019
Resistance bands are a great way to intensify your body weight training. A good band workout can be the equivalent to a heavy weights session at the gym but comes at a fraction of the price and can be done in the comfort of your own home. They're also great for stabilising weak or injured muscles as part of a rehabilitation program or just to activate those smaller muscles that may not typically be awake and firing in your regular workout.
There are many resistance band exercises you can try, from entire body workouts to just focusing on one specific area at a time in a split program. We've outlined a few of the best moves to try below. In most exercises, you're required to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart unless stated otherwise. Always ensure there's enough tension in the band to mimic the resistance of actual weights and to fully extend the band as far as you can to get the most out of each exercise.
Resistance bands are especially useful for activating those butt muscles that constantly let your quads override them. Here are some of the best glute exercises we borrowed from Self.com:
Place the band around your ankles
Stand in a squat position, hands at your chest in a prayer position
Start side-stepping, keeping tension in the band.
Do 10 - 15 reps, then switch sides. Repeat these three times.
Place the band around your ankles
Standing upright, hands at your chest in a prayer position, shift all your weight onto your left foot
Kick your right leg back without twisting your torso until the band reaches its limit, then return your foot to the starting position without losing tension in the band
Do 20 reps, alternating sides
Now, here are some great upper body strengthening exercises, also from our friends at Self.com:
Stand on the band with your feet, making sure there's an even amount of band on both sides
Have your arms straight down, palms facing outward to start
Holding the band with your feet tightly, bend your elbows upwards and pull the band up like a regular bicep curl. The motion stops at shoulder height.
Slowly lower your hands back down to the starting position, keeping tension in the band
Try ten reps to start and work your way up to more
Stand on the band with your feet, making sure there's an even amount of band on both sides
Bend your knees slightly & hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back flat, arms extended, and elbows bent slightly.
Have your palms facing each other
Pull the band towards your chest keeping your elbows close to your body, like you would with a regular row
Slowly straighten your arms back down to the starting position, always keeping tension in the band
Try ten reps to start and work your way up to more
For more fantastic resistance band exercises (and full workouts), check out this article.
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