Did you know you can use a resistance band to create an entire full body workout that you can do practically anywhere? Today I want to show you 12 resistance band exercises, and how they can be used to create a workout that will challenge your entire body!

12 KICK-BUTT RESISTANCE BAND EXERCISES

UPPER BODY

Resistance Band Chest Press: Place a band around a sturdy bar or banister. Facing away from the banister, take a few steps forward, holding the resistance band with your palms facing towards the floor at chest level. Press your fists forward, until your arms are straight. Bring the band back towards your chest, and press forward again. Repeat.

Resistance Band Row: Place a band around a sturdy bar or banister. Facing towards the banister, take a few steps back, holding the resistance band with your palms facing each other, level with your rib cage. Squeeze your back, bring your elbows back towards the back of the room. Return to the starting position & repeat.

Resistance Band Bicep Curls: Stand in the middle of a resistance band, with your feet about hip width apart. Holding the resistance bands, with your palms facing forward, flex your biceps & bring your hands up by your shoulders. Return to the starting position & repeat.

Band Pull Apart: Hold a resistance band out in front of you, with your arms straight. Pinching your shoulder blades together, stretch the resistance band, keeping your arms as straight as possible. Return to the starting position & repeat.

Resistance Band Overhead Triceps Extensions: Stepping on the middle of a resistance band, bring the band back behind your head, with your elbows by your head and your arms close to your ears. Flexing your triceps (the back of your arms), extend your arms out straight above your head. Return to the starting position & repeat.

CORE

Resistance Band Torso Rotation: Place a band around a sturdy bar or banister. Holding the band, turn to the side & hold the band out in front of you, extending your arms out straight. Keeping your feet planted, turn your torso & head away from the bar. Return to the starting position & repeat. Then switch sides.

Resistance Band Russian Twists: Wrap the middle of a resistance band around your feet, holding the band up by your core. Lean back and stretch the band to one side and the other, rotating at your torso and keeping your chest lifted up towards the sky. Optional: lift your feet up off the floor to make this exercise more challenging.

LOWER BODY

Lateral Band Walks: Stepping on the middle of a resistance band with our feet hip width apart, step to one side repeatedly then switch and head back the other direction. Make sure your feet point straight ahead the entire time. The second your feet point out & away, you mitigate how much you are using the outside of your hips, which is the goal of this exercise.

Resistance Band Stiff Leg Deadlifts: Step on the middle of a resistance band with your feet hip width apart, grab each end of the resistance band and hold them together with both of your hands, standing nice and tall. The farther you grab the band down the resistance band, the harder this exercise will be. Hinge at the hips so your butt goes back towards the back of the room, maintaining a straight line from head to hips, keeping a nice straight posture. Return to the starting position & repeat.

Banded Donkey Kicks: In a tabletop position (on hands & knees), hold a resistance band in one hand. Loop the middle around your foot, and press your leg back and up, with your foot flexed and your leg bent at a 90 degree angle. Return to the starting position & repeat.

Banded Heels Up Adductors in Bridge Position: Lie with your back on the floor, a band around your thighs. Lift your heels up, pointing your toes & lifting your hips up off the ground until you create a straight line from head to knees. Bring your heels together & move your knees out to the sides, stretching the band tight. Return to the starting position & repeat.

Banded Lateral Leg Lift: Place a ban around your thighs. Lie on your side, with your bottom leg bent at the knee to maintain a strong base of support. Straighten out your top leg, and lift your leg up towards the sky, with your foot pointed forward. Return to the starting position & repeat. Do the same on the other side.

Now that you’re familiar with a few full body exercises you can perform with a resistance band, let’s jump right into how you can use them to create your own workout!

RESISTANCE BAND WORKOUT

Pick 2-3 exercises from each muscle group (upper body, core & lower body).

• Perform 10-15 repetitions of each exercise in the first muscle group. Repeat 3 times.
• Perform 10-15 repetitions of each exercise in the second muscle group. Repeat 3 times.
• Perform 10-15 repetitions of each exercise in the third muscle group. Repeat 3 times.

OR

Pick 2-3 exercises from each muscle group (upper body, core & lower body).

• Perform each exercise in the first muscle group for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat 3-4 times.
• Perform each exercise in the second muscle group for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat 3-4 times.
• Perform each exercise in the third muscle group for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Repeat 3-4 times.

OR

To make things really easy, set your timer for 30 minutes. Run through each exercise on this list (spending about a minute on each) until your timer is up!

xoxo,

Zoe Lauryn

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