Best Resistance Band Exercises for Full Body, Abs, Chest & Back

Think you can’t get a good resistance workout without weights? You can, with a few easy to carry and affordable resistance bands.

Resistance bands vary in size, shape, and thickness, and just like adding weight plates to a barbell, if one resistance band becomes too easy, add a second (or a third) to increase the amount of resistance.

Full Body Resistance Band Workout

Resistance bands create isometric tension on your muscles and you can easily target upper body, lower body or full body muscle groups while loading the muscle at the max contraction point.

Increasing stress at the maximum contraction point and holding it (pause) will promote hard muscles and overall muscle tone and shape, not just size alone.

Full body resistance band workout for men:

Full body resistance band workout for women:

Here are several good exercises to add to your resistance band training:

CHEST:

Crossovers
Incline Presses
Decline Presses

SHOULDERS:
Military Presses
Lateral Raises
Front Raises

BACK:
Lat Pull downs
Rows
Single Arm Rows
Upright Rows

ARMS:
Curls
Reverse Curls
French Curls

CORE:
Full Body Twist
High-Low Twist
Kneeling Crunches

LEGS:
Lunges
Hip Flexor Knee Ups
Abductor Leg Pulls
Adductor Leg Pulls

Sample Full Body Workout: Choose one exercise from each category and perform 12-15 repetitions, moving immediately from the first exercise to the next. After you finish this first circuit, rest one minute, and then repeat the circuit two more times for three total sets.

Resistance Band Ab Exercises

When performing this sample abdominal workout as a circuit, again move quickly from one exercise to the next without rest and repeat this circuit completely two to three times.

Twists – Place one end of your resistance band under your RIGHT foot, and the other end around your LEFT hand, so that it crosses the front of your body.

Twist toward the LEFT, rotating at your obliques then twist back to the center and repeat for 12-15 repetitions on each side.

Side Bends – Standing with the end of your band under your RIGHT foot, and holding the other end in your RIGHT hand with your elbow at 90 degrees.

Press the band up overhead and then reach up and over to your LEFT, while squeezing your LEFT obliques.

Return to the center and repeat for 12-15 reps on each side.

Lower Ab Press – While on your back, hold each end of your band in each hand with the band under the arches of your feet and your knees bent in towards your chest.

Engage your lower abs and press with your feet to straighten the legs. Hold your lower abs tight, bend your knees back in and repeat for 12-15 repetitions.

Open And Close – Begin on your back with your resistance band looped around your feet and your lower abs engaged. Straighten your legs and raise them to a 45 degree angle above the floor.

Keep your lower abs tight as you open your feet to shoulder width apart, and slowly bring the feet back together. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions.

Leg Raises – Again, flat on your back with the band looped around the arches of your feet and your lower abs engaged.

Now straighten and raise your legs up to the ceiling. Keeping your lower abs tight as you lower your legs down to a 45 degree angle above the floor and use your abs only to lift legs back up to the ceiling. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions.

Resistance Band Back Exercises

Resistance band back exercises include:
Deadlifts
Bent Over Rows
Seated Rows
Standing Rows
Lat Pulldowns
Straight Arm Pulldowns
Upright Rows
Shrugs
Lumbar Extensions

Deadlifts – Hold each end of the band in each hand and center your feet on the center of the band. Squat down keeping your back straight as you stick your butt out while keeping your chin up.

From this squat position, extend your legs while still bent forward, stand, pause and return to the start position.

Repeat for 12-15 repetitions.

Lat Pulldowns – Pulldowns help build the V shape in your back. You’ll need a high anchor like the top of a solid door. Once the center of your band is anchored, hold each end in each hand and drop down on your knees with your back slightly arched forward.

Pull your hands down to your chest as you squeeze your shoulder blades, pause and return to the initial start position. Repeat for 12-15 repetitions.

Bent Over Rows – step on the center of your band and bend over as you hold each end of the band in each hand while keeping your back straight and chin up.

Pull straight up and pause when you feel a squeeze in your shoulder blades. Return to the start position and repeat for 12-15 reps.

Your knees should be slightly bent throughout this movement.

Seated Rows – While seated on the floor, use an anchor at chest height, directly in front of you or wrap the band around your feet with legs outstretched. Pull the ends of the band to your chest, working your middle back muscles and biceps.

Resist as you allow the band to return to the start and repeat 12-15 times.

Resistance Band Chest Exercises

Train your upper, lower and middle chest with these resistance band chest exercises:

Chest Presses
Incline Chest Presses
Incline Chest Fly
Decline Chest Presses
Decline Chest Fly
Resisted Push Ups

Chest Presses – Anchor your band behind you at the same height as your chest so you can push straight forward.

The angle between your arms and your chest should be 90 degrees as you push your hands forward as you hold the ends of the band.

Pause, resist as your return to the start and repeat 12-15 repetitions.

Incline Chest Presses – Anchor the band behind you much lower than chest height, hold each end of the band and push upward. Pause, resist as your return to the start and repeat 12-15 repetitions.

Flat Chest Fly – Anchor your band behind you at the same height as your chest so you can push forward.

Start with your arms wide open then close your arms keeping the angle between your arms and body at 90 degrees.

Pause and then resist as your return to the start position and repeat 12-15 repetitions.

Resisted Push Ups – Hold the band across your back and shoulders with your hands and keep the band on your shoulder blades to provide resistance when you perform your push ups. Pause at the top, return to the start and repeat for 12-15 reps.