Resistance bands are the ultimate travel companion for working out on the go. They allow you to perform a variety of exercises and are small enough to stash in the bottom of your bag after your workout.
If you’re going on vacation or just want to try a quick resistance band workout at home, you’ve come to the right place. This program from Amanda Capritto, expert at the International Personal Trainer Academy, works your upper and lower body muscles with just six moves.
“I love this workout because it’s simple, straightforward and relatively quick,” she says. “It can also be done as a high-intensity workout or a strength-building workout, depending on what resistance bands you use.”
“For example, if you only have light to moderate bands, you can move faster and take fewer breaks, making it similar to a HIIT workout. If you have heavy bands, you can do the movements slowly and with plenty of rest to create a strength-building stimulus.”
How to do Amanda Capritto’s resistance band workout
Superset x3
– Squats with resistance band x10-15
– Resistance band Good Morning x10-15
Superset x3
– Bent-over rowing with resistance band x10-15
– Overhead press with resistance band x10-15
Superset x3
– Biceps curl with resistance band x10-15
– Overhead triceps extension with resistance band x10-15
This workout consists of three supersets – two exercises performed one after the other without a break in between.
In practice, this means performing 10-15 resistance band squats and then immediately performing 10-15 resistance band good mornings, followed by a rest.
Repeat this superset three times before moving on to the next one. Once you’ve completed three rounds of each superset, the workout is complete.
As Capritto explains in the introduction, if you’re using a lighter resistance band, you should rest 30 seconds between sets. If you have heavier bands and want to build strength, you should rest 90 seconds between sets, as this will give your muscles a better chance of recovering and you can attack the next set with renewed intensity.
If you don’t already have a set of bands available, I like this option on Amazon that comes with four different resistance levels.
1. Squats with resistance band
Sentences: 3 Repetitions: 10-15 Relax: –
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place a resistance band with a long loop between your feet. Wrap the top end of the band around your neck and shoulders.
- Keeping your chest up and your back straight, bend your hips to lower them toward the floor as far as possible.
- Once you reach the bottom, push yourself up with your feet and return to the standing position.
2. Resistance band good morning
Watch on
Sentences: 3 Repetitions: 10-15 Relax: 30-90 seconds
- Leave the band setting as it was for squats with resistance band.
- This time, bend forward at the hips until your upper body is roughly parallel to the floor. Keep your back straight and push your bottom backwards.
- To reverse this movement and return to the starting position, tighten your glutes and move your hips forward.
3. Bent-over rowing with resistance band
Watch on
Sentences: 3 Repetitions: 10-15 Relax: –
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and place the center of the band under the center of both feet. Hold the other end of the resistance band in each hand.
- Keeping your back straight, bend forward at the hips until your torso is approximately parallel to the floor and your arms are extended downward. This is your starting position.
- Move your elbows up to pull both ends of the band to the bottom of your chest.
- At the top of the repetition, pause for a moment, squeeze your shoulder blades together, and then guide the band back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
4. Overhead press with resistance band
Watch on
Sentences: 3 Repetitions: 10-15 Relax: 30-90 seconds
- Stand upright and place a resistance band with a long loop between both feet.
- Hold the other end of the band with both hands in front of both shoulders.
- Press the band up to extend your arms overhead, and at the top of the rep, push your head through your arms so your biceps land at ear level.
- To complete the repetition, bring the band back down to your shoulders in a controlled manner.
5. Biceps curls with resistance band
Sentences: 3 Repetitions: 10-15 Relax: –
- Stand upright and place a resistance band with a long loop between both feet.
- Hold the other end of the resistance band at your hips so that the band is taut, your arms are extended down at your sides, and your palms are facing away from you.
- Use both hands and pull the band up to your shoulders.
- At the top of the repetition, pause for a second, rotate your pinkies slightly toward you and contract your biceps, then lower the band back to the starting position.
6. Overhead triceps extension with resistance band
Watch on
Sentences: 3 Repetitions: 10-15 Relax: 30-90 seconds
- Take a staggered stance and place a resistance band with a long loop around the bottom of your back foot.
- Stretch the band upward so that you hold the other end behind your head with both hands and your elbows pointing up.
- Keep your upper arms still, stretch your arms above your head and then control the band back to the starting position.
Can you build strength with resistance bands?
It’s definitely possible to build strength and muscle with resistance bands, especially if you’re new to resistance training and need less stimulus to make progress. However, Capritto says that’s not the case for everyone.
“If you have resistance bands that are thick or heavy enough to reach the point of failure or near-failure, where the last rep of your set seems almost impossible, then you can actually build muscle using only resistance bands.
“However, if you are able to do 20 or more repetitions of any exercise without
Fatigue, you won’t build muscle – at least not for very long. Beginners will see some muscle growth with almost any resistance training protocol because the overall stimulus to their body is completely new.”
The body follows the SAID principle (specific adaptation to imposed demands), that is, it adapts to better cope with the tasks you constantly give it. In strength training, this means that you must constantly challenge your body to prevent your progress from stagnating.
“As you progress, it’s important to perform progressive overload—continuously loading the musculoskeletal system with heavier weights and/or more demanding stimuli—to see sustained results,” says Capritto.
So at some point you’ll need to swap your light resistance bands for heavier ones or opt for dumbbells to increase your load. Need new equipment? Check out our roundup of the best resistance bands and best adjustable dumbbells.
