Resistance Strong

Exercises with Resistance bands

Please see my book Resistance Strong for much more detail.

Safety - respect the power of rubber !

A slingshot uses a rather small rubber band to throw stones at dangerously high speed. Imagine the smack that a strong resistance band can give you when released abruptly, or when it breaks.

Exercises

These are my preferred exercises. The exercises work well for my size (168 cm / about 5'6"), and may need adjustment for shorter or taller trainees. Some exercises may seem unusual, please keep an open mind.

Back

 
Seated row Double up the band. Same as above. This is a bit easier on the lower back than the bent-over row, as you don't have to support the weight of your torso. Isometrically hold the top position for a second before releasing. Try to keep your wrists straight.

One-arm row The Band Box allows for adjustment of band length, and makes this exercise much more effective.

Unilateral pull-down Hook the band to a high attachment point. Get down in a half kneeling position, turn a bit towards the line of pull.
Assisted pull-up / chin-up Attach a band to the chin-up bar, step in the band. The stronger the band, the more it will help reduce your weight on pull-ups or chin-ups.
Lat prayer Hook the band to a high attachment point. Pull down, keeping your arms straight. Option: Bend your hip at the top for a better lat stretch, and straighten it as you pull down.
Isometric pull-over This exercise will stress your lats in the stretched position for better growth.

No band needed. Lie down on your bed, hold the cross member behind / below your head, and try to pull it up with all your might for 20 seconds per set. I hold with the hands about shoulder width apart, but you can also try different positions. Also try lying down sideways, one side at a time - better lat isolation this way.

Legs

 
Trap bar squat Don't have a trap bar and plates ? You can come very close with resistance bands and a footplate. Handles are also helpful as you should be able to exert some serious force.

Zercher squat Double up the band. Stand on the band, get into a deep squat and place the band in the crook of your elbows. Hold your hands together. Brace and stand up. At the bottom, the band will not give so much resistance - towards the top, a lot. Besides your legs, your core will get a lot of work.

The bands can be hard on the skin of your forearms. Use a standard EZ-curl bar to focus pain and suffering on your legs and glutes rather than your skin.

Unilateral leg press Double up the band. Get your nekkid foot through both loops, hold the other end with the crook of your elbow. Start with your leg bent, straighten your leg. Be mindful of your knees, as you get a bit of sideways loading. Consciously push out your knee to keep it from caving in. Be careful so the band won't slip off your foot and slap you.

Belt squat (with Band Box and squat belt) The belt squat lets you put significant load on your quads and glutes without overloading your spine. Set up as shown in the video. Clip in to the band, then do the squats. Don't let your knees cave in.

X squat Use two bands - one band around your left shoulder to the right foot, the other band around your right shoulder to the left foot. Start in the squat position to step on the bands, then stand up. Be careful when you take off the bands so they don't slingshot your privates... Clench Fitness explains them well.

For me this movement does not give enough tension at the bottom position. I can stand up with an absurd amount of rubber (grey + orange bands combined), and my barbell squat really isn't that impressive. It should get more interesting if you are taller than me, or use shorter bands. You can also try this as a static hold for several minutes.

Front squat I can't do them (poor wrist and shoulder mobility), but maybe you are different ? Best done with a bar. Rocka.fit shows how they are done.
Standing calf raise Run the band under the foot plate or Band Box. Hold the ends with your hand, stand up, do the calf raises. Briefly hold the top position on each rep.

Donkey calf raise See the Belt Squat for Band Box setup. Hook into the band, lean onto something and get up, then do the calf raises. Briefly hold the top position on each rep.

Stiff-legged deadlift Run the band under the foot plate. Pick up the bands, stand up. Then do the deadlift movement. Your knees should keep their angle. Hinge at the hip and at the ankles. Keep your back straight !!! At the bottom you should feel a good stretch in your hamstrings, at the top you have to fight against the resistance of the band to straighten out. Always lower under control.

Hamstring isometrics No band needed. See my book for exercise description. You can save time by doing the first two holds with both legs at a time.

Chest

 
Floor press Run the band behind your back, lie down, press up like a flat bench press. For better results, let the hands cross at the top to squeeze the pecs.

High press-around Some people say that you cannot isolate the lower or upper chest. I say, bah humbug. Exhibit 1: Franco Columbu - one of the finest chests in bodybuilding history. Resistance bands let you focus the direction of force very precisely. Your body is smart and will activate the muscle fibers that pull in the right direction. This is the most direct way to develop your upper chest fibers, once you find the right angle.

Loop the band behind your back, hold in both hands. One hand is extended forward / down, the other hand moves slightly upwards across your chest, until your upper chest is fully contracted. Adjust the tension by more or less extension of the inactive hand. Alternate sets with the left and right hand. Power should come from your chest and front delts, not your triceps. Think hinging at your shoulder, with your elbow angle not changing much.

Low press-around Same as above, but your active hand moves down, until the lower chest is fully contracted. For this version, I lock out the arm at the end of the movement to nail my triceps at the same time.

Triceps

 
Triceps extension Lie down on your side. Hook one end of the band on a foot, the other end in your hand. Start with the arm fully bent, with your triceps fully stretched, hand near the base of your neck. Straighten your arm against the resistance of the band. You can vary the tension by extending your leg, or keeping it slightly bent.

Triceps pushdown Hook the band to a high attachment point, e.g. a pull-up bar or a door anchor. Push the band down and apart, squeeze your triceps at the bottom.

If you are big enough, you can loop the band behind your neck, and push down from there. For me, the active range of motion is too small.

Biceps

 
Biceps curls Stand on the band, hold the band with both hands with an underhand grip (palms up). Then do the usual curl motion. The bands tend to snap over when you hold them directly. For me, it feels better with an EZ curl bar.

Hammer curls Stand on the band, hold the band with both hands in a neutral grip (thumbs up).

Shoulders

 
High row You can do these bent-over, or seated like a seated row. The difference is that you pull towards your upper chest or clavicle. This will stress your rear delts and upper back. If your spinal erectors already had enough fun for the day, support your head on the back of a sofa or a table, and focus on loading your upper back.

Band pullapart Hold a single strand of the band in your hands, arms extended in front of you. Start at a bit more than shoulder width. Pull the hands apart, this will stress your rear delts.

Overhead press Stand on the band with your feet, hold with both hands in overhand grip. Lift your hands to the starting position in front of your clavicle. Press your hands up until your arms are fully extended above you. If your shoulder mobility is good, your hands should end up vertically above your shoulder joints and midfoot.

Unilateral shoulder press Stand on the band with your right foot, hold with your right hand. Start with your hand near your shoulder, press up from there.

Lateral raise Use a light band. Spread your legs apart. Hold the band with your right hand and left foot, then do the lateral raise motion. Note that the arm is not completely straight, and the hand is a bit forward.

Shrug Stand on the doubled band, pull up with your hands between your legs. Let your traps do the work, not your arms. Resist the tempation to go too heavy, keep some reasonable range of motion. Try a brief isometric hold at the top position.

© 2023 Pascal Dornier. All rights reserved.