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5 Full Body Resistance Band Workouts to Upgrade Your Training

Many athletes swear by resistance bands, try these workouts to learn why.

Resistance band workouts are an effective way to add variety to your training. Whether you use bands simply with your bodyweight or attach them to external weights, resistance bands present an additional challenge in your fitness training.

A resistance band is an elastic band used for strength training, physical therapy or as a means to aid or challenge your training.

They come in many sizes and widths, which in turn affect the level of resistance offered by the band.

While they might look like a very simple piece of equipment, using resistance bands during your workouts can:

  • Add variety to your training and make your day-to-day exercises more challenging.
  • Activate muscle groups before a heavy fitness session.
  • Increase your range of motion, flexibility and muscular endurance.
  • Resistance bands are also relatively inexpensive, portable and incredibly versatile.

Typically, resistance bands come in many colours; the lighter the colour, the least resistance the band is going to offer.

Athletes use resistance bands to warm up, do accessory work, aid in training or make training harder.

RESISTANCE BAND WORKOUTS

1 – Death By Banded Kettlebell Swings

EMOM for As Long As Possible:

  • Minute 1: 1 Banded Kettlebell Swing
  • Minute 2: 2 Banded Kettlebell Swings
  • Minute 3: 3 Banded Kettlebell Swings
  • etc.

Add one kettlebell swing for every minute that goes by. Use a kettlebell weight and resistance band combination that will allow you to perform around 10 rounds.

To perform a banded kettlebell swing loop the band around the handle of the kettlebell and stand over the opposite end of the resistance band.

2 – Up and Down

5 Rounds for Time of:

  • 5 Broad Jumps with Band
  • 10 Banded Push Presses

On a running clock, perform five rounds of 5 Broad Jumps with Band and 10 Banded Push Presses. Your score is the time on the clock at the end of the fifth round.

To perform a broad jump with a band, loop the band against a solid vertical structure and put the other end around your hips. Begin the broad jump with the resistance band already tense and then try to jump as far as possible keeping both your feet on the same line.

A banded push press requires you to step on the band with both feet and, with the band in front of you by your shoulders, push upwards until your arms are extended.

Make sure you keep your core engaged throughout the movement. You can increase the resistance by widening your stance.

3 - Workout with Resistance Bands

For Time:

  • 50 Banded Push Presses
  • 50 Air Squats with Band
  • 50 Banded High Pulls

On a running clock perform all exercises in the order written, your score is the time on the clock when you finish the last banded high pull.

This is an arm-heavy resistance band workout, as both the push presses and high pulls will tax your biceps, triceps and shoulders.

To perform an air squat with a resistance band, step on the band with both feel slightly wider than hip stance and put the other end of the band around the back of your neck. The band will offer most resistance as you’re stood up so, to make this exercise as efficient as possible, lower yourself into the squat slowly and explosively come up.

Banded high pulls are similar to any high pull except you’ll use a band instead of a free weight.

4 – Fran with Resistance Bands

21-15-9 Reps For Time:

  • Thrusters with Resistance Band
  • Pull-Ups with Resistance Band

The prescribed weight for the thrusters in Fran is (95/65 lb), however this version simply requires you to perform the thrusters with a band instead of a barbell.

Choose a resistance band appropriate to your level of fitness. You should be able to move fast throughout the workout but it should certainly not feel easy.

Banded pull ups are often used to aid newer fitness members in working towards pull ups. For this version however, the band won’t be looped around the top of the bar but held down by a heavy weight at the bottom.

Banded pull ups will make it harder to pull up to the bar – taxing your muscles more by adding external resistance – and, by choosing to descend slower, you’ll also work on your strength when coming down from the exercise.

Banded pull ups are a great way to upgrade your training when mixing up resistance band workouts into your training.

5 – Banded Joker

For Time:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps of:

  • Banded Toes-to-Bars

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:

  • Banded Deadlifts (185/135lb)

This banded version of Ben Bergeron’s “Joker” workout has ladders climbing in the opposite direction. Athletes should alternate between movements, starting so with 1 banded toes-to-bar and 10 banded deadlifts, then 2 banded toes-to-bar and 9 banded deadlifts, etc.

Banded toes to bar demand a powerful core from athletes, as it will otherwise be impossible to touch the bar with your toes. Moving your limbs against resistance provided by a band will improve your strength and endurance.

Performing a banded deadlift, there’s going to be very little to no force at the bottom, but once you start to deadlift the bar up it’ll come with a lot of resistance.

The bands make the weights heavier at the top, forcing you body to use more force and accelerate faster while moving the barbell.

Resistance band accessory work at home

You  don’t necessarily have to perform whole workouts with bands. Many athletes use bands to perform accessory work or activate their muscles before a workout.

No matter what area of your body you want to target, there probably is an exercise you can perform with a resistance band.

They include hollow holds, tricep extensions and many other exercises used to prep for big Olympic lifts.

Check out this full body home workout with resistance bands from Craig Richey

Let us know what your favourite resistance band workouts are!

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