A looped resistance band replaces a good part of a gym: it pulls, it pushes, it assists. Here are 25 exercises sorted by muscle group, all doable with a single long band, and a complete session to string them together.
Four ways to place the band
All the exercises in this list use a long looped band, the one that's also used for assisted pull-ups. It can be placed in four ways, and once you know them, you can invent the rest.
To anchor it up high, you need a point that doesn't move: a pull-up bar fixed to the wall is ideal. Avoid door handles and furniture legs.
Back: 5 exercises
Unless stated otherwise, do 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.
- 1. Kneeling lat pulldown. Band anchored to the bar, you kneel underneath, one hand in each strand. Pull your elbows towards your hips. It's the pull-up movement without your bodyweight.
- 2. Bent-over row. Standing on the band, torso leaning at 45 degrees, back flat. Pull your hands towards your navel, elbows close to your body.
- 3. Seated row. Sitting with legs straight, band passed behind your feet. Pull towards your stomach while squeezing your shoulder blades, without leaning back.
- 4. Face pull. Band fixed at face height. Pull towards your forehead while spreading your hands, elbows high. The exercise for the rear shoulder and posture.
- 5. Band pull-apart. Band held in front of you, arms straight at chest height. Spread your hands until the band touches your breastbone. Use a light band.
Pull-ups and dips: 2 exercises
- 6. Assisted pull-up. Band knotted on the bar, one foot or one knee in the loop. Sets of 5 to 8. The full method is in band-assisted pull-ups.
- 7. Assisted dips. Band stretched between the two bars, knees resting on it. It carries you at the bottom, where the dip is hardest. See dips for beginners.
Chest: 3 exercises
- 8. Banded push-ups. Band passed behind your back, one end under each palm. The resistance increases at the top of the push-up. Sets of 8 to 12.
- 9. Standing press. Band behind your back, under your armpits, one end in each hand. Push both hands out in front of you, one foot forward for balance.
- 10. Single-arm fly. Band fixed to the side, at chest height. Arm almost straight, bring your hand in front of you in an arc.
Shoulders: 3 exercises
- 11. Shoulder press. Standing on the band, hands at your shoulders. Push overhead without arching your lower back.
- 12. Lateral raises. Standing on the band, one end in each hand. Raise your arms out to the sides until they're horizontal. Light band: the shoulder tires quickly.
- 13. External rotation. Band fixed at elbow height. Elbow tucked against your side and bent at 90 degrees, rotate your forearm outwards. 15 to 20 slow reps, as a warm-up before pull-ups and dips.
Arms: 4 exercises
- 14. Biceps curl. Standing on the band, palms facing forward, elbows fixed against your body.
- 15. Hammer curl. The same, thumbs up. It works the top of the forearm more.
- 16. Overhead triceps extension. One foot on the band, the band behind your back, your hands behind your neck. Straighten your arms towards the ceiling, elbows tucked in.
- 17. Triceps pushdown. Band anchored to the bar. Elbows tucked against your body, push down until your arms are straight.
Legs and glutes: 6 exercises
- 18. Squat. Standing on the band, the other end held at your shoulders. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor, knees in line with your feet.
- 19. Deadlift. Standing on the band, grab it with both hands between your feet. Back flat, push your hips forward to stand up. It's the exercise where you can use the strongest band.
- 20. Good morning. Standing on the band, the other end behind your neck. Lean your torso forward with a flat back, knees barely bent, then come back up.
- 21. Lunge. Band under your front foot, ends at your shoulders. 8 to 12 reps per leg.
- 22. Glute bridge. Lying on your back, band laid across your hips and pinned to the floor by your hands on each side. Raise your pelvis, squeeze your glutes for one second at the top.
- 23. Side steps. Standing on the band, cross it in front of you and hold the ends at your hips. Knees bent, take 10 to 15 steps sideways in each direction.
Abs: 2 exercises
- 24. Pallof press. Band fixed to the side, at chest height. Hands clasped in front of your breastbone, straighten your arms in front of you and stop your torso from rotating. 8 to 10 per side, 2 seconds with arms straight.
- 25. Kneeling crunch. Band anchored to the bar, you're kneeling, hands on each side of your head. Curl your torso towards the floor without pulling with your arms.
What resistance for each exercise
A band that suits the squat is too strong for the shoulders. If you're only getting two, get a light one and a medium one.
The ranges are those of the Tensiko resistance band, sold individually in yellow, purple, green and blue resistances. For assisted pull-ups, the choice depends on your weight: see what resistance to choose.
A complete session in 8 exercises
A full-body circuit, 30 minutes, one medium band and one light one. Do the 8 exercises back to back, rest for 90 seconds, and do 3 rounds.
| Exercise | Reps |
|---|---|
| Squat | 15 |
| Bent-over row | 12 to 15 |
| Banded push-ups | 8 to 12 |
| Deadlift | 12 to 15 |
| Shoulder press | 12 |
| Kneeling lat pulldown | 12 to 15 |
| Biceps curl | 12 to 15 |
| Pallof press | 8 per side |
Two to three times a week. If you prefer bodyweight training, the 3-session full-body programme follows the same logic.
Three rules to make it work
- Keep the band taut from start to finish. If it hangs slack at the bottom of the movement, shorten it: spread your feet or grab it lower down.
- Slow the return. Two to three seconds. A band you let snap back only works half the time.
- Progress in this order: more reps, up to 20. Then a shorter band. Then the next resistance up.
Common mistakeAnchoring the band to a point that can give way or letting it rub on an edge. A stretched band that lets go comes back at you. Check the anchor and the condition of the latex before each session.
What the band does less well
A band doesn't resist like a weight. It's light at the start of the movement and heavy at the end: excellent for finishing a contraction, less so for working the stretch. And its resistance can't be adjusted to the nearest kilo.
For the upper body, that's enough for a long time. For the legs of a trained person, the strongest band quickly becomes too light for squats. In calisthenics training, the band is mostly a complement: warming up the shoulders, assistance on pull-ups and dips, and work for the muscles that bodyweight barely reaches.
TipKeep a light band hanging on your bar. Ten external rotations and ten band pull-aparts before each pull-up session: two minutes, and your shoulders are ready.
Mentioned in this guide
Resistance Band for Assisted Pull UpsFrom 2 to 79 kg depending on the colour · 208 cm · LatexFrom 13,90 €
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