Build Muscle and Improve Fitness with a Full-Body Resistance Band Workout

A full-body resistance band workout gives you the chance to build muscles, burn fat, and improve your health and fitness without ever having to leave your own home!

Resistance bands are a fantastic way to build fitness, and with a variety of different strengths, you can enjoy a light workout, or you can put your body through an intense exercise routine.

 Our full-body resistance band workout is designed to work out your core muscles, develop your leg, back, and arm muscles, and help you to build aerobic fitness. 

How to use resistance bands

Resistance bands are available in a wide array of different strengths, offering different levels of resistance. Start your workouts using resistance bands you feel comfortable with.

The aim is to build up your strength and fitness to be able to use stronger bands as you see improvements. Resistance bands offer resistance as you perform a particular exercise, so when you are working out, you work out against the resistance of the band.

Resistance bands can be used in a variety of exercises, with some - such as booty bands - specifically designed to target muscles such as your glutes.

Best resistance band exercises

The following eight resistance band workout exercises target a core range of muscle groupings, including arms, glutes, back, chest, and legs.

The workout can be performed as a standalone resistance band workout routine. We suggest performing 10-15 repetitions of each of the individual exercises below, and three sets in total for a thorough full-body resistance band workout.

You can also add in any other resistance band exercises you enjoy doing to complement this routine.

We recommend having a thorough stretch and a quick aerobic warm-up before starting any intense workout.

Here's our ultimate full-body resistance band workout:

#1 One-arm bicep curls

Build your bicep muscles and tone your arms using one-arm bicep curls.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and with your feet firmly positioned on your resistance band.
2. Hold one end of the resistance band while firmly keeping the other end beneath your feet.
3. Hold the band with your arm in front, facing outwards.
4. Curl your bicep, by bending your elbow, and lifting the resistance band towards your shoulder.
5. Lower your bicep again and repeat the curls for 10-15 repetitions.
6. Change arms, and repeat.

#2 Fly

Build and strengthen your chest muscles by doing flies with a resistance band.

1. Hold your resistance band at chest height, keeping the band running behind you (you can keep the band behind your back or increase the difficulty by running the band behind a support).
2. Holding firmly onto the band with either hand, extend both arms out to your sides, so they are level with your chest.
3. Bring your arms together, so they are held out in front of your body.
4. Return your arms to the starting position and repeat the exercise for 10-15 repetitions.

#3 Front squat

Work on your glutes and leg muscles with this variation of the classic squat exercise.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and one end of your resistance band firmly placed beneath both feet.
2. Adopt the squat position by bending your knees and lowering your body towards the ground.
3. Loop the other end of your resistance band over the front of your shoulders, keeping your arms bent at right angles to hold the band in place.
4. Raise your body up to the standing position, then lower your body back down into the squat position.
5. Keep your back straight throughout the movement.
6. Repeat the exercise for 10-15 repetitions.

#4 Side-lying hip abduction

Improve your external hip rotation and build your hip muscles with the side-lying hip abduction.

1. Adopt a lying-down position on your side.
2. Hold your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and keep one arm stretched out beneath your head for support.
3. With your resistance band looped around both thighs, raise your top leg away from your prone leg.
4. Repeat the movement for ten repetitions.
5. Turn over and repeat the exercise on your opposite leg.

#5 Glute bridge

Build your glute muscles and define your posterior with glute bridges.

1. Lie on the floor and keep your knees bent at right angles.
2. Loop your resistance band around both thighs, just above your knees.
3. Keep your feet firmly planted on the ground and raise your hips towards the ceiling.
4. Repeat the movement for 10-15 repetitions.

#6 Splitter

Work out your chest and shoulders with the splitter exercise.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold the resistance band with both hands and raise your arms up to shoulder height.
3. Grip the resistance band firmly and extend both arms away from your chest, so they are outstretched in line with your shoulders.
4. Loosen your arms and bring the resistance band to the starting position.
5. Repeat for 10-15 repetitions.

#7 Lateral walk

Work your legs and improve your aerobic fitness with the lateral walk.

1. Place a resistance band around both thighs, just above the knees.
2. Stand with your feet together and with your knees slightly bent.
3. Raise your left leg and swing it out to your left-hand side.
4. Raise your right leg and bring it in line with your left.
5. Repeat in one direction before switching directions and leading with your right leg.

#8 Press-up

Use a resistance band to add further resistance to the standard press-up exercise.

1. Loop your resistance around your back and hold one end in either hand.
2. Adopt the press-up position on the floor, keeping your band in position, held firmly beneath the palms of your hands.
3. Lower your chest to the ground, then raise your self back up.
4. Repeat for ten repetitions.

Do resistance band workouts really work?

Yes, resistance band workouts really do work! They are a proven way to build strength, improve fitness, and define your muscles.

Resistance bands allow you to increase the strength and difficulty of your exercises as you improve your strength and fitness. Because they are available with a range of different resistances, you can see the gains you are making, and begin to increase the resistance to further improve your fitness.

The best thing is, you can take resistance bands anywhere. They are small, great value and allow you to have an intense workout from the comfort of your own living room!

We recommend incorporating a full-body resistance band workout into your weekly workout routines, at least once a week, in order to see desired progress.

Here are the most important benefits you can see from regularly scheduling a resistance band workout into your weekly exercise schedule:

• Burn fat.
• Tone muscles.
• Build strength.
• Improve aerobic fitness.
• Improve mobility and agility.
• Target specific muscle groupings.
• Improve the health of your joints.
• Avoid long-term or chronic injuries.
• Enjoy a full-body resistance band workout anywhere!

Can you get ripped with resistance bands?

We often get asked if resistance band workouts can get you ripped. We get it; you want to make the most of your workout time and have the best results, so you can look the best you can!

Resistance bands are a great way to help define your muscles, and they can be used effectively to target specific muscle groupings that you want to work on.

Booty bands allow you to activate your glutes - to improve the definition of your posterior muscles - while you can use hip circle bands to define legs and hip muscles.

As with any exercise though, to 'get ripped', you need to stick to a regular workout schedule and combine resistance band exercises with other forms of fitness, as well as a complementary diet (you're not going to get ripped if you're putting on more fat than you're burning, at the end of the day!).

Can you build muscle with resistance bands?

Yes, just as you can tone and define your existing muscles, you can also use resistance bands to build muscles too.

While you won't be able to build the same sort of mass that you can using free weights or weight machines, you'll be able to build a more natural level of muscle while strengthening existing muscles too.

Using more resistive bands, which offer more resistance to your muscles, you can increase the level of difficulty of exercises to ensure that you are gradually making gains and building muscle every week.

Final thoughts on the best band resistance workout

Workouts with a resistance band are one of the best ways to build muscles, tone muscles, burn fat, and improve both the health and fitness of your body.

The best thing is, resistance band workouts can all be done from the comfort of your own home - you don't need a gym or fancy equipment; all you need are a few bands!

Why not include a full-body resistance band workout into your exercise schedule, and start seeing the benefits sooner, there than later?