Best Resistance Band Exercises For Beginners (PDF) (2024)

03/13/2024 by fitasamamabear

Using a resistance band is a low-impact way to help you get stronger when training at home. Learn the benefits of resistance band exercises as well as which exercises to use as a beginner in your home workouts.

As a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, I have used resistance band exercises with my clients in person and online for the last twelve years. They’re easy to use, there’s less chance of injury, and they’re a great way to get strong at home.

Benefits Of Resistance Bands

Working out with resistance bands is a great option for any age. They provide the most tension at the hardest part of an exercise which in turn increases strength quickly. Below are some amazing benefits of using resistance bands.

Learn more about the benefits of resistance bands but know that ultimately, they’re easy to use and to provide a great way for people to begin strength training.

Choosing A Resistance Band

These resistance band exercises are best done with a strength band.

Resistance bands are an easy way to work out at home because they're easy to use and joint-friendly. Typically, the long bands are great for upper body exercises and the mini band ones for lower body exercises.

I don't recommend Pilates bands as the tension just doesn't stimulate your muscles as well as they need for growth.

I have every one of my clients grab astrength band, It's the least resistant of the strength-based resistance bands this one works perfectly for shoulders and arms.

Using The Printable Resistance Band Exercise Chart

Below is a PDF you can download for free (click the image) with the best band exercises for beginners. These exercises are broken down into muscle groups for easy use.

To make these exercises into a resistance band workout, start by choosing the following:

• 1 quad exercise
• 1 Back exercise
• 1 Glute and hamstring exercise
• 1 Back, chest, or shoulder exercise
• 1 Arm exercise
• 1 Core exercise

You can group these into different training techniques or just perform the exercises as a circuit back-to-back for 8-12 repetitions. At the end of the circuit, rest for 30-60 seconds and repeat the circuit for a total of 3 times.

You can perform this resistance band workout 3 times per week and it’ll be roughly 20 minutes in duration.

If you want to progress your workouts and see serious strength increases at home, check out my signature workout program SMASH Fit For Life.

Resistance Band Exercises

Below you will find tips on how to perform each of the resistance band exercises with proper form. Print the workout PDF so you have a quick cheat sheet and use this printable workout planner to write down your workouts aiming to get stronger every couple of weeks (learn how to increase training intensity).

Resistance Band Bicep Curl

1. Place your feet on the resistance band and hold the other end of the loop in one arm. Stand up tall.
2. Keep your elbow at your hip.
3. Curl against the band bringing your hand toward your shoulder.
4. Pause for a squeeze and slowly lower.

Triceps Pressdown

1. Stand tall and hold a green mini loop with your right hand on your left shoulder. The other part of the loop should be in the left hand.
2. Keeping the shoulder in the same spot, extend the left elbow and push the band down and behind.
3. Pause and return to the start position.

Single Arm Bicep Curl

1. Stand tall and wrap the resistance band under your feet holding some of the other end in each hand.
2. Curl the hand of the working arm up from your hips, across the chest, to the opposite shoulder.
3. Pause and slowly release.

Overhead Triceps Extension

1. Stand tall while hooking the resistance band under one leg and into the hand of the same side.
2. Bend the elbow behind you holding the band down toward your back (over your head).
3. Extend the elbow against the band so that the arm is straight. Pause and return to the start position.

Overhead Pull Aparts

1. Sit or stand with each hand holding the resistance band. Straighten your arms so that they’re above your head.
2. Slowly bring your elbows down, as you do, pull each hand away from each other to create tension.
3. Bring the band down, behind the neck, elbows tucked, and reverse the movement.

Resistance Band Row

1. Sit on the ground with your feet out in front of you. Wrap a strength band around your feet and hold the other end in each hand. Sit up tall.
2. Raise the elbows up so that they’re just slightly below your shoulders as you row the elbows backward and bring your hands towards your chest.
3. Pause briefly and return to the starting position.

Floor Press

1. Grab a red or black resistance band.
2. Lay on the floor with the knees bent and the heels close to your bum.
3. Wrap the band around your back and hold each side in either hand.
4. Tuck the elbows slightly so that they’re below the shoulders and bend your arms so your forearms are straight up and down. Press the band up over the chest by straightening out the elbows. Pause and return to the starting position.

Overhead Raise

1. Stand tall with the resistance band planted under your feet and each hand holding part of it.
2. Start with your hands by your thighs.
3. Slowly raise your hands up overhead so that your body is fully extended.
4. Bring them back down to the starting position.

Lateral Raise

1. Stand with one hand holding the band and the same leg standing on it.
2. Hand by your side as you slowly raise your arm out toward the side away from your body.
3. Pause at shoulder height and reverse the movement.

Glute Bridge

1. Lying on your back, bend your knees and bring your heels close to your bum. Feet shoulder-width apart roughly.
2. Place the resistance band around your feet and over the hips.
3. Push through your heels and lift your hips by squeezing the glutes. Do not excessively arch the lower back.
4. Pause at the top for three seconds with a maximum glute squeeze before releasing the tension and bringing the hips back to the starting position.

Hip Extension

1. Come into a tabletop position on all fours. Place a mini band around the leg below the knees.
2. Keeping the core strong and engaged (you need to have mastered bird dogs for this), move through the hip as your raise the foot towards the floor.
3. Do not let the low back drop. Return the knee to the floor by releasing the tension in the glute.

Side Lunges

1. Wrap a resistance band around your legs below the knees.
2. Step out laterally (to the side) with you right leg. Once the leg touches down, hinge toward that foot by bending the right knee and sinking the hips down until they’re in line with the knee. The left leg remains straight.
3. Pause briefly and push up through the right foot, unbending the knee and bringing the foot back to a standing position.

Band Deadlift

1. Place a resistance band around your feet.
2. Hinge down, keep the chest up, and wrap your hands around the band with the arms straight.
3. The hips should be higher than the knees.
4. Lead with the hips as you come upright.
5. reverse the movement by using a hip hinge to return the dumbbell to the floor.

Banded Abductions

1. Stand tall with a resistance band wrapped around your legs below the knees or at the ankles.
2. Shift the weight onto one leg while you raise the other leg sideways away from the body using the outer glute (don’t lean).
3. Pause and reverse the movements.

Know that this can be done standing, or as seated band abductions on the bench, or lying abductions, all of which will target the glutes.

Band Plank

1. Place the band around the ankles or the hands and come into a plank position with the shoulders over the wrists and a flat back.
2. Either step the legs out and back one at a time or move the hand with the band to the side and back.
3. Remain stable the entire time you’re moving.

Resistance Band Mountain Climbers

1. Using a couch, table or bench come into a plank position with the mini loop around your feet.
2. As you “tuck your tail under” bring one foot in toward the bench against the band.
3. Step it back to the starting position and repeat with the other foot. Begin alternating moving slowly.

Parlof Press

1. Using a resistance band anchored to something and come into a standing position beside the anchor point with the band tight and held with both hands at chest height.
2. Keep a neutral body position
3. Press the band away from the body
4. Pause and resist the temptation to rotate toward the tension
5. Return the band to the starting position at chest height and repeat.

Wide Banded Squat

1. Place a mini resistance band around the legs below the knees. Take the feet wider than hip distance apart.
2. Keep the heels on the ground as you sink back into a squat driving the knees out against the band.
3. Pause and push through the heels to come back to a standing position.

Resistance Band Lunges

1. Stand upright in a comfortable position with the resistance band wrapped around the legs above or below the knees.
2. Step the left foot back creating tension on the band and slowly lower the back knee toward the ground.
3. Keep the chest up and pull the back leg up and forward with the front leg.

Narrow Squat

1. Place a mini resistance band around the feet and keep the feet under the hips.
2. Slowly lower into a squat making sure the heels stay on the floor.
3. Once at the bottom, move the right leg out to the side against the band while you hold the squat.
4. Return it to neutral and extend back to the standing position.

Resistance Band Leg Extensions

1. Sit on a table or chair with your feet under your bent knees. Wrap a band around the chair and over your ankle.
2. Bracing your body use your quadriceps to raise the working foot off the floor by unbending the knees with straight legs.
3. Pause briefly and return to the starting position.

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