No dumbbells, no problem. Build muscle, size, and strength with these workouts.
BUILDING STRENGTH AND MUSCLE isn't always about lifting the heaviest weights in the gym. You build size and strength when you put your muscles under tension. Creating that tension doesn’t have to mean fully-loaded up barbells and dumbbells the size of your head. Resistance bands will challenge your muscles in different and useful ways—if you know what you're doing. Malleable Iron Pipe Fitting
You may have bought a few resistance bands at some point to perk up your at-home workouts. You might’ve used them a couple times, accompanying them to your YouTube-led sweat sessions in your living room. When you're just using these tools in a pinch, you might not be able to appreciate the benefits of resistance bands if there are barbells, dumbbells, and other weights available.
We don’t blame you for wanting to pump some iron. But, you are missing out on a load of benefits that incorporating resistance bands into your training brings. Their advantages goes beyond their affordability and storable qualities that make them great companions to your home gym and on-the-go workouts. They’re also incredibly versatile. There’s a resistance band exercise to accompany any leg day, chest day, or arm day you may have programmed. Work them into your warmups, finishers, or as mainstay exercises in your strength training routines to better your movement patterns and achieve the gains you’ve been looking for—in the gym, or at home.
Here’s your resistance band primer, for training at home and anywhere else.
Even if you have dumbbells and kettlebells at home for doing basic movements, having a resistance band around can bring serious value to your workouts.
Why? Two words: Accommodating resistance. Essentially, the farther you pull a resistance band, the more it “resists” you. That’s a different type of resistance than, say, a dumbbell.
Take a biceps curl. Curl the dumbbell upwards, and there comes a point where the curl actually gets “easy” for your biceps, near the top of the motion. The length of the lever that challenges your biceps decreases as you finish the exercise, meaning gravity can no longer create challenge with the dumbbell (and your muscle no longer needs to create as much force to fight that challenge).
Do the same curl with a resistance band and as you near the top, it doesn’t get easier; instead, you have to work to earn the squeeze at the top of the curl. The stretched band is fighting you more, forcing you to accelerate through the entire range of motion and challenging your muscle fibers in a different way. You’ll have to squeeze your muscles extra-hard to fight banded resistance, a habit that will improve your dumbbell training, too.
Does that make bands better than dumbbells? No. But both tools can have a place in your training, and in the grand workout scheme, both tools can complement each other. One tool (hint: not the dumbbell), however, is so tiny that you can easily fit it in your backpack for any and every road trip.
That all makes resistance bands a quality option for any workout. But in much the same way you might mix barbells, dumbbells, and cables at the gym, you ideally want to mix up your training with resistance bands too. Try these approaches with bands (and know that there are many more too).
Yes, you can use resistance bands for an entire full-body workout; they’ll challenge and push your body. Depending on the size of your resistance band, you might not be able to go incredibly heavy on some of the motions where you’ll want more challenge, such as deadlifts and squats, so if you’re doing a bands-only full-body session, consider doing this as a circuit. Aim for one pull move (a row or pulldown or curl), one push move (a pushup, overhead press, or triceps pressdown-style motion) and one leg move (squat, deadlift, or lunge) in every full-body session.
If you have access to dumbbells and barbells, or if you’re advanced enough with your bodyweight to create unilateral challenges (think: pistol squats and post pushups), consider using bands near the end of your workout. They’re a great way to promote an active and aggressive chest squeeze on a pushup.
One great way to use bands at home is to use them in drop sets. A drop set has you starting with a heavier weight (or a more challenging version of a move), then “dropping” into a lighter weight or more basic version of an exercise. Because you’re fatigued from the initial work you put in on the harder move, the easier move feels, well, harder. Try it with squats. Do 10 resistance band squats, holding the band under your feet and with your hands at your shoulders. Immediately release the band and do 10 standard squats. Do 3 sets. Enjoy the burn.
Mix-and-match these moves to create resistance band workouts that you can do anytime, anywhere. And when in doubt, remember to think full-body (one pull move, one push move, one leg move).
Why: You'll rock your abs in this classic abdominal exercise. The Pallof press takes advantage of banded resistance to challenge your core against all rotation.
Why: This move from fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. is all about isolating your triceps, reinforcing the idea that even when your arms are straight, your triceps must be working.
Why: Attack the small, supporting musculature within your shoulders, bulletproofing your upper body for bench presses and pullups alike with this series of moves.
Why: This one is all about abs, fighting against both anti-rotation and anti-extension (can you keep your core contracted no matter how the band pulls you?). It looks easy. It's not though.
Why: You'll train your triceps and get valuable ab work here.
Why: Copenhagen planks are difficult enough to begin with—add in a mini band, and you have a whole other challenge.
Why: This one will light up your back, and there's a lot more ab challenge in it than you may expect at first.
Why: We label this a finisher, but it can easily be a main element in any chest workout too. You'll roll around on the floor and build muscle too!
Why: This one isn't for the faint of heart, and it's certainly not easy. It will force you to remove any kipping or rocking from your chin up. Build up to it—if you dare.
Why: This one will build your chest and challenge your core simultaneously. And yes it's fun to punch the ground.
Why: One resistance band, one structure, plenty of biceps and triceps pump fun.
Why: Bulletproof your shoulders and build mid-back strength (and more ab strength than you think too) with this one.
Why: Grab a partner and inject some fun (and serious anti-rotational challenge too!) into your workout with this finishing ab game.
Why: Yes, with bands, you can grow your arms and sculpt your abs all at once! You'll do that here.
Why: Find two posts and get ready to blow up your chest with this move, which is all about squeezing through the middle of your chest.
Why: The face pull, when done correctly, will light up your back and bulletproof your shoulders. Fun fact: It's best with bands.
Why: Add depth to your shoulders with this simple resistance band move.
Why: Build speed and athleticism with these moves from trainer Gerren Lilles.
Banded Pushup with Feet to Hands:
Why: Another move that'll push your triceps to the limit, forcing you to own the straight-arm position.
Why: This move adds hamstring size and strength. And you don't need a lot of room to do it, either.
Why: The row is one of the key movements to build your back. To increase your strength, you’ll also need bicep strength. This move works both.
Why: If you’re looking for exercises to help to build bigger arms, look no further than the preacher curl. This variation uses only a resistance band, so you can do it anywhere.
Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men's Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He's logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men's Health in 2017, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.
Brett Williams, a senior editor at Men's Health, is a NASM-CPT certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.
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