The 20 Best Resistance Band Exercises to Build Muscle and Strength

Resistance bands are one of the most versatile and effective tools for strength training that won’t break the bank when building a home gym. These lightweight and portable bands provide a powerful way to build muscle and improve strength. Resistance bands create constant tension through each movement, helping to stabilize muscles and promote growth. 

With different resistance levels, bands can accommodate all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced athletes, making them a useful tool for a variety of fitness goals. In this article, we’ll cover 20 of the best resistance band exercises to help you achieve engaging full-body workouts, discussing: 

• How resistance bands help build muscle and strength

• 20 resistance band exercises to try

  • The best lower-body resistance band workouts

  • The best upper-body resistance band exercises

  • The best core resistance band workouts

  • The best full-body and functional resistance band exercises

• How to structure a resistance band workout 

 Let’s get to it! 

How resistance bands help build muscle and strength

Resistance bands work by applying progressive tension to muscles, forcing them to contract throughout the full range of motion. This continuous tension increases muscle activation and endurance by creating resistance in multiple planes, making exercises more dynamic and functional. 

Moreover, resistance bands improve mind-muscle connection by requiring controlled movements, reducing momentum-based lifting. This connection enhances muscle engagement and can lead to greater strength gains over time. Additionally, bands are gentler on joints, making them a great alternative for individuals recovering from injuries or looking for lower-impact training options. 

20 resistance band exercises to try 

Resistance bands are a versatile and approachable way to begin or bolster strength training. With so many applications, we’ve focused on a few different muscle groups to get you started. Together we’ll cover the following list of 20 exercises as they apply to lower-body, upper-body, core, full-body, and functional resistance training workouts using bands, including:

1. Squats

2. Lateral band walks

3. Glute bridges

4. Romanian deadlifts

5. Standing kickbacks

6. Banded push-ups

7. Seated row

8. Shoulder press

9. Bicep curls

10. Tricep overhead extensions

11. Pallof press

12. Bicycle crunches

13. Russian twists

14. Hanging leg raises

15. Plank band rows

16. Deadlifts

17. Burpees

18. Thrusters

19. Woodchoppers

20.  Band-assisted pull-ups

The best lower-body resistance band workouts

Resistance bands can be used to improve strength in any muscle group, so let’s start by checking out some killer lower-body exercises:

1. Squats

Squats are a foundational lower-body exercise that strengthens your quats, hamstrings, glutes, and core. 

How to do squats:

1. Place a resistance band above your knees.

2. Stand with feet hip-width apart. 

3. Lower into a squat by pushing your hips back and keeping your posture organized.

4. Push through your heels to return to standing, ensuring your knees push outward against the band.

2. Lateral band walks

This movement improves hip stability and glute activation, exercising your gluteus medius, abductors, and hip stabilizers. 

How to do. lateral band walks:

1. Place a band around your ankles.

2. Take small side steps while maintaining a slight squat position.

3. Keep your knees slightly bent, with your feet parallel and your core engaged.

3. Glute bridges

Glute bridges are a staple for developing your glutes, hamstrings, and core. 

How to do glute bridges:

1. Place a resistance band above your knees.

2. Lie on your back with feet hip-width apart.

3. Press through your heels to lift your hips while pushing against the band.

4. Romanian deadlifts

A variation of a traditional deadlift, a Romanian deadlift is more focused on your hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. 

How to do Romanian deadlifts:

1. Stand on a resistance band and hold the ends with both hands.

2. Hinge at your hips with a slight bend in your knees while maintaining a straight back.

3. Return to standing. 

5. Standing kickbacks

This targeted glute isolation exercise is a great way to channel your inner Tony Hawk (along with hamstrings). 

How to do standing kickbacks:

1. Anchor a resistance around your ankle.

2. Extend your other leg back against the resistance band.

3. Return your extended leg back to start.

4. Alternate between legs.

The best upper-body resistance band workouts

Resistance bands can also be used to challenge your upper-body through a variety of upper-body exercises:

6. Banded push-ups

Add complexity to a push-up by incorporating a resistance band. 

How to do banded push-ups:

1. Loop a resistance band around your back and under your hands.

2. Lower yourself into a push-up position.

3. Perform standard push-ups with focus on your form and control. 

7. Seated row

Seated rows are an excellent way to stretch and strengthen your back and biceps through a pulling exercise. 

How to do a seated row:

1. Anchor your resistance band around your feet while sitting.

2. Pull the band toward your torso, keeping your back straight.

3. Slowly release the tension in the band to return to your start position.

8. Shoulder press

A shoulder press is an overhead pressing movement that will develop your upper-body strength across your shoulders, traps, and core. 

How to do a shoulder press:

1. Stand on a resistance band (preferably a long one) 

2. Grasp the band in each hand at shoulder height.

3. Push the ends above your head, shoulder-width apart.

4. With an engaged core and good posture, push the arms overhead, working your triceps and shoulders. 

5. Slowly return to the starting position. 

9. Bicep curls

This classic arm exercise—which focuses on your biceps and forearms—can also be performed with resistance bands. 

How to do bicep curls:

1. Stand on a resistance band.

2. Grasp the band in each hand and curl toward your shoulders.

3. Slowly uncurl your arms as you return back to the starting position. 

10. Triceps overhead extensions

These extensions are an isolation exercise that will really get your triceps popping.  

How to do triceps overhead extensions:

1. Stand on a band with your right foot and grasp the band in your right hand.

2. Pull the band up behind you and stand with your spine straight.

3. Extend your elbow toward the ceiling, flexing your triceps. 

4. Slowly return to the starting position.

5. Repeat on the left side. 

The best core resistance band workouts

Believe it or not, resistance bands can also be a fantastic way to engage your core muscles. Elevate a classic core exercise by adding a resistance band to challenge your abdominal muscles in a new way. 

11. Pallof press

A Pallof press is a standing exercise that helps to develop your core stability and strengthen your obliques. 

How to do a Pallof press:

1. Anchor a resistance band at chest height.

2. Stand perpendicular to the anchor point.

3. Step away from the anchor point to create tension.

4. Hold the band out in front of you.

5. Press the band away from your chest.

6. Pull the band back toward your chest.

7. Repeat facing the other direction. 

12. Bicycle crunches with bands

A classic core exercise, bicycle crunches can be even more effective (and slightly more excruciating!) by adding resistance with bands. 

How to to bicycle crunches with bands:

1. Lie on your back and loop a band around your feet.

2. Put your hands behind your head and lift your upper back off the floor.

3. Alternate pulling one leg in while you crunch the opposite shoulder toward your core.

4. Repeat on the other side.

13. Russian twists

Another floor exercise, Russian twists are a rotational workout that engage your obliques and core. 

How to do Russian twists:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended together.

2. Loop a band around the soles of your feet.

3. Grasp the band and pull until you have tension.

4. Lean back and alternate pulling the band to each side of your core.

14. Hanging leg raises

Hanging leg raises will bring back childhood memories of effortlessly swinging around the monkey bars while working your lower abs, hip flexors, and grip strength. 

How to do hanging leg raises:

1. Place a small band around your feet. 

2. Hang from a stable pull-up bar.

3. With your legs extended, lift them as high as you can, aiming for waist height.

4. Engage your core and keep tension on the band by slightly pulling your feet away from each other.

5. Return your legs to a hanging position. 

15. Plank band rows

If you already find planks to be a challenging core exercise, you’re going to love adding resistance bands to truly make 30 seconds feel twice as long. Plank band rows exercise your core, back, shoulders, and patience. 

How to do plank band rows:

1. Lower yourself onto the floor, face down, legs extended. 

2. Wrap a resistance band across your upper back.

3. Grasp the ends in each hand.

4. Push up into a plank, keeping the tension in the band by pressing the ends into the floor with your palms.

5. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat (if you dare!).

The best full-body and functional resistance band workouts

Finally, we’ve included some full-body resistance band exercises that will help challenge multiple muscle groups at once.

16. Deadlifts

Deadlifts are a classic total-body strength movement, engaging your hamstrings, glutes, back, and core. 

How to do deadlifts:

1. Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Gripping the band, bend your knees and drive your hips back.

3. Pull yourself into a standing position, contracting your glutes.

4. Slowly lower back into the starting position. 

17. Burpees 

Add resistance bands to this full-body exercise to take it to the next level, targeting your legs, core, shoulders, and chest. 

How to do burpees:

1. Hold a resistance band with the ends anchored under your feet, hip-width apart.

2. Hold the band at shoulder height.

3. Lower into a squat, keeping chest and core engaged.

4. Place your hands on the ground while holding the band and jump into plank position.

5. Jump forward by bringing your feet back under your body.

6. Stand up and explode into a jump while pressing the band overhead.

7. Land softly and repeat.

18. Thrusters

Thrusters are a compound movement that combine a squat and a press, working your legs, core, and shoulders. 

How to do thrusters:

1. Stand on the band with feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Hold the band at shoulder height.

3. Lower into a squat with knees aligned with toes.

4. Stand up forcefully, pressing the band overhead.

5. Bring the band back to shoulder height as you descend into your next squat.

6. Repeat as many times as you can.

19. Woodchoppers

Woodchoppers are a functional core exercise that mimic the action of chopping wood to engage your core and obliques. 

How to do woodchoppers:

1. Anchor your band under your foot or a sturdy object.

2. Hold the band with both hands, starting near your outside thigh. 

3. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with slightly bent knees.

4. Pull the band diagonally across your body, moving from a low to a high position, keeping arms extended and your elbows slightly bent.

5. Slowly bring the band back to the starting position.

6. Repeat.

20. Band-assisted pull-ups

Pull-ups can be made slightly easier with this adjustment of adding a resistance band. It’s a great modification for those who are recovering from an injury or those working toward completing an unassisted pull-up. Pull-ups primarily target your back, core, and biceps.

How to do band-assisted pull-ups:

1. Loop a resistance band over a pull-up bar, securing it tightly.

2. Place one foot inside the band.

3. Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width.

4. Pull yourself up, engaging your back and biceps until your chin is above the bar.

5. Slowly descend back to your starting position.

6. Repeat as many times as possible.

How to structure a resistance band workout

A well-structured resistance band workout should focus on progressive resistance, full-body engagement, and balanced muscle activation while ensuring proper form and mobility. We’ve included a sample routine to help you get started:

1. Warm-up (5–10 minutes)

Start with dynamic movements to increase blood flow, activate muscles, and improve mobility.

• Arm circles (30 seconds)

• Leg swings (30 seconds per leg) 

• Torso twists (30 seconds)

• Bodyweight squats (10 reps) 

2. Strength and endurance circuit (30-40 minutes)

A circuit-style or superset approach ensures a well-rounded workout that targets major muscle groups. Perform each of the following exercises for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds for three to four rounds. 

• Banded squats

• Seated rows

• Thrusters

• Banded push-ups

• Woodchoppers

• Glute bridges

3. Finisher (5–10 minutes)

A finisher is a short burst of higher-intensity or isometric exercises to maximize muscle fatigue and endurance.

• Burpees (30 seconds)

• Deadlifts (30 seconds)

• Bicycle crunches (30 seconds)

• Repeat two times.

4. Cool down (5–10 minutes)

End with static stretching and mobility work to promote recovery and flexibility. 

• Seated forward fold (30 seconds)

• Shoulder stretch (30 seconds per side)

• Figure 4 stretch (30 seconds per leg)

• Cat-cow stretch (30 seconds)

Get started with resistance band workouts today!

Resistance bands offer an effective and accessible way to build muscle and strength without the need for heavy equipment. By incorporating some of these 20 exercises into your routine, you can develop well-rounded workouts to challenge your body without the need for expensive dumbbells or kettlebells. 

Looking for a great set of resistance bands to get you started? Hydrow’s Multi-Resistance Band Kit offers two short resistance bands, two long resistance bands, and three resistance bands with different levels of resistance so you can tailor your workout to your fitness level and goals. Learn more about our resistance bands today! 

And, you’re looking for other ways to develop your functional strength, consider investing in a Hydrow rowing machine. These indoor rowers offer a total-body workout, targeting 86% of your muscles in each rowing stroke On top of offering incredible rowing workouts, Hydrow rowing machines also offer an extensive library of workout content such as strength training, Pilates, yoga, and circuit training workouts.

Learn more about the benefits of rowing and a Hydrow rowing machine today!