You’ve probably already heard of resistance bands? 

They are basically like long elastic bands that you use for resistance training. A resistance band workout can be a great way to improve muscle tone, burn calories and get fit. 

In this post i’m going to explain the benefits of doing resistance band workouts. I’ll be telling you the best resistance bands to buy, and I’ll also be giving you 20 exercises to try + an 8 week resistance band training program to try at home – oh and this is totally free!

I want to help as many people as possible to get fit (improving both mental and physical health) and that’s why I’ve written this post. Over the last 7 years I have also written over 1,000 free articles, adding them to my health and fitness blog – please fee free to check them out after reading this post! 

Resistance Band Training Benefits…

Very Cheap 

For one it costs you very little to do a resistance band workout – for a pair of 5 tubes (different strengths) it’s less than £40. They last forever too – my resistance bands have lasted 6 years – and I use them approx 20-30x per week with my one to one personal training clients. 

Burn Fat, Tone Muscle And Get Fit 

For just £35–£40 you can get a great full body workout. You can do resistance band workouts anytime, anywhere. For example if you don’t like the gym you can workout at home in your living room. If you travel away a lot with work, then you can do resistance band training in your hotel room. All you need is about 2 square meters of space and you can train the whole body – legs, arms, back, shoulders, stomach… you name it! 

Easy To Pack 

Finally they are easy to pack into your suitcase, whenever I go on holiday and want to make some room for pizza, ice cream and alcohol – I will make-sure to keep fit by doing a 10-20 minute resistance band workout in the morning. This get’s endorphins surging around my body, wakes me up, makes me feel more confident about my body on the beach, and like I said… burns calories so I don’t feel guilty having a beer (or two!) with my lunch.

Here’s a little holiday workout I did when I went to Lake Como a few years ago… 

The Best Resistance Bands To Buy

Like most pieces of exercise equipment there are varying qualities, for example with resistance bands you can get ones that snap easily (ouch! not good!) and one’s which are far too easy and create very little resistance (like lifting air! lol!), and then there are those which are far too hard (like lifting a car! ok well not quite – but too much resistance to do exercises correctly!). 

So with that said the one’s I recommend and use myself are these ones…

There are 5 bands which vary in resistance, for example the yellow band is light, the blue band is medium and the red band… hard. The thicker the tube… the more resistance. 

Resistance Band Workout 

Ok, so now let’s get stuck into the juicy bit of this post! Once you have bought your resistance bands you are ready to get going…

Before doing any workouts I would recommend warming up, you can do this by walking on the spot for 1-2 mins, followed by a light jog on the spot for a further 1-2 mins. The aim is to get the heart pumping a little faster, and to increase circulation.

Once you’ve warmed up you can start training…

20 Resistance Band Exercises 

Here’s a video I put together earlier this year, there are 20 resistance band exercises you can try. I have deliberately worked through the whole body, so that every muscle gets hit…

8 Week Resistance Band Program 

I’d recommend watching the video above a couple of times and trying out the exercises first. It’s good to practice and get used to each exercise. Then when you feel more confident…

For the next 8 weeks try the following workouts…

Monday – Shoulders

• Shoulder press 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• Side raises 2 sets x 20-30 reps 
• Rear fly 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• Upright row 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• One arm rear fly 2 sets x 20-30 reps 

Tuesday – Rest 

Wednesday – Shoulders And Biceps 

• External rotation 2 sets x 20-30 reps each arm 
• Curl 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• One arm curl 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• Lying curl 2 sets x 20-30 reps

Thursday – Rest

Friday – Chest And Back 

• Fly 2 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• Wide push ups 2 sets x 20-30 reps (go on knees if you struggle to do full push ups) 
• Seated row 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• One arm row 2 sets x 20-30 reps

Saturday – Triceps 

• Kickbacks 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• Close grip push up 2 sets x 20-30 reps (go on knees if you struggle to do full push ups)
• Overhead extensions 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• Push down 2 sets x 20-30 reps

Sunday – Abs And Legs  

• Ab twist 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• Crunch 2 sets x 20-30 reps
• Split squats 2 sets x 20-30 reps

Training Notes 

Always warm up.

I’m training in my private personal training studio in Sheffield – so I attach the resistance bands to a squat rack – you could use a door handle or chair. 

Choosing the correct resistance? It may take you a week or so to realise what you can do for each exercise. If you can’t complete 20 reps then lower the resistance. If 30 reps is too easy then increase the resistance. If you use the maximum resistance (blue band) and it’s easy to complete 30 reps… add more reps. Try and add an extra 5 reps, then 10 and then 15. Once you get to this point let me know and i’ll come up with more challenging workouts!

Supplement with The 28 Day Keto Challenge…

Alongside your 8 week resistance training program i’d recommend trying The 28 Day Keto Challenge – which is a diet plan that rapidly helps you lose weight. It also comes with some more free workouts, that involve dumbbells and bodyweight exercises. 

You can do the 28 Day Keto Challenge at home or in the gym (whatever your preference!). I’d recommend doing the keto plan for 4 weeks, then moving onto the 8 week resistance band program in this post. So it would take you 12 weeks to complete the course – 4 weeks on the keto plan, 8 weeks on the resistance training program. 

Thanks for reading, if you found this post helpful please comment below! 

Nick 🙂