The ultimate* guide to using bands in strength workouts

Take your workout to go!

*Okay, not the ULTIMATE, but a great starting point.

You already know I’m a big fan of strength training with weights: Few things can get us close to fatigue — the key to building muscle — more efficiently than picking up heavy items. But dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells aren’t always available, or they may just not feel like the right fit for where you’re at with movement right now. Resistance bands can be a great (and packable!) substitute, but it isn’t always easy to figure out how to use them.

That’s why I created this guide: It’ll show you how to substitute resistance bands for weights in many of the most common exercises we use in strength training. It isn’t exhaustive, by any means, but it should be a good starting point and reference.

A few notes before we jump in:

• Most of the exercises here are shown with flat or “ribbon”-style resistance bands, which work well for most movements, and a few use these big loop bands (sometimes called “megabands” or pull-up bands), which I love because you can really easily anchor them on something like the leg of a sofa. However, you can always tie a ribbon band in a knot if you need anchor it to something and arrange it around your body in a closed loop (like for the split squat below). The long tubing bands with handles can be really good, too.

• There are some awesome exercises we can do with smaller loop bands, too, but those aren’t covered here. (Let me know if you’d like a guide to those!)

• Truth time: It’s pretty hard to use a resistance band to truly match the level of resistance of heavier weights for exercises like squats and deadlifts — the versions here are reasonable but nowhere near as challenging as using weights. If you want to make the exercises harder, you’ll need to change the stimulus in another way, like significantly increasing the number of reps, or slowing the tempo wayyy down. For split squats, we’re using the band as more of an enhancement than a source of resistance. Bands are amazing for upper body strength but a bit trickier for lower body.

• You can change the resistance by using a thicker or thinner band, or by holding the band farther away from or closer to the anchor point. (Or by standing on the band with only one foot instead of both feet.) Experiment a little and find the best resistance for you.

• If you need to use a door to anchor the band, notice which direction the door opens and closes. You want to be on the side of the door where you have to pull the door toward you to close it. Open the door, wrap the band around the doorknob or handle on the other side, then pull the door closed on the band, with the ends of the band on the side where you’re standing. (Again, the door should be closed TOWARD you. Does this make sense? Ha!) This video also shows a trick using a sock that allows you to anchor a band pretty much anywhere on a door, in case doorknob height isn’t what you need.

• Adjust these exercises as needed! You can do many of them one side at a time instead of bilaterally, for example. Maybe the positioning needs to change a bit depending on what you’re working on. Use your intuition — just make sure you’re confident the band is always anchored safely. Feel free to ask questions in the comments!

Here we go!

Overhead press

Stand or sit on the band, and hold the ends in your hands just in front of your shoulders, palms facing forward. (It’s less awkward if the band is exiting your hand on the thumb side and not the pinky side, if that makes sense.) Press your arms up overhead, stretching the band, then lower with control.

Rear delt fly

Stand on the band with the ends in your hands, then hinge forward so your torso is angled toward the floor, with a long and neutral spine and your abdominals engaged. Start with your arms hanging straight down, then lift your arms up into a T shape — keep your elbows straight and your shoulders away from your ears. Lower with control.

Row

Stand on the band with the ends in your hands (you may need to hold the band closer to the anchor point to get the right resistance), then hinge forward so your torso is angled toward the floor, with a long and neutral spine and your abdominals engaged. Begin with your arms long, palms facing each other, then pull on the band to bring your hands toward your pockets, bending your elbows. Keep your arms close to your sides. Lower with control.

You can also anchor your band on a doorknob (see safety note in the introduction above) or some other anchor point at around hip/stomach height, and do your rows in an upright position. Or anchor it to the leg of a sofa and sit on the floor for your rows.

Curl

Stand or sit on the band with the ends in your hands, elbows by your sides. Bend your elbows to lift your hands toward your shoulders, keeping your upper arms still. Then lower with control. (You can adjust your hands here as needed: Palms facing in is a hammer curl, palms facing forward is more of a traditional bicep curl.)

Squat

Stand on the band with the ends in your hands, hands by your shoulders. Sit back and down into a squat, then stand tall. (The band will provide some resistance but probably not a ton. Do your best!)

Another option here is to place a small looped band just above your knees and squat: This doesn’t add resistance to the squat but will help you engage your outer hips to keep your knees tracking over your middle toes. It can be a game changer for folks with sensitive knees!

Deadlift

Stand on the band, then hinge forward with a flat back. Grab one end of the band in each hand (probably pretty close to the floor). Hold the band as you stand tall, then hinge at the hips to return to the start. If you’re doing a kickstand deadlift, the band should be under your front foot.

Another option here is to anchor the band around hip height (around a doorknob is a good option) and loop it around you. Stand facing away from the anchor with the band in your hip crease, and step away so there’s resistance on the band. Then hinge, feeling the band pull your hips back, and stand, stretching the band. This is a great option for practicing the hinge pattern: It really helps you send your butt back and feel the hinge.

Chest press

Lie down with the band on the floor just below your shoulder blades. Hold the ends in your hands, with your elbows on the floor at a 45-degree angle to your torso. Press your hands toward the ceiling, stretching the band, then lower with control.

You could also do this seated or standing, with the band behind your back. Or anchor the band somewhere that’s about the height of the bottom of your ribcage, and face away from the anchor.

Tricep extension

Stand or sit with the band in one hand. Reach your arm up overhead with the band dangling below, and grab the other end of the band in your opposite hand. Keep your bottom hand steady as you press your top hand up overhead, stretching the band, then lower with control.

Lat pulldown

Anchor the band to a high point. If you don’t have an easy way to do this (like the handy Swedish ladder below), here’s a video explaining how to use a sock to anchor a band anywhere you want to on a door. Face the anchor and hold the ends in your hands, then step back and hinge forward at the hips. You want to find a sweet spot where your hips, shoulders, and the anchor point of the band are all in a straight line. Pull your elbows down by your sides, stretching the band, then extend your arms with control to return to the start.

Split squat

Anchor the band to a spot at about knee height. Step into the band, and loop it just above the knee of your front leg. The inside of your knee should be facing the anchor point. (Move away from the anchor until you feel a moderate amount of resistance.) Step your other leg behind you into a split stance, then lower into a split squat, and stand with control.

This doesn’t really add resistance, but it is a great way to work on your split squats if you tend to experience knee valgus, aka your front knee caving inward, because it forces you to engage your outer hip and thigh.

If you have the opposite issue and your knee tends to track more toward the outside, stand in the band the other way, with the outside of your knee facing the anchor. This will require you to use more inner thigh muscles to keep your knee tracking where you want it.

Pallof press

Anchor the band low toward the floor, like around the leg of a heavy sofa. Come to a half-kneeling position with the side of your body facing the anchor. The farther knee should be forward and the closer knee should be on the floor (cushion your knee if needed). Hold the band with both hands near your chest, then press your hands straight forward, engaging your core and your hips to keep your torso steady. Avoid letting your shoulders round or shrug. Pull back to the start position with control.

I hope this helps! Let me know what other band questions you have, or if you have special requests for other guides like this one in the future. Remember that you can access the whole archive of How to Move workouts right here — use your newfound band knowledge to modify as needed!

xo
Anna