Challenge Yourself with Our Upper Body Resistance Band Workout

Resistance bands are a must-have for anyone who exercises at home or those who want to easily take their workout on the road. Resistance bands are lightweight, compact, inexpensive, versatile, and most of all, incredibly effective.

The more you know about the benefits of resistance band exercises, the more you’ll be motivated to add them to your home workouts as soon as possible. Below we have shared a challenging upper body workout that we hope that you will try.  

How Resistance Bands Are Good for Upper Body Workouts

Resistance bands are an incredibly versatile and effective tool for your upper body workout routine, offering the ability to target muscles like the chest, shoulders, arms, back, and core with a wide range of exercises (Kumari, et. al. 2024). 

They provide adjustable resistance levels suitable for all fitness abilities, while their continuous tension engages muscles throughout the full range of motion, improving strength, endurance, and stability. 

Joint-friendly and injury-preventive, bands allow for controlled, low-impact movements, making them ideal for rehabilitation or those with joint issues. 

Lightweight and portable, they are perfect for home workouts ^[1], travel, or outdoor use, offering a cost-effective alternative to gym equipment. 

Resistance bands also enhance flexibility, promote proper form, and support progressive overload, making them a powerful tool for building muscle and improving mobility.

Warm-Up

1. Shoulder Rolls

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Place your hands on your hips.
• Engage your core.
• Shift your shoulders forward, then roll them up and back until you feel resistance in your shoulder blades.
• Relax and repeat the movement in the opposite direction.
• Complete 10 repetitions. 

2. Arm Raises

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Place your arms at your sides.
• Engage your core and raise both arms overhead.
• Lower your arms to the starting position.
• Complete 10 repetitions.

3. Arm Circles

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Extend your arms out at your sides at shoulder height.
• Engage your core and move your arms in a large circular motion.
• Repeat the movement.
• Complete 10 repetitions in each direction.

4. Standing Twists

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Bend your elbows out at your sides and clasp your hands together at chest height.
• Engage your core and twist your upper body to one side while keeping one arm forward and your hips locked in the forward position.
• Return to the starting position and then repeat the movement on the opposite side.
• Complete 10 repetitions.

Upper Body Resistance Band Exercises 

1. Rows

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Stagger your feet, step on the center of the band with your front foot and hold the ends of the tubing in each hand with your palms facing inwards.
• Engage your core, then hinge through your hips to bend your upper body forward and lower your arms.
• Pull both arms back in a rowing motion, keeping your elbows 30 to 45 degrees away from your body.
• Lower your arms to the starting position and repeat the movement. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions.

To make this exercise easier, go through the movement one arm at a time.

2. Bicep Curls

• For this upper body resistance workout, begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Stagger your feet, step on the center of the band with your front foot and hold the ends of the tubing in each hand with your palms facing outward.
• Engage your core and bend your arms to bring the tubing handles to shoulder height.
• Keep your upper arms aligned you’re your body.
• Lower your arms to the starting position and repeat the movement.
• Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions.

To make this upper body resistance workout easier, go through the movement one arm at a time.

3. Shoulder Sweeps

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Stagger your feet, step on the center of the band with your front foot, and hold the ends of the tubing in each hand with your palms facing outward.
• Engage your core and keep a slight bend in your elbows as you lift both arms to shoulder height.
• Lower your arms to the starting position and repeat the movement.
• Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions.

To make this exercise easier, go through the movement one arm at a time.

4. Lateral Shoulder Raises

• For this upper body resistance workout, begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Stagger your feet, step on the center of the band with your front foot and hold the ends of the tubing in each hand with your palms facing inwards.
• Engage your core and raise one straight arm out at your side to shoulder height.
• Lower your arm to the starting position and repeat the movement.
• Start with 1 set of 5 repetitions on each side.

5. External Shoulder Rotations

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Hold one tubing handle in your hand with your palm facing inward and bend your arm in front of your body.
• With your other hand, anchor the center of the band at chest height, creating resistance on the band.
• Tighten your core and rotate your lower arm out at your side, keeping your elbow close to your upper body.
• Bring your arm back to the starting position and repeat the movement.
• Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions on each side.

6. Tricep Kickbacks

• For this upper body resistance workout, begin in an upright standing position with your feet hip-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Hold one tubing handle in your hand with your palm facing downward and bend your arm in front of your body.
• With your other hand, anchor the center of the band at chest height, creating resistance on the band.
• Keep your upper arm aligned with your body and push your hand down to just past your hip to straighten your arm.
• Bend your elbow to return to the starting position and then repeat the movement.
• Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions on each side.

Cool Down

1. Cross-Body Arm Stretch

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Contract your core.
• Reach across your chest with one arm and use your other hand to pull your arm closer to your body, looking for a light stretch.
• Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and then out through your mouth.
• Relax and repeat the movement on the opposite side. 

2. Reach and Pull

• Begin in an upright standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, while maintaining good alignment with your head, shoulders, hips, and legs.
• Grab your resistance band and wrap it to your back while holding both ends of the band to your side.
• Engage your core, round your shoulders slightly, and pull your arms forward for a light stretch.
• Hold this position for several deep belly breaths, in through your nose and then out through your mouth.
• Relax, then return to the starting position and repeat the movement.

Resistance bands are the perfect way ^[2] to safely introduce strength training into your regular exercise regimen.

Bands come in a variety of different resistance levels, so it is easy to get started, regardless of your current abilities, and increase the level of difficulty as your strength increases.

The versatility of resistance bands enables you to incorporate a full-body workout whenever and wherever you go.

Jacque Crockford is an ACE-certified personal trainer. She has been a personal trainer and performance coach for 20 years.

According to her, you can get most of the same benefits you’d get from doing other types of resistance training you’d do at the gym—strength training, suspension training, bodyweight training by using resistance bands. The bands offer a different method of creating resistance, she says, and resistance creates exercise stress (or exertion) on the body, which is just what you want. And unlike dumbbells or barbells, these bands are lightweight and low cost, so they’re easy to take anywhere.

Benefits of Working Out Using Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are a powerful and versatile fitness tool that offers numerous benefits for people of all fitness levels. 

They improve muscle strength and tone by providing consistent tension throughout each movement, effectively targeting muscles and enhancing endurance. 

Resistance bands are joint-friendly, allowing for low-impact, controlled exercises that reduce strain on joints, making them perfect for injury recovery or individuals with joint issues. 

Additionally, their lightweight and compact design makes them highly portable and space-efficient, ideal for home workouts, travel, or exercising in limited spaces. 

They are also cost-effective, serving as an affordable alternative to traditional gym equipment while enabling a full-body workout. Here are some specific benefits:

• Improves Muscle Strength and Tone: Targets muscles effectively with consistent tension during the entire range of motion.
• Joint-Friendly Workouts: Allows for low-impact exercises, reducing strain on joints and supporting rehabilitation.
• Portable and Space-Efficient: Lightweight and compact, easy to use at home, while traveling, or in small spaces.
• Cost-Effective: Affordable and accessible for any budget compared to gym memberships or equipment.
• Versatility: Can be used for strength training, flexibility, injury prevention, and rehabilitation.
• Progressive Resistance: Comes in varying resistance levels, allowing you to gradually increase intensity as you build strength.
• Engages Stabilizer Muscles: Improves balance and core strength by activating smaller muscle groups.
• Safe and Easy to Use: Ideal for beginners, promoting proper form and reducing the risk of injury associated with heavy weights. 

These benefits make resistance bands an invaluable tool for building strength, improving flexibility, and achieving fitness goals effectively and conveniently.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using resistance bands effectively requires proper form and technique to maximize benefits and prevent injuries. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:

• Using the Wrong Band Resistance: Choosing a band that’s too light or too heavy can compromise form and reduce exercise effectiveness.
• Improper Form: Poor posture or rushing through movements increases the risk of injury and limits results.
• Skipping Warm-Up and Cool-Down: Not preparing muscles or neglecting recovery stretches can lead to strain and slower recovery.
• Overstretching the Bands: Pulling bands beyond their limit can also cause them to snap or degrade over time.
• Lack of Progression: Staying with the same resistance or routine without increasing intensity leads to a fitness plateau.
• Not Anchoring Bands Securely: Bands that aren’t properly secured can snap back, causing potential injuries.
• Neglecting Muscle Balance: Overworking certain muscles while ignoring others can also create imbalances and posture issues. 

Conclusion

Resistance bands are an essential and versatile fitness tool that can elevate your upper body workout routine, whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned athlete. Their ability to improve strength, tone muscles, and enhance flexibility makes them a valuable addition to any fitness regimen.

Lightweight, portable, and cost-effective, resistance bands offer a convenient way to achieve your fitness goals, while not being overly tiring and only requiring minimal rest.

With the variety of exercises outlined in this article, from warm-ups to targeted upper body movements and cool-down stretches, you can create a well-rounded workout that promotes strength, endurance, and mobility.

Avoiding common mistakes and incorporating the proper techniques ensures safe and effective results. Plus, with their adaptability, resistance bands are suitable for anyone looking to progress at their own pace.

Start incorporating resistance bands into your workouts today and experience their incredible benefits. With consistency, effort, and the guidance provided here, you’ll be well on your way to building a stronger, healthier, and more resilient upper body.

Challenge yourself, stay committed, and enjoy the results! 

Learn even more simple exercises to tone and tighten your body. Check out this Sculp and Strengthen Mini Band Workout now!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are resistance bands good for upper body workouts?

Yes, resistance bands are highly effective for upper body workouts. They can target muscles in the chest, shoulders, arms, back, and core with exercises like rows, chest presses, and bicep curls. Bands allow for a full range of motion and engage stabilizer muscles, making them ideal for strength and endurance training.

Do resistance band workouts really work?

Absolutely! Resistance band workouts are an excellent way to build strength, tone muscles, improve flexibility, and even burn calories. The consistent tension they provide ensures that muscles are engaged throughout the entire movement, which is as effective as traditional free weights when performed correctly.

Is it OK to workout with resistance bands everyday?

While resistance band workouts are gentle on joints and muscles, rest is essential for recovery and muscle growth. It’s generally safe to use resistance bands daily for light exercises like stretching or mobility work. However, for strength training, it’s better to allow 24–48 hours of rest between sessions targeting the same muscle group.

Are resistance bands suitable for beginners?

Resistance bands are also perfect for beginners as they are easy to use and offer controlled resistance. They allow for gradual progression and are less intimidating than traditional weights, making them ideal for those new to strength training.

Can resistance bands replace free weights?

Resistance bands can be as effective as free weights for building strength and muscle tone. However, free weights may provide an advantage for heavier lifting and certain advanced strength training exercises. For most people, bands are a great alternative or complement to free weights.