Overhead Pull-Apart
Arm muscles worked: shoulders
How to:
- Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a resistance band taut between hands, arms straight at sides, palms facing body.
- Without bending elbows, pull hands apart and raise arms up overhead and back as far as is comfortable. Slowly return to start. That’s 1 rep.
Side Plank Triceps Extension
Arm muscles worked: triceps
How to:
- Get into a side plank position, with the left forearm on the floor and feet stacked, right on top of left, so body forms a straight line from head to foot.
- Hold a resistance band in between hands, with elbows wide, arms bent at 90 degrees, and right forearm at shoulder height.
- Extend right fist overhead, then reset. That’s 1 rep.
Lateral Raise
Arm muscles worked: shoulders
How to:
- Stand with knees slightly bent, feet staggered, right foot forward and flat on the floor, left back (heel high), with the middle of a resistance band looped underneath the arch of right foot, hands grasping it by the ends, and arms at sides.
- Raise arms outward to the sides until parallel to the floor.
- Return slowly to start. That’s 1 rep.
Pull-Apart
Arm muscles worked: shoulders
How to:
- Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Hold a resistance band taut between both hands and extend arms straight in front of the body in line with shoulders and palms facing floor.
- Engage core and pull fists outwards past shoulders. Slowly return to start. That’s 1 rep.
Front Raise
Arm muscles worked: shoulders
How to:
- Stand with knees slightly bent, feet staggered, right foot forward and flat on the floor, left back with heel high, and with the middle of a resistance band looped underneath the arch of right foot.
- Hold the resistance band by the ends, and extend arms down at sides.
- Without bending elbows, raise arms straight up in front of body to shoulder-height.
- Slowly lower back down to start. That’s 1 rep.
Banded Single Arm Row
Arm muscles worked: biceps
How to:
- Stand with feet staggered so right leg is behind and both knees are bent.
- Wrap a resistance band around left foot and hold ends with right hand, arm extended.
- Keep legs and torso stable and bend right elbow to pull the band backward until hand reaches the right side of ribs.
- Reverse the motion to return to start. That’s 1 rep. Repeat on other side.
Single-Leg Row
Arm muscles worked: biceps
How to:
- Stand on right leg with middle of a resistance band looped around arch of left foot, holding on to its ends with hands, keeping arms straight. Hinge at hips so torso and left leg are both parallel to floor.
- Bend at elbows to row hands to sides of rib cage.
- Pause, then slowly lower back to start. That’s 1 rep.
Biceps Curl
Arm muscles worked: biceps
How to:
- Start standing on the middle of a resistance band with feet hip-width apart holding its end with hands, arms by sides.
- Bend elbows, bringing hands up in front of shoulders slowly and with control. (Upper arm and wrist should stay still; only the forearm should move.)
- Pause, and lower down slowly all the way to the bottom. That’s 1 rep.
Triceps Extension
Arm muscles worked: triceps
How to:
- Stand with knees slightly bent, feet staggered, right foot forward and flat on floor, left back with heel high, and with the middle of a resistance band looped underneath the arch of right foot.
- Hold resistance band by ends, and extend arms straight up overhead, palms facing each other.
- Keeping upper arms still, bend at the elbows, and lower hands to just behind neck.
- Reverse movement to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
Shoulder Press
Arm muscles worked: shoulders
How to:
- Stand with knees slightly bent, feet hip-width apart, with resistance band looped underneath the arches of both feet.
- Hold resistance band by ends, and raise elbows to shoulder level, bent at 90 degrees, palms facing inward.
- Press hands up overhead until biceps frame face.
- Hold for one second, then take three seconds to lower back to start. That’s 1 rep.
Triceps Extension Pulse
Arm muscles worked: triceps
How to:
- From the triceps extension starting position, bend at elbows so forearms are parallel to floor.
- From here, bend elbows more and lower hands slightly by just a few inches.
- Then, return to the starting point. That’s 1 rep.
Triceps Kickback
Arm muscles worked: triceps
How to:
- Stand with knees slightly bent, middle of a resistance band beneath feet, hands by rib cage holding ends of band, arms bent at 90 degrees, and hips hinged backwards, with torso tilted to 45 degrees.
- Engage core and straighten elbows so hands push back until arms are fully extended behind body. (Only forearms should move.)
- Once arms are straight, pause, and then reverse movement to return to start. That’s 1 rep.
Can you get an effective arm workout with resistance bands?
Yes, indeed! Here’s why: “There are many types of resistance bands available, including looped bands, longer looped bands, or bands with hooks, and this allows for a ton of variety when programming a workout for the upper body,” says Pieroni. All those options give you room to adjust and progressively overload while keeping constant muscle tension for each exercise you perform, she says. As a result, the moves you do with them are oh so effective. Plus, the more you stretch the band, the more challenging an exercise becomes. That creates increased tension on the active muscles, Pieroni says. Resistance bands offer a killer arm workout thanks to time under tension, which is a smart strategy for maximizing strength and building muscle.
Benefits Of Resistance Bands
With resistance bands, you can…
- Build muscle. Resistance bands test your muscles throughout the full range of motion of an exercise, so they create a deeper concentration and strengthen your muscles by increasing the time they spend under tension, says Pieroni. “With resistance bands, there is always tension as long as you keep the band lengthened enough for the concentric and eccentric part of the muscle contraction, which has been proven to lead to muscle gains in strength and size,” she says. In other words, your upper body has to put in extra work to maintain the tension throughout the *entire* movement.
- Work on functional training. Functional training helps you perform everyday activities more easily, and resistance bands are a gold-standard for reaching this goal. “With typical gym-equipment you may be limited to only moving in one plane of motion,” says Pieroni. Resistance bands allow for greater range of motion, in addition to allowing work to happen in more than one plane of motion. Plus, “the notable flexibility of any resistance band helps develop a stronger sense of motor control and coordination,” says Pieroni. So, using resistance bands to increase strength in the upper and lower back may make it easier to pick up a child or heavy groceries.
- Improve form. “Because resistance bands work in both directions, it’s almost impossible to ‘cheat’ an exercise,” says Pieroni. For example, think about a chest press. With enough force, you might be able to complete a chest press with a heavy set of dumbbells, but you may compromise your form in the process, she says. With resistance bands, though, there is an emphasis on the eccentric part of the contraction (the lowering of the dumbbells in a chest press or lengthening the muscles), and it’s almost impossible to force the resistance bands to full extension (the top of the chest press) if the band is too heavy or you’re reaching a point of fatigue, adds Pieroni. Resistance bands force you to maintain form the *entire* time and use the proper muscles.
- Increase overall athletic performance. Whether you’re a fitness newbie or elite athlete, resistance bands can be used to increase athletic performance, says Pieroni. “The beauty about resistance bands is they can be used in stand-alone training or in addition to various training methods,” she says. In addition to upper body muscle gains, which are important for your overall fitness, you can also use a resistant bungee band to work on acceleration and speed training by doing quick sprints. Looking for agility training? Pieroni suggests using a resistance band to perform banded jumps or lateral shuffles.
- Maintain mobility. Mobility training is non-negotiable, and resistance bands are an awesome way to maintain and extend your range of motion. “Resistance bands can aid in mobility and flexibility because they allow for a greater range of motion, which helps lengthen the targeted muscles, thus deepening the stretch,” says Pieroni. And, there are a bunch of benefits to mobility, like preventing injuries, increasing the flexibility of joints and muscles, and improved stability and balance.
Andi Breitowich is a Chicago-based writer and graduate student at Northwestern Medill. She’s a mass consumer of social media and cares about women’s rights, holistic wellness, and non-stigmatizing reproductive care. As a former collegiate pole vaulter, she has a love for all things fitness and is currently obsessed with Peloton Tread workouts and hot yoga.
Olivia Luppino is an editorial assistant at Women’s Health. She spends most of her time interviewing expert sources about the latest fitness trends, nutrition tips, and practical advice for living a healthier life. Olivia previously wrote for New York Magazine’s The Cut, PS (formerly POPSUGAR), and Salon, where she also did on-camera interviews with celebrity guests. She’s currently training for her first half marathon, inspired by her many colleagues at WH who have run one.
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