We love resistance bands in theory. They’re small and lightweight, for one, making them super easy to pack for travel workouts. And as anyone who’s accidentally grabbed a heavy band when they meant to pick up a light one, they’re undeniably challenging, using tension to tax your muscles. But sometimes, it can be hard to know what exactly to do with resistance bands, especially the long ones (not the small loop bands you wear around your thighs for glute and hip work).
That’s why we love this resistance-band arm workout. With four, easy-to-follow moves, you’ll learn how to use a resistance band for classic exercises like bicep curls, tricep presses, and upright rows. And while you may do these moves with dumbbells on the regular, a resistance-band arm workout adds an additional challenge, since moving through each exercise requires you to focus on muscle stability as well as strength.
This resistance-band arm workout was designed by Courtney Roselle, NASM-certified personal trainer and founder of Iron Grace. These resistance-band arm exercises work your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and upper back. You’ll just need one long resistance band, a bit of space, and some workout motivation – because your arms are about to shake.
Experts Featured in This Article
Courtney Roselle, NASM-certified personal trainer and founder of Iron Grace.
Resistance-Band Arm Workout
Equipment needed: a tube resistance band with handles, or a therapy band. Need one? Get the
Directions: Do three sets of 10 reps for every exercise, resting as needed before advancing to the next move. Or challenge yourself with an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) circuit: start with the first move, doing as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, followed by a 30-second rest. Then proceed to the next move, and repeat until you’ve done all four moves. Whether you count reps or do it AMRAP style, repeat the entire circuit for a total of three rounds.
– Additional reporting by Maggie Ryan and Lauren Mazzo
