If you want to work out at home with limited space and without spending hundreds or thousands of dollars, I’ve got some good news for you – you can.
The challenge for most of us is we either don’t have the physical space to store gym equipment or we don’t have the monetary resources to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on expensive gym equipment.
This article will explain how effective resistance band workouts can be and help teach you a few basic exercises that are simple and highly effective for building muscle.
1. Resistance Band Workouts Are Highly Effective
Resistance bands are effective and significant additions for anyone looking to add an efficient and cost-effective tool to their exercise routine.
Strengthening your stabilizing muscles is important because these muscles are used for everyday movements and are typically neglected.
A perfect example is a barbell squat – even though the quads and hamstring are the prime muscles moving that weight, your abductor’s muscles have to work to stabilize your hips and thighs.
Since these bands are sold in various weighted resistances, they make a great substitute when you don’t have access to free weights.
If you are performing exercises correctly and following a structured training routine, there is no reason resistance bands can’t help you build and maintain muscle.
2. Build Muscle Without Access To A Gym
Changing your workout routine, especially if you’re forced to by circumstance, is never fun (for most people).
Trying to come up with supplement exercises you can do with limited equipment and adding a new environment to the mix doesn’t bring out the best motivation in people.
You might think, “are resistance bands effective for building muscle?” I thought they were only used for injury rehab or elderly people.
Well, I’ve got news for you. Not only do I incorporate resistance band training into every workout, but I’ve also used them to help me break past sticking points in certain strength exercises.
Here are a handful of reasons why you should invest in your own set of resistance bands:
- Easy to pack and travel with when working out on-the-go
- Beneficial for rehabbing injured muscle(s)
- Relatively Inexpensive & widely available
- Versatile and can be used practically anywhere with little setup needed
3. Convenient, Easy-to-Use, and Relatively Inexpensive
There are many resistance bands out there, but I’m only going to mention two types we use – strength bands and mini bands.
Strength Bands
These bands are great for full-body exercises and substituting or adding resistance to your workouts.
Strength bands are long bands that vary in the amount of resistance (tension) they provide and can be used in several ways.
Here are a few use-case examples of when to use strength bands:
- Increase muscle strength, power, and mobility
- Training past sticking points in exercises (ex: bench press)
- A great tool to assist with the flexibility (ex: stretching)
Mini Bands
On the other hand, mini bands are ideal for working on finer motor control, improving mobility, and strengthening the smaller stabilizer muscles.
These bands are typically small loops that could easily fit around both ankles or slide over both wrists.
Here are a few use case examples for when to use mini-bands:
- Rehabilitation of an injured muscle (ex: rotator cuff injury)
- Warming up to activate muscles before a workout (ex: a leg workout or a run)
- Improve mobility by strengthening your muscle through its entire range of motion
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3 Mini Band Exercises to Add to Your Workouts
Below is a list of exercises using resistance bands that can be performed at home or in the gym.
These user-friendly exercises don’t require much experience to start and have a low chance of causing self-induced injury compared to other exercise regimens.
Isometric External Rotation
Muscle Groups Worked: Rotator Cuff (specifically teres minor & infraspinatus)
Clamshell
Muscle Groups Worked: Hip Abductors (specifically gluteus medius)
Lateral Walks
Muscle Groups Worked: Gluteus Maximus & Gluteus Medius
8 Resistance Band Workouts for Building Muscle
Banded Push-up
Muscle Groups Worked: Pectorals, Anterior Delt, Triceps
Bent-Over Row
Muscle Groups Worked: Lats, Posterior Delt, Rhomboids, Scapular Stabilizers
Seated Row
Muscle Groups Worked: Lats, Posterior Delt, Rhomboids, Traps
Overhead Shoulder Press
Muscle Groups Worked: Delts, Triceps, Serratus
Band Pull-Aparts
Muscle Groups Worked: Deltoids, Rhomboids, Trapezius
Front Squat
Muscle Groups Worked: Quadriceps, Glutes, Hamstrings, Abdominals, Lower back
Bicep Curl
Muscle Groups Worked: Biceps, Forearm
Overhead Tricep Extension
Muscle Groups Worked: Triceps
Final Thoughts
Remember- resistance band workouts might be an ideal solution if you are looking for a cost-effective solution for home workouts or while traveling.
This article covered how effective resistance band workouts can be when you don’t have access to traditional gym equipment.
