33 Resistance Band Exercises: Legs, Arms, Abs, and More

Rock out with the band! Resistance bands are a great addition to any strength training routine or rehabilitation program. They come in a variety of sizes, lengths, and resistance levels.

They’re also portable and easy to store, so they’re perfect for home use, hotel workouts, or making the most of a small space at the gym.

Just like free weights, exercise bands come in a range of resistance levels, from highly stretchable to heavy-duty strength.

The most common types of bands are tube bands with handles, loop bands, and therapy bands. If you’re in doubt, a fitness professional can help determine which band is right for you, depending on your fitness level and your specific workout plan.

For most exercises, try aiming for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 25 reps per exercise. Ready, set, stre-e-e-etch!

Never skip leg day…

Your butt, both sides of your thigh, and hamstrings are going to thank you for this one (after they stop burning). Front squats can also provide a strength boost to your groin, hip flexors, and calves.

Kick it up a notch with this quad builder.

This one goes out to your hamstrings.

Salute your glutes!

For boosting your hips, groin, and inner thigh, the adductor movement stands tall.

Loosen up your external hip rotators and improve your movement and flexibility — after all, this Lizzo & Missy Elliott tune isn't going to dance to itself.

Improving your ankle flexibility might not be on the top of your to-do list, but if you keep them limber, they’ll give you fewer problems further down the line.

Even better news: You can take a load off for this one.

Don't sidestep these side steps!

This one's a bit of a balancing act. It's great for your glutes, though.

To really show your thighs who's boss, try a seated abduction. It takes all the chill out of sitting down.

Get in on the arms race.

Want to get ready for the gun show? This will get your biceps pumped.

Also great for your ‘ceps, this is like lifting weights but this resistance is the weight. Crazy.

Kick back and relax. Just kidding!

Become a triceps-ratops, because biceps can't hang out by themselves.

Get right to the center of things with these intense exercises.

Use the top of a door for rocking your core.

Get your abs turning and burning.

Know when to walk away. Slowly.

Now flip it and reverse it (Missy stays winning throughout this article).

Dasvidanya, un-toned abs!

Back your talk and get toning.

You can do it, put your back into it.

Take a seat, but don't get too cozy. With your legs extended, place the center of the band behind the soles of your feet.

For stable shoulders and improved mobility, this should be a part of your workout.

No, this doesn't involve pulling the covers over your head, but nice try.

Ready to work your upper back

For barrel pecs, look no further.

Take this classic move to a new level.

Next up: Your upper chest muscles!

No barbell? No problem! Resistance bands are at hand to save the day.

We compared the bench press to the push-up to see which bulks your chest more. Find out here.

You don't need a gym to boost your chest game.

Stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the greats.

This one might go over your head (in fact, it definitely should).

This one is fantastic for the front of your shoulders, so get to know it.

Build bolder shoulders with this isolation move.

Stand proud as you target your traps.

If you prefer to do your rowing… well, on a rowing machine, we’ve got some tips for you.

Target your whole shoulder with this fierce move.

Ready to put it all together?

Certified personal trainer Jessi Kneeland created this routine that’ll work your whole body. She's the one demonstrating the moves, too.

You don't need a whole gym at home to get your body working. And resistance bands are a great, space-aware way to engage and build muscles across your whole body.

Another great tool for putting together a kinesthetic workout at home is the almighty slider — learn about how sliders work and the exercises you can do with them here.