As a personal fitness coach, I often get asked by clients how they can do some additional strength training with a simple circuit workout at home.
Most of these people don’t have free weights or cable machines, but they still have plenty of options.
To help our readers achieve the same, we got together as a group of nine fitness coaches to create a simple resistance-band and bodyweight workout that anyone can do.
All you’ll need is a set of bands and an exercise mat that should cost you less than $40.
Quick Summary
- You can train all muscle groups by dialing up the intensity of exercises with resistance bands, including a variation of the chest and overhead press, rows, and push-ups.
- Planning a circuit workout with resistance-band and body weight exercises can be a great way to burn fat and build up muscle.
- Bodyweight exercises are also a great way to do compound workouts that target multiple muscles at the same time it would take to target just one precise area.
Our Bodyweight And Resistance-Band Workout
Here is a sample of a full-body workout that relies on resistance bands and body weight alone. And the feedback we’ve had on this circuit workout from a test group has been extremely positive.
What you do is complete one set of each workout and then move on to the next one and complete as many circuits as possible to make you leaner and fitter [1].
1. Resistance-Band Squat
The first resistance-band workout we have added is the good old-fashioned squat.
It’s a great way to get warmed up as well, and the trick is adding enough tension to the bands.
The way I do this is to squat down and stand on a loop under my feet. This ensures you have tension from the bottom of the movement all the way to the top.
2. Jumping Jacks
This is the first one of the bodyweight exercises, and I recommend doing normal jumping jacks first for 45 or more seconds.
On the second circuit, I would suggest doing these in a half squat position to up the intensity a bit.
3. Banded Back Lunges
For this resistance-band workout, I suggest that you stand on a fairly thick band with one foot and bring the handles up to your shoulders.
Then take a step back and bend the forward need as much as possible and push yourself back up.
4. Bent Over Rows
We’ll continue with resistance-band exercises and take a step forward and stand on the loop.
Then lean forward, grab the handle of the resistance band, and pull it up to your chest.
To add intensity, hold it at your chest for two seconds before lowering it down again.
5. Standing Chest Press
For this part of the circuit workout, you’ll need to attach the resistance band to a door hook.
Stand with your back to the door and hold a handle in each hand next to your shoulders. Then slowly push forward with a chest press exercise.
Also Read: Chest Exercises for Muscle Building
6. Decline Push-Up
Here is one exercise that will require some foundational strength.
Ideally, use a bench to put your feet on and then get into a push-up position with your feet higher than your hands.
Aim for a full range of motion for this part of the circuit workout, which is more effective than a partial range [2].
7. Banded Pull-Ups
For this resistance-band workout, then bands will actually make it a bit easier. I recommend this for people who struggle to do more than a few pull-ups.
Loop the resistance band over the bar and place your feet into the handles. This will reduce the amount of weight you’ll have to pull.
Benefits Of Resistance-Band And Bodyweight Exercises
By combining a body weight and resistance-band workout, you can achieve a full-body exercise that strengthens all the major muscles.
And by doing this in a circuit-style workout, you can limit the amount of rest between sets.
Each one of the exercises effectively targets a different area. That way, one body part will be able to rest while another one is being worked.
A full circuit of the above workout should take less than ten minutes.
And that allows you to do multiple rounds of the exercises to really give you a full-body exercise right at home.
“An entire HIIT workout may be as short as 15–20 minutes, but it provides a wide range of benefits. Its short duration can make it a very practical and effective choice for people who find it difficult to commit to longer sessions.”
- Jake Tipane, CPT
FAQs
Can You Build Muscle With Bodyweight And Resistance Bands?
Yes, you can build muscle with bodyweight and resistance bands workouts. They can target each muscle group, and by setting them up as a circuit workout, you can turn it into a kind of high-intensity CrossFit-style session.
What Builds More Muscle Weights Or Resistance Bands?
Weights tend to build more and bigger muscles as they allow you to specifically target certain muscles and add more resistance. But resistance bands can be highly effective at the early stages of fitness and bulking.
Transform Your Home Workouts For Added Strength
When you limit the amount of rest after the above exercises, you step up the intensity level a bit more with each resistance-band and bodyweight workout.
And if you really want to get the most out of the exercise routine, then I suggest taking a pre-workout for added endurance.
We have researched and tested dozens of products for men and women, and you can find detailed results here:
Order your first supply today to take a full-body workout at home to the next level.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8145598/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sms.14006
About The Author
You May Also Like
