The best resistance bands this year and how to use them properly
Proper use of exercise bands can tone every muscle group, providing you with a total body workout.
These tube bands are sold individually and come in five resistance levels, ranging from very light to extra heavy. The handles are great for maximizing strength training, and SPRI offers the option to purchase the nylon SPRI resistance band door attachment so you can up your resistance when it comes to upper body and core workouts. The Xertube Resistance Band has garnered a 4.6-star rating across nearly 9,000 Amazon customers.
This pack of exercise bands is a Select Wellness Award winner. It includes a variety of different resistance levels — the lightest band in this set is about the equivalent of a 5-pound dumbbell when stretched fully, and the heaviest is the equivalent of a 35-pound dumbbell, according to the brand. The set has a 4.5-star average rating from more than 113,000 reviews on Amazon and is available in three colors: pink, berry and assorted, which includes several primary colors. An instruction booklet demonstrating various workouts using the bands for legs, arms, back, shoulders, ankles, hips and stomach is included, along with a carrying bag.
This five-piece set from Rosapoar earned a 4.7-star average rating from more than 2,000 reviews on Amazon. According to the brand, these antislip resistance bands — which range from 15 pounds to 125 pounds of resistance — are made from durable natural latex and are resistant to odor when you sweat. You can also order the bands individually. A workout manual is included, and the company also offers a free replacement policy and a lifetime warranty.
If you’re unsure how to start incorporating resistance bands into your workout, we’ve highlighted a few exercises you can do to target different muscles.
Standing Side Taps
With the band around your ankles, pull your navel in toward your spine and bend your knees so that your booty is reaching back. Place your feet open just as wide as your shoulders. (This is a modified squat position and you’ll stay here for the exercise.) Tap your right foot out to the right, feeling the tension on the band, and then bring it back to center so that the feet are just as wide as the shoulders. Then tap the left foot to the left, feeling the tension on the band, and then bring it back to center. Repeat this for 10 taps to each side. This works the gluteus medius (the muscle on the outside of the hip) and the thighs, plus gives you a bit of a cardio workout.
Banded Clam Shell
Lying down on your right side, prop yourself up with your right forearm on the ground at a 90-degree angle. Bring the legs slightly forward of your hips, and pull your navel in toward your spine. Then, bend the knees so that your legs are at a 90-degree angle. Keep your feet pressing together as you open your top knee up away from your bottom knee as if you’re opening up a clam shell. Repeat this 10 times, and then switch sides.
Banded Open & Close
Bend at the elbows and bring your arms up into a goal post position at chest level. Open and close the arms to work the upper arms and upper back. Repeat 10 times.
Bicep Curl
Put the right hand through the band in an open-face position to start. Then pull the right hand with the band up toward the shoulder into a bicep curl and release down. Repeat 10 times and then switch sides.
Banded Lower & Lift
Lying down on your back, wrap the band around your ankles. Pull your navel in toward your spine and reach the legs straight up toward the ceiling. Open the feet wide enough to put tension on the band, and then lower the legs down as far as you can without lifting your back off the ground. Then bring the legs back up to center. Repeat for 10 repetitions.
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