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 [1]. 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 [2] — because your arms are about to shake.
Experts Featured in This Article
Courtney Roselle [3], NASM-certified personal trainer and founder of Iron Grace [4].
Resistance-Band Arm Workout
Equipment needed: a tube resistance band with handles, or a therapy band. Need one? Get the POPSUGAR 3-in-1 Resistance Tube Kit [5], shown here.
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
Resistance-Band Bicep Curl
Biceps curls are perhaps the most classic bicep exercise, and you can easily do them with a resistance band. To make the most of this resistance-band arm workout move, resist the pull of the band as you lower your hands to your sides.
How to Do Resistance-Band Bicep Curls:
- Start standing on the middle of the resistance band with feet hip-width apart.
- Grab the resistance band by the handle or on each end, making a fist with your hands, palms facing forward.
- Perform a bicep curl, pulling your fist up to your chest without moving your elbows forward or backward.
- Slowly lower your hands to return to the starting position, arms fully extended. That's one rep.
Resistance-Band Pull Apart
This resistance-band arm exercise will wake up the hard-to-reach muscles on the backs of your shoulders as well as your upper back, making it a great exercise for improving your posture [7]. Depending on how long your resistance band is, you may need to move your grip closer together and hold onto the band itself.
How to Do Resistance-Band Pull-Aparts:
- Start holding the resistance band tight on both ends, with your arms straight out in front of you. Your elbows should be slightly bent and your feet shoulder-width apart, with a slight bend in the knees and core engaged.
- Keeping your arms straight, pull the band apart as far as you can, pausing once you've reached your limit or until your arms are extended fully out to the sides (as shown).
- Slowly bring your arms back together in front of you. Try to think about keeping your shoulder blades down and back throughout the movement; don't allow your shoulders to rise up toward your ears.
- That's one rep.
Resistance-Band Upright Row
Upright rows target your upper back and shoulders, and can easily be done using a resistance band or dumbbells. While you're doing this move, just be sure to keep your core engaged [8] and avoid arching your back to complete the movement.
How to Do Resistance-Band Upright Rows:
- Instead of using dumbbells (pictured here), stand on the middle of the resistance band with feet hips-distance apart. Grab the resistance band on each end with knuckles facing down and palms facing your legs.
- Pull the resistance band up toward your chin, making sure to lead with your elbows. Stop when your fists are at shoulder height.
- Slowly lower your hands to return to starting position, resisting the pull of the band. That's one rep.
Resistance-Band Tricep Press
You can also perform this resistance-band arm workout move as a tricep overhead extension [9] for an extra challenge: Stand on the middle of the resistance band with both heels and pull up on the band behind your head, until your arms are fully extended above you. Slowly return to the starting position, with your elbows bent behind your head.
How to Do Resistance-Band Tricep Presses:
- Stand on the middle of the resistance band with your feet hip-width apart and hold on to each end of the band. Keep your knees slightly bent, and hinge your torso forward slightly. Row your elbows back so your upper arms are about parallel with your torso and your elbow is bent at 90 degrees. This is your starting position.
- Without moving your upper arms, slowly straighten your arms behind you with palms facing up.
- Slowly return to starting position. That's one rep.
Colleen Travers [10] is a PS contributor.
Maggie Ryan [11] was an assistant editor at PS. A longtime runner and athlete, Maggie has nearly four years of experience covering topics in the wellness space, specializing in fitness, sports, nutrition, and mental health.
Lauren Mazzo [12] was the senior fitness editor at PS. She is a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition specialist through the American Council on Exercise. Prior to joining PS, she worked for six years as a writer and editor for Shape Magazine covering health, fitness, nutrition, mental health, sex and relationships, beauty, and astrology.