What Exercises Is the P90X Band Used For?

The at-home workout series P90X is a set of 12 DVDs focusing on strength and cardiovascular training. The list of recommended exercise equipment includes a pullup bar, a set of free weights, a set of resistance bands and an exercise mat. The resistance bands are offered as an alternative to using free weights during the strength-training regimen for people looking to modify the routine and can be used for most of the exercises.

  1. Shoulders and Arms

    • The shoulders-and-arms strength-training workout targets, you guessed it, the muscles of the shoulders and arms. The routine consists of a series of pressing, pulling and fly movements working the biceps, triceps and shoulders extensively. Some of the exercises include alternating shoulder presses, in-and-out biceps curls and triceps extensions. The resistance bands can be used for all of these exercises and are all performed by standing on the center of the band and lifting the handles up or out. The band is used in lieu of free weights and can provide an equally effective workout.

    Legs and Back

    • The legs-and-back workout routine in P90X consists of plenty of squatting and lunging to exercise the legs and alternates with a pullup-and-pushup routine to target the muscles of the back. The resistance band can replace the pullup bar as a means of completing exercises such as reverse-grip chinups, wide-front pullups and switch-grip pullups. You can secure the band around a door handle and create the appropriate resistance by lengthening or shortening the band.

    Chest, Shoulders and Triceps

    • Not unlike the shoulders-and-arms workout, the chest, shoulders and triceps workout focuses on your upper body, and you can use resistance bands for a number of the exercises including in-and-out shoulder flyes, overhead triceps extensions, dumbbell cross-body blows and weighted circles. With the weighted-circles exercise, you stand in the center of the band and while gripping the handles, lift your arms to shoulder height and rotate them in circles.

    Back & Biceps

    • The back-and-biceps workout is perhaps the most suited for resistance bands. The series of 24 moves fluctuates between pullups and biceps-strengthening moves like the lawnmowers, which you perform by standing on the resistance band and pulling the handle up, as if you are starting a lawnmower. Other exercises include standing biceps curls, switch-grip pullups and maximum-repetition pullups, all of which you can effectively perform with a resistance band.