Circuit Training Examples With Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are ideal for at-home workouts. With these pieces of fitness equipment, you can get a functional total body workout that will increase your strength, assist weight loss, strengthen your core and improve your balance. Doing circuits with resistance bands is a great way to work out and save time, because you move from one exercise to the next with very little rest in between them.

  1. Shoulders, Chest and Triceps

    • To work your shoulders, stand on the band with both feet and grasp the handles with your palms facing forward. Press the handles over your head, and then bring them back down to shoulder level. For lateral and frontal raises, stand on the band and start with your arms down at your sides. Lift the handles straight out forwards, back down, and then out sideways. Target your chest by looping the band around an anchor point that is torso height, for example, a railing. Grab the handles, face away from the anchor, and press the handles together out in front of your chest. Work your triceps by standing on the band and bringing the handles up overhead. Bend your elbows so that your hands lower behind your head and then straighten them.

    Back and Biceps

    • Work your middle back by looping the band around the mid-level anchor. Grasp the handles and step back until you feel some resistance in the band. Bend your arms and pull the bands towards your ribcage for a mid-row. To target more of your lats and upper back, find a high anchor point to loop the band around, or use your mid-level anchor and sit on the ground while doing the movement.

      For lat pulldowns, grab the handles with your arms stretched overhead and palms facing forward. Pull the band down until your hands are at shoulder level with the elbows bent and pointed down. For bicep curls, stand on the band, grab the handles and curl the hands up to the shoulders.

    Legs

    • Squats target virtually every muscle in the lower body. Stand on the band with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and bring the bands up by your shoulders with arms bent. Squat as low as you can and then lift back up against the resistance. For a lunge, Nicole Wilkins, Professional Figure competitor and fitness specialist, suggests standing with your right foot on the band and your left leg back behind you. Hold the handles up by your shoulders. Bend both legs to execute a lunge. Do not let your right knee travel past your toes. To target the glutes, loop one end of the band around a low anchor point, and place your foot through the other handle. Face the anchor and lift your leg straight out behind you.

    Designing Circuits

    • The right exercises for your circuits depend on your fitness level, goals and schedule. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends training each major muscle group two or three days per week. So, if you are newer to exercise or limited on time, do every exercise listed at least twice per week. Start with one set of 12 to 15 repetitions, and gradually work your way to two to three sets.

      Combine three to five exercises in one circuit, and move through 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise before you rest for 30 seconds. Do two or three full circuits. If your schedule allows, do your upper body routine and lower body routine two days per week on non-consecutive days. For an extra cardio challenge, add mountain climbers, jumping jacks and various crunches to your circuits.