Resistance band workout for back and shoulders

We’re all super busy, and getting a workout in each day sometimes seems impossible. But, it will help reduce stress, improve your mood and help offset excess calories you consume. So, make the extra bit of effort to get your workouts scheduled each week. Let’s face it we’re all sitting more and need to work on our posture. Why not try this resistance band workout for back and shoulders?

If you tried my Arm & Shoulder circuit then you’ll love this workout for the shoulders and back. Personally I love working my back. Don’t forget to checkout the review of the resistance tubing set I used. Check out the video demonstration below.

Alternatively, stop and view it over at YouTube. Maybe you want to add it to a workout playlist? Remember to subscribe to my channel, I upload new videos every Tuesday and Friday!

Resistance band workout for back and shoulders

Start the workout with basic warm up of jump rope for 5 minutes. Don’t panic if you don’t have a jump rope. Pretend! Yes seriously, just jump around, jog in place, do high knees or jumping jacks. Just move. This Resistance band workout for back and shoulders has five exercises. Aim to do around 12-15 reps, and 3 sets of each exercise.

Standing Row

Anchor the tubing to the door or post and adopt a staggered stance (one foot in front of the other). Extend your arms out in front, around chest height, with no slack on the resistance tube. Bend the elbows pulling back towards the mid spine.

This exercise can be made more challenging by taking a regular stance, feet parallel. Stepping further away from the anchor point. Or, by using a tougher strength resistance band.

Overhead press

Begin by adopting a staggered stance, with one foot standing on the resistance band. Holding the handles, one in each hand. The exercise starts with the hands at shoulder height. Extend the arms reaching up towards the sky/ceiling. Return the hands to shoulders with control.

To make this exercise more challenging have both feet on the band, feet parallel. Or, choose a tougher resistance band. Remember, resistance bands are all about control! Don’t let the resistance pull you down, control the movement.

Bent over row

Stand with both feet on the tubing. Loop the resistance tubing around one, or both, feet. This ends up shortening the length of the band so that you have to bend over to reach the handles. Hinge at the hips, bend the knees and keep the back flat with abs braced. This is your starting postition.

Draw the elbows back and up. Squeezing towards the mid back. Return to the starting position with control.  This really shows the versatility of the bands that if they are too long for an exercise, wrap them around something.

Seated rear fly

Anchor the resistance tubing to a door frame, or something. Come into a seated position, away from the anchor point, with the legs bent in front. Hold the handles in front, with no slack on the tubing. From the shoulders, open the arms out wide. Reaching the arms out to the sides into a “T” position. Return with control.

Personally, this is one of my more challenging exercises in this resistance band workout for back and shoulders. I advise choosing a light band to start with. The muscles in the upper back and shoulders can take a while to grow. Want this harder? Sit further back, away from the anchor point. Or, choose a heavier resistance band.

Bent Over Lat Pull

Anchor the resistance tubing to the door frame or something non-moving. Stand with knees bent away from anchor point. Hinge at the hips so that, the torso is parallel to the floor with the back flat. Brace the core and extend the arms out with the biceps by the ears. Remember, no slack on the tubing. Pull the hands and elbows back towards the waist. Return to the start position with control.

Essentially, this is a lat pull down. But, in a bent over position. We have to get inventive when we workout at home or outdoors. If you had something overhead to throw the resistance band over you could do a regular lat pull down (seated). Finish the workout with a stretch. I recommend eagle pose arms routine.

Questions

• What’s your “problem area”?
• Do you have a favorite body part to train?
• Have you used resistance bands in your workouts?