Beginner-Friendly Upper Body Resistance Band Exercises That You Can Do At Home

You’ve wanted to build a stronger upper body…

But you’re not thrilled about dropping hundreds on fancy gym equipment.

I have good news to share:

You can also get an effective upper body workout with resistance bands.

Today, I’m excited to share how you can use these handy portable powerhouses to smartly sculpt your arms, chest, shoulders, and back!

(Fun fact: I keep a set of bands in my laptop bag for hotel room workouts when travelling. They’re that convenient.)

This is the same approach that’s helped thousands of my readers get excellent results working out from home. And in this guide, I’ll break down the most effective resistance band exercises I’ve personally tested.

The best part? You can bang out these workouts anywhere, anytime.

Let’s dive in.

10 Best Resistance Band Upper Body Exercises

You can target every significant upper-body muscle group with resistance bands.

Let’s explore the 10 best resistance band exercises to enhance your next upper body workout.

1. Standing Band Chest Press

The band chest press is a popular resistance band exercise that primarily targets the chest muscles. It is a multijoint exercise that works multiple muscle groups, such as the shoulders and triceps.

Many studies show that resistance bands can be as effective as free weights for building muscle strength and endurance. Plus, they’re great for minimizing stress on your joints.

Try another variation of the resistance band chest press.

• Single-Arm Band Press
• Alternating Standing Band Press
• Wide-Stance Standing Band Press
• Kneeling Band Press

How To Do

1. Anchor band at chest height. The band should be at chest level.
2. Hold the resistance band in your hands as you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Keep your elbows tucked in and your back straight.
4. Press both hands forward until the arms are straight.
5. Pause and then slowly return to your starting position.
6. Use a full range of motion on each rep.
7. Perform slow, controlled motions focusing on muscle squeeze.

3. Resistance Band Fly

If you’re looking for straightforward band chest exercises to add to your routine, band flys are a great staple exercise to get you started.

The band fly is a great band exercise that helps isolate the chest muscles. It helps to develop and define the chest muscles, specifically the Inner pectoral muscles.

You can try other variations of the band fly to build a bigger upper body.

• The low to high band fly exercise helps develop and define the upper chest.
• The high-to-low band fly is a great exercise to target the lower portion of your chest.

How To Do

1. Anchor a resistance band at chest height.
2. Hold a handle in each hand as you stand away from the anchor.
3. Keep a slight bend in your elbows as you hug your arms together.
4. Press your chest at the end of the movement.
5. Slowly return to the starting position. Don’t bounce or jerk the bands.

Know More: 10 Best Resistance Band Chest Exercises For Mass And Strength

3. Resistance Band Bent Over Row

Resistance band bent over rows is a popular back exercise that targets the upper back muscles, including the rhomboids, trapezius, and latissimus dorsi. They are a compound exercise that also works your arms and core muscles.

Other variations of band bent over rows to build bigger and stronger back at home.

• Single-Arm Resistance Band Rows: This variation trains The back muscles unilaterally. Better Mind Muscle Connection.
• Underhand Grip Resistance Band Rows: Switching to an underhand grip targets your biceps and lower lats.

How To Do

1. Stand on the resistance band with your feet hip-width apart. Grip the ends of the band in each hand.
2. Bend at the waist, keep your back straight, and torso parallel to the floor with a neutral spine.
3. Gently pull the resistance band up towards your abdomen and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
4. Slowly return the band to its original position.

4. Band Lat Pulldowns

The resistance band lats pulldown can be done anywhere, so it’s a good option for home workouts or travelling.

This compound movement primarily targets the latissimus dorsi (lats) and teres major, while also engaging the rhomboids, trapezius, and biceps for support.

A study indicated that varying grip widths influence the electromyographic activity of muscles engaged in the lat pulldown.

There are some variations of the resistance band pulldown to add to your back workout:

• Close-grip pulldown
• Wide-grip pulldown
• One-arm pulldown

How To Do

1. Attach the resistance band to a strong point above your head, like a door frame.
2. Hold the resistance band in your hands as you face the anchor point.
3. Lean back slightly and engage your core.
4. Pull the band down towards your chest. Focus on pulling with your back muscles rather than relying on your arms.
5. Slowly release the tension and return to the initial position.
6. Do 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps.

Know More: 10 Best Resistance Band Back Workout To Build Upper body Strength

5. Resistance Band Shoulder Press

The resistance band shoulder press is an exercise that targets the shoulders’ front and side deltoid muscles. It’s like a shoulder press with free weights but uses a band to give you tension.

Resistance bands offer a more seamless and joint-friendly motion than heavier weights.

How To Do

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart in the middle of a resistance band.
2. Handle the handles with your palms facing forward.
3. Press the handles until your arms are fully extended.
4. Squeeze your shoulders together at the top and hold for a short time.
5. Lower the handles back down to get back to the starting position.
6. Keep tension on the band at all times. REPEAT 10–12 times.

6. Resistance Band Lateral Raises

The resistance band lateral raise is an exercise that works the lateral deltoids.

Many variations of the band lateral raise will challenge your muscles even more and help build strength and definition of the shoulder.

A study investigated muscle activation across various lateral raise variations, which included the humerus in external, neutral, and internal rotations, as well as with flexed elbow and frontal raises.

The results indicate that changing the arm position can influence the activation levels of the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid muscles.

How To Do

1. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
2. Grab one band end in each hand, letting your palms face down. If you prefer, you can also try this exercise with just one arm.
3. Raise your arms to the sides until they parallel the floor. Avoid raising them high.
4. Slowly return to the start position.
5. Do 10 to 12 repetitions, then switch sides.

7. Resistance Band Pull Apart

This movement can be done on shoulder day, as it targets the rear delts. However, we also like to hit it on a back day as the rear delts often need to double the weekly work.

The bands pull apart will work your rhomboids, rear delts, and traps. It’s a great shoulder and upper back exercise.

How To Do

1. Keep your knees slightly bent as you stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold the exercise band in front of you with your hands slightly below your shoulders.
3. Keep your elbows slightly soft to avoid hyperextending the joint. Also, keep your elbows up to work your upper back muscles correctly.
4. Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together and let your arms open wide to each side.
5. Return to start and repeat.

Want To Know More Best Resistance Band Shoulder Exercises

8. Resistance Band Curl

If you’re looking for straightforward bicep band exercises to add to your routine, bicep curls are a great staple exercise to get you started.

Bicep curls with resistance bands keep the muscles tense throughout the movement. This means that you will get more out of each arm exercise.

You can try different bicep curl variations to build a bigger arm.

• Band Hammer Curl
• Resistance Band Reverse Curl

How To Do

1. Grab both handles with your palms facing forward, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
2. Start by standing tall with your arms fully extended. Now, smoothly curl the band up toward your shoulders.
3. As you lift, focus on using your biceps to do the work – not momentum.
4. At the top, give your biceps an extra squeeze for about a second. This maximizes muscle engagement.
5. Then, with control, lower the handles back down. Don’t let the band snap back – resist it to work those muscles even more.
6. Keep your upper arms still throughout the movement. If you’re swaying or swinging, reduce the band’s resistance until you can maintain proper form.

9. Resistance Band Tricep Pushdown

Anyone who wants to build arm mass and strength should do a triceps pushdown exercise. It is a great way to keep your joints feeling healthy, as they have a low impact on your elbows and shoulders.

The triceps pushdown targets all three heads of the triceps, which is essential for building up your arms.

How To Do

1. The anchor band is above the head, and the grip band is with palms facing down.
2. Grab the resistance band with both hands (palms facing in) just below chest height.
3. Keep your elbows tight into your side and drive your hands down towards your waist.
4. Then, stop at the bottom of the movement and slowly return to the starting position.
5. Control the band speed when your hands come back up.

10. Resistance Band Pallof Press

The resistance band Pallof press is an anti-rotation core exercise that targets the obliques and transverse abdominis.

There are many variations of the resistance band Pallof press that you can try, such as:

• Kneeling Pallof press
• Pallof press with rotation

How To Do

1. Anchor the resistance band to chest height and stand in a split stance.
2. Engage your core muscles and use both hands to push the handle out so your arms are in front of your chest.
3. Hold this position for five to ten seconds, then bring the handle back to your chest. Don’t let your torso rotate.
4. Repeat the exercise on your opposite side.

Band Upper Body Workout Plans

1. For muscle endurance: Do 3–4 sets of 15-20+ reps, with a light to moderate resistance band.
2. For muscle hypertrophy (increased muscle size): Do 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps, with moderate to heavy resistance band.

It is always best to start with a lower number of reps and sets, and then gradually increase as your strength improves.

This workout contains multiple band exercises designed to target all the muscles in your upper body and increase overall muscle mass.

Upper Body Workout Routine For Beginner

Band Workout Routine For Intermediate

Conclusion

Now It’s Your Turn

Building a more muscular upper body doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.

As you’ve observed, resistance bands offer an efficient option for strength training at home. They are portable, affordable, and, most importantly, effective.

Quick note: If you have questions about the form or need assistance choosing the right band tension, please leave a comment below. I respond to every question.

Your path to a stronger upper body starts right here, right now.

See you in the comments!

References

• Lopes JSS, et al. (2019). Effects of training with elastic resistance versus conventional resistance on muscular strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6383082/
• Aboodarda SJ, Hamid MSA, Muhamed AMC, Ibrahim F, Thompson M. Resultant muscle torque and electromyographic activity during high intensity elastic resistance and free weight exercises. Eur J Sport Sci 13: 155–163, 2013.
• Calatayud, J., Borreani, S., Colado, J. C., Martin, F., Tella, V., & Andersen, L. L. (2015). Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 29(1), 246-253. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000589

Manish Kumar

Manish is a NASM-certified fitness and nutrition coach with over 10 years of experience in weight lifting and fat loss fitness coaching. He specializes in gym-based training and has a lot of knowledge about exercise, lifting technique, biomechanics, and more.

Through “Fit Life Regime,” he generously shares the insights he’s gained over a decade in the field. His goal is to equip others with the knowledge to start their own fitness journey.