7 Of The Most Effective Resistance Band Back Exercises

Why resistance bands?

The primary reason you might want to include resistance bands in your workout is because of a plateau. A plateau occurs when you’re doing everything right, from your diet to your rest to your training program, but you just don’t seem to be making much progress. These are the times when you’ve been making a lot of progress, but suddenly, you’re not able to lift anything heavier anymore. 

Mixing up your workouts with new exercises is a fantastic way to spice it up and get over the hump. You see, after repeating the same workout for several weeks, your nervous system recruits the same muscles, moving them in the same way that they can’t get any better. Adding variations can target the same muscles but force them to work in a different way, just enough to get you growing again.  

This is where resistance bands come in. Resistance bands may not be a complete replacement for free weights, but they have their own unique benefits. 

• Versatility – The exercises you can do with resistance bands make up a very long list. While dumbbells and barbells allow you to lift heavier, they don’t have the versatility of resistance bands.
• Portability – Speaking of dumbbells and barbells, imagine how difficult it would be to bring them around from place to place. Resistance bands give you the luxury of having a workout virtually anywhere.
• Muscle Recruitment – Free weight and machine exercises have a far more straightforward range of motion than with resistance bands. With resistance bands, your muscles are almost always under tension throughout the entire movement. Besides that, they’re designed for compound exercises and force more muscles to stabilize the movements. 
• Great for Fundamental Training – As I’ve mentioned, there’s much more movement when using resistance bands than more traditional exercises. This is great for working and activating your joints and simulating a lot of natural movement in your daily life. 

7 Of The Most Effective Resistance Band Back Exercises

The best bands to use for these exercises are resistance loop bands. You can also adjust the difficulty by opting for the thicker ones. You can perform these exercises as a complete workout, warmup, cool down, or accessory work. The key is to keep your muscles guessing. 

Deadlift

Performing a deadlift with resistance bands is more akin to a sumo deadlift. Here’s how to do it: 

1. Loop the band around each foot, standing in a wide stance with feet pointing slightly outward. 
2. Hinge at the hip with your butt sticking back slightly and keep your chest up and shoulders down and back.
3. Grab the band at the center and pull the band up until you’re standing fully upright. Ensure that your shoulders do not move throughout the movement.
4. Repeat for desired reps.

Lat Pulldown

1. Wrap your band around a bar or another fixed object above your head.
2. Grab an end in each hand and step backward until the band is taut. 
3. Lean forward so that your arms are raised in line with your back.
4. Pull the band down until your elbows are next to your sides, engaging your back the entire time.
5. Repeat for desired reps.

Face Pull

1. Wrap the band around a bar slightly taller than you.
2. Hold the band and step back until the band is taut.
3. Pull the band toward your face while keeping your elbows high.
4. Your hands should have a neutral grip (palms facing you) while you squeeze your lats at the final position. 
5. Repeat for desired reps.

Reverse fly

1. Wrap your band around a chest-level bar, and step back until it is taut.
2. Start with your arms facing each other and elbows at shoulder height. Keep your chest up and your shoulders down and back.
3. Tucking your hips slightly, pull the band back with bent elbows until your elbows are behind your shoulders, and you can feel the intense squeeze in your upper back.
4. Squeeze your back at this final position before returning to the starting one.
5. Repeat for desired reps.

Bent-Over Row

1. Stand on the center of the band with feet hip-width apart.
2. Hold onto each end of the loop, bend forward, sticking your butt out slightly, keeping your chest broad, and arching your back. Your head, neck, and back should be in a straight line.
3. Pull the band towards you with elbows tucked close. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top of this position.
4. Repeat for desired reps.

Single Arm Row

1. Step both feet through the loop.
2. Get into a lunge position with bent knees. 
3. Hinge at the hip with your butt slightly out. Place the hand of the same side on your front knee for stability. 
4. With the other hand, grab the band with your free hand.
5. Just like the bent-over row, pull the band back with your elbow, squeezing your lats at the top position.
6. You’ll want to keep your elbows tucked close throughout the whole movement while engaging your core for further stability.
7. Repeat for desired reps before alternating sides.

Stiff-Legged Deadlift

1. Step on the band in the middle with feet hip-width apart, and grab both ends with each of your hands.
2. Keep a slight bend in your knees, hinge at the hips, and bend forward until almost parallel with the ground. 
3. Raise your body until you are upright.
4. Slowly lower your torso back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat for desired reps.