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Whether you’re low on home gym space or you want to fit in a workout while traveling, resistance-band workouts are the way to go — the bands are small, lightweight, and use tension to challenge your muscles beyond using your own bodyweight. You may be familiar with resistance-band exercises that work your butt and lower body, but did you know you can use a resistance band for arm workouts, too? Even classic moves like bicep curls, tricep presses, and upright rows can be done using just resistance bands, with no dumbbells in sight.
Try it out for yourself with this resistance-band arm workout from Courtney Roselle, NASM-certified personal trainer and founder of Iron Grace. These resistance-band arm exercises work your biceps, triceps, shoulders, and upper back. You’ll just need one long resistance band, a bit of space, and some workout motivation — because your arms are about to shake.
Resistance-Band Arm Workout
Equipment needed: a tube resistance band with handles, or a therapy band. Need one? Get the POPSUGAR 3-in-1 Resistance Tube Kit, shown here.
Directions: Do three sets of 10 reps for every exercise, resting as needed before advancing to the next move. Or challenge yourself with an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) circuit: start with the first move, doing as many reps as possible in 30 seconds, followed by a 30-second rest. Then proceed to the next move, and repeat until you’ve done all four moves. Whether you count reps or do it AMRAP style, repeat the entire circuit for a total of three rounds.
— Additional reporting by Maggie Ryan and Lauren Mazzo