Shoulder and Arm Resistance Band Routine
Let’s target some strength activities using tools that you can easily store inside your own home. Resistance bands can fit under your bed without much issue and only require a few feet of room to use. Different color bands have different levels of resistance so choose the tool that best fits your current level of fitness and let’s get started.
Part 1
Pre Workout Stretching
I have my go to’s for stretching.
The angled neck stretch.
If you grab the top of your head with your right arm tilt your chin down to look into your right armpit. Then twist your head up and away with your eyes pointing up and left. Repeat on the left side starting by looking into your left armpit then looking up and away to the right. Rotate every few seconds and do both sides for about 30 seconds each.
The Shoulder Belt Stretch / Grab Hands Behind Back Stretch.
Reach your right arm up towards your head then bend at the elbow. Put your left arm behind your back and bend your elbow. Try to grab your hands behind your back. If you can’t reach you can use a towel. Do both sides.
Shoulder Belt Stretch
The choke stretch (this isn’t it’s real name)
I really need to learn the common names for some of these. Move your right arm in front of your neck then bend at the elbow. Reach your right hand behind your neck. Use your left arm to push on the upper part of your right arm to intensify the stretch. Repeat with the left arm.
Inner Hamstring Stretch
Spread your legs apart as far as you can handle and hinge forward as low as you can handle. Hold for 30 seconds.
Part 2
Resistance Band Workout
Each set of exercises is going to be 3 rounds of 12. If I mention a single arm exercise do 3 rounds of 12 on both sides.
Overhead Shoulder Press
I actually did this routine with a different set of resistance bands than the ones recommended up top (I own the ones up top) so I took 2 resistance bands and stood on one end of each then pushed up. The video below shows how to do this with 1 resistance band and gives tips on how to make the band workout easier / harder. You can do one shoulder at a time depending on the type of band(s) you have.
Pull Apart Variation
I took this from Athlean X. The full demonstration is at about the 8:10 mark of the video below. Please watch the video for the full explanation.
Bicep Curls
Step on the band as seen in the overhead shoulder press video and perform a standard bicep curl. Stand up straight and keep tight through your core to avoid putting any stress on your back and to avoid cheating with any muscles we don’t want to be working.
For fun I threw in some isometric holds between rounds. Check out the video below for both how to perform the bicep curl and how to do the iso hold as well.
Tricep Kickbacks
Step on the band, bend at the knees, flat back, keep your elbows close to your body and push your forearms behind you. The video below does an excellent job describing what to do.
Wide Bent Over Row
Step on the band, grabbing the right band handle with your left hand and the left handle with your right hand creating an X shape with the band. Hinge while maintaining a flat back and pull the bands up while bending at the elbow.
Part 3
Glutes and Core
Glute Bridges with KneePush Outs
This is the same exercise I described in the glute mini band workout. You can technically perform this without a mini band, but they do add a level of resistance.
Ab Wheel Ab Rollouts
I did this routine during the ab roller challenge (#abrollerchallenge on instagram.) 3 rounds of 6 was my routine for the day. You’ll need an ab wheel for this. The video below shows how much of the population does ab rollouts then shows the correct way to do an ab rollout. Ironically I’m currently working on building out my lats and the completely flatten out version of the ab rollout he states is a great lat builder so I might keep doing the lat version and stick with 11 minute abs for my ab workouts.
