The Best 9 Resistance Band Exercises For Your Back
Back band exercises are popular for good reason– they can be incredibly useful for strengthening and toning muscles, working the muscles in your back to improve your overall strength. Whether you want to improve your posture, reduce back pain, or build a stronger and more defined back, back band exercises may be key in helping you to achieve your goals.
This article helps you to take your back workout to the next level with resistance band exercises designed to strengthen your back muscles. For personalised advice, contact our team at Optimise Health today.
Bring It All Back To You
Back pain is a fairly common complaint among people in many age groups and of varying fitness levels. While some people feel a twinge of back pain here and there throughout their lives, others may have more chronic back pain that comes and goes or continues to linger uninvited.
No matter your occupation or anything else you do in your day-to-day life, your back muscles play a large role. Whether you sit at a desk all day, travel from country to city and back again, or lug timber around a yard, your back supports you in whatever you do. So make sure you help it as much as it helps you!
Why Should I Do Back Exercises With Resistance Bands?
It’s a misconception that you need to life heavy weights to work on your back muscles and improve your back strength. Resistance band back exercises are a great tool for the job, and you can pick and choose which exercises may work best for you.
Resistance bands are virtually weightless and easily transportable, allowing you to throw them in your backpack so you can work out anywhere at any time. If you’ve got five free minutes and the space at work, you can even sneak in a quick workout in the middle of your day!
Resistance bands tend to be low-cost, which is always a great benefit for anybody, especially when you’re just beginning and still looking to determine what exercises are for you. They also help to prevent injury as they don’t add pressure to joints like traditional weights do, and allow you to work on any previously injured muscle groups in order to restrengthen them.
9 Resistance Back Band Exercises To Increase Back Strength
Perform every exercise for 12 to 15 repetitions if you can— you may need to start off with fewer repetitions if you’re just getting started with resistance band exercises, exercise in general, or if you’re recovering from an injury (and have been cleared for exercise by your doctor). Make sure to perform each movement slowly and with control, extending your muscles throughout each movement. Try to do this workout two to three times a week with at least a day of rest in between each session.
1. Lat Pulldown
- Wrap your resistance band around a bar that’s slightly above your head level while you’re standing.
- Face the bar. Take one end of the band in each hand and walk backwards away from the bar until it’s taut. Hold the band above head level, keeping your back straight and tucking your hips.
- Keep your shoulders down and back with your elbows at shoulder level, remaining there the whole time. Pull the bands back and bring your hands to your chest until your elbows are fully bent.
2. Back Fly With Band
- Wrap the band around a chest-level bar, facing the bar. Take an end in each hand and walk backwards, pulling the band until it’s taut. Keep your arms facing toward each other straight out in front of you.
- Keep your elbows at a height equal to your shoulders. Pull your arms back and out to the sides, keeping a slight bend in your elbows and making sure you’re not shrugging your shoulders.
- Focus on how your back feels— it should feel like you’re trying to put your shoulder blades into their sockets.
3. Bent Over Rows
- Stand and hold your band in the starting position as if you were going to jump rope. Step on top of the band with both feet.
- Switch hands so that the band is in a criss-cross shape.
- Bend at your hips, tucking them under your abdominal area and keeping your spine, neck, and head in line with your hips.
- Pull back on each end of the band until your arms are at a 90-degree angle and your elbows are slightly behind you or at your sides. Keep your elbows tucked in.
4. Lat Pulse
- Lay on your stomach on the floor with the band under your hips, keeping your body straight from head to toe. Slightly lift your head off the floor but keep looking at the floor so you don’t strain your neck.
- Take each end of the band with your hands with your arms straight and your elbows facing inwards.
- Use your back muscles to lift your arms off the ground.
5. Banded Face Pulls
- Wrap the band around a bar at shoulder height, facing the bar.
- Take the band in each hand and walk backwards from the bar to pull the band taut, keeping your hands facing down and your arms straight out in front of you.
- Tuck your hips slightly under and pull the band towards your face with your hands slightly separated as they are close to your face.
- Keep your elbows aligned with your shoulders, not letting them drop below the shoulder line.
6. Single Arm Row
- Make your band into a loop and step both feet through the loop.
- Assume a lunge position and lean one hand on your knee for support while grabbing the loop with your other hand.
· Row back in the same way you did during the bent-over row exercise, keeping your elbow tucked into your side.
7. Standing Row
- As with the banded face pull, wrap the band around a bar at shoulder height.
- Take each end of the band and face the bar. Back away until the band is taut, keeping your arms straight out in front of you and your hands facing towards each other.
- Row your arms back to a 90-degree angle, keeping your elbows tight to your sides.
8. Superman Kneeling
- Get onto all fours on the floor and loop the band around your left foot and right hand.
- Tuck your hips slightly under, keeping your head down, and lift your right arm in front of you as you lift your left leg behind you, making a straight line with your body.
- Return to the starting position, perform your reps, and switch the band to the other side to complete the set for the opposite side.
9. Band Upright Row
- Stand and hold your band in the starting position for jump rope. Step both feet on the band and have it lie under the middle of each foot.
- Stand up straight with your arms down and your palms facing inwards. Lift your arms, leading with your elbows and keeping them straight out at your sides and slightly above your shoulders.
Looking For Back Band Exercises With A Helping Hand?
Resistance bands are a great way to strengthen the muscles in your back, improve your posture, and reduce your risk of back pain and injury. While they’re easy to purchase and relatively straightforward to use for most people, having a helping hand is never a bad thing! At Optimise Health, our Toowoomba & Warwick physiotherapists work with resistance bands along with many other pieces of equipment to help you build strength and confidence. Interested in how physiotherapy may be able to help you? Book an appointment with our Toowoomba or Warwick clinic and find out today!
