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Our Resistance Band Exercise Guide

7 July 2023

Resistance bands are a versatile, convenient and effective way to train and TheraBand are an industry leader. They're renowned for their quality and innovation, making them a favourite of physiotherapists and professional athletes. From Loops, Single Bands, Dispenser Packs and More, their resistance bands embody their motto, "Proven Science, Trusted Performance".

There's a huge amount of ways to workout with TheraBand, but to help you get started we've made this Resistance Band Exercise Guide.

What Does this Guide Cover?

TheraBand Exercises for Shoulders:

Shoulder Press

  1. Loop the TheraBand under the arches of both feet, stand with your feet shoulder width apart with your knees slightly bent
  2. With the band still under your feet, hold the other end and raise your elbows to shoulder level at a 90 degree angle
  3. With your palms facing forward, press your hands over your head to full extension holding for 1 second
  4. Return your elbows to shoulder level. This is 1 rep

Overhead Pull-Apart

  1. Hold a TheraBand taut between your hands with your palms facing down, keeping your arms straight by your sides
  2. Gradually and as far as possible raise your arms above your head and pull your hands apart - do not bend your elbows
  3. Slowly return your arms to your side. This is 1 rep

Lateral Raise

  1. Stand with your right/left foot forward, flat on the ground with a TheraBand looped underneath
  2. Your other foot should be behind you with your heel in the air
  3. Hold the other end of the TheraBand with your arms at your side
  4. Raise your arms upwards until your torso is forming a T shape, then return them slowly to your side. This is 1 rep

Shoulder External Rotation (Strengthens the Rotator Cuff):

  1. Hold the ends of a TheraBand in both hands with your elbows by your side
  2. Pull both hands outward, keeping your elbows tight to your side and forearms parallel to the ground
  3. Hold for the position for a few seconds before returning your arms inward slowly. This is 1 rep

TheraBand Exercises for Arms:

Banded Single Arm Row

  1. Stand with your left leg slightly in front, slightly bent and the right leg behind, straight
  2. Loop a TheraBand around your left foot, take the other end in your right hand
  3. Pull the band upwards until your hand reaches rib level - keep the rest of your body stable
  4. Lower your hand back down. This is 1 rep - switch hands and legs to work the other bicep

Bicep Curl

  1. Stand in the middle of a TheraBand with your feet in line with your hips
  2. Hold the other side of the band with both hands, your elbows by your sides and your arms down
  3. Lift your forearms up in a skiing motion, keeping your elbows in place by your sides
  4. Hold for second then reverse forearms back down. This is 1 rep

Tricep Extension

  1. Stand with your right/left foot forward, flat on the ground with a TheraBand looped underneath
  2. Your other foot should be behind you with your heel in the air
  3. Lift the ends of the band above your head, put your hands together keeping your arms extended
  4. Bending at the elbows, lower the band behind your head, then slowly lift it back up. This is 1 rep.

Tricep Kickback

  1. Stand in the middle of a TheraBand with your feet in line with your hips
  2. Bend backwards at the hips and bend your knees slightly, as if you are leaning forwards on a motorbike
  3. Hold the ends of the TheraBand with your elbows bent at 90 degrees
  4. Keeping your elbows still, extend your arms until they are behind you
  5. Hold for second then reverse the movement. This is 1 rep

TheraBand Exercises for Legs:

Resistance Band Leg Lifts (Works the Thighs)

  1. Wrap a TheraBand around your legs at the ankles
  2. Stand with your feet in line with your hips
  3. While holding your weight on your left leg, lift your right out to the side
  4. Stretch the band as far as you can while maintaining control
  5. Bring it back slowly. This is 1 rep

Lateral Band Walk

  1. Wrap a TheraBand around your legs at the ankles
  2. Stand with your feet in line with your hips, knees slightly bent
  3. Move your left leg to the left until your feet are further apart
  4. Move your right leg across in the same direction until you're in the original position. This is 1 rep

TheraBand Exercises for Hips:

Hip Flexion with Band

  1. Anchor a TheraBand to a fixed point, then secure the other end to an ankle
  2. Stand in front of the fixed point with your feet together 
  3. Raise the attached leg up, keeping your knee mostly straight
  4. Lower leg slowly to return to a standing position, This is 1 rep

Side-Lying Clam Shell

  1. Place a TheraBand around both legs, just above the knees
  2. Lie on your side with your knees bent and your feet together
  3. Lift the top leg up and then back down, engaging the hips and glutes. This is 1 rep

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TheraBand Exercises for Glutes:

Resistance Band Squats

  1. Wrap a TheraBand around your legs, right above the knees
  2. Stand with your feet in line with your hips and your arms by your sides
  3. Bending your knees and pushing them forward, sit down into a squat and raise your arms forward
  4. Once your bum is in line with your knees, push back up until your knees are straight and your arms are down. This is 1 rep

Banded Fire Hydrant

  1. Loop a TheraBand around your legs, right above the knees
  2. Get down on all fours with your shoulders in front of your wrists and your hips in front of your knees
  3. Keeping your hips straight and your core stable, lift your right knee upwards and out to the side
  4. Slowly lower the knee back into your starting position. This is 1 rep

TheraBand Exercises for Knees:

Football Kicks with Band

  1. Anchor your TheraBand to a fixed point and to one of your ankles. Stand facing away from it
  2. Bend your knee slightly and then kick outwards as if you're kicking a football, stretching the band
  3. Retract your leg, bending your knees behind you. This is 1 rep

Lying Knee Extension

  1. Lie down flat on the ground with your knee to your chest
  2. Wrap a TheraBand around the sole of the raised foot and hold the other end in both hands
  3. Straighten your knee slowly until your leg is nearly straight above you
  4. Slowly return to your starting position. This is 1 rep 

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TheraBand Exercises for Ankles:

Ankle Dorsiflexion

  1. Anchor the TheraBand to a fixed point like a door or heavy table and attach the other end to your foot 
  2. Sit with your legs facing the anchor, keep the attached leg straight and bend the other leg at a right angle
  3. Slowly move your foot forwards and then backwards, making sure the TheraBand tightens. This is 1 rep

Ankle Inversion:

  1. Anchor the TheraBand to a fixed point like a door or heavy table and attach the other end to your foot 
  2. If attached to right foot, sit to the right of the anchor point (and vice versa) with the TheraBand stretched
  3. Keep the attached leg straight and bend the other leg at a right angle
  4. Move your foot away from and then back towards the anchor point, tightening the TheraBand. This is 1 rep

What Type of TheraBand Should I Use?

Here at Health and Care we carry TheraBand Resistance Bands as Loops and Rolls, as well as the Consecutive Loop CLX model, so you may be wondering which is right for each exercise. Well to help we've chosen exercises that can be completed with any type of TheraBand. If you're using a strip of TheraBand, you can simple tie a knot and use it like a loop.

What Level of TheraBand Should I Use?

The level of resistance band you should use will depend entirely on your strength level, but we would recommend starting low and focusing on form before you progress. Wherever you start, TheraBand Resistance Bands are available in eight different colour-coded resistance levels, leaving plenty of room for progress. The incremental changes between each colour band are part of TheraBand's "trusted progression system" and encourage safe and effective development.

TheraBand's 8 Colour-Coded Resistance Levels

How Many Reps Should I Do?

Similar to the resistance level, the number of reps will depend on you and can easily be increased as the weeks go on. Each week you could increase the number of reps, before eventually increasing the number of sets and then moving up a resistance level. This follows the principal of Progressive Overload.

What Is Progressive Overload?

The goal of progressive overload is to continually challenge your body, even if this is gradual. This could be done by increasing the number of reps or increasing the difficulty/weight of the exercise.

Here's an example:

  1. Week 1: 3 sets of 5 shoulder presses with a tan TheraBand
  2. Week 2: 3 sets of 6 shoulder presses with a tan TheraBand
  3. Week 3: 3 sets of 7 shoulder presses with a tan TheraBand
  4. Week 4: 3 sets of 8 shoulder presses with a tan TheraBand
  5. Week 5: 4 sets of 5 shoulder presses with a tan TheraBand
  6. Week 6: 4 sets of 6 shoulder presses with a tan TheraBand
  7. Week 7: 4 sets of 7 shoulder presses with a tan TheraBand
  8. Week 8: 4 sets of 8 shoulder presses with a tan TheraBand
  9. Week 9: 3 sets of 5 shoulder presses with a yellow TheraBand

That was just an example and your rate of progression could depend on your program, personal trainer or physio. 

What Are the Benefits of TheraBand Resistance Band Workouts?

  • Can be used nearly anywhere: Whether you're at work, in the park, on-the-go or in the comfort of your home, it doesn't matter with TheraBand - no gym needed!
  • Making progress is simple: TheraBand use their colour-coded "trusted progression system", which helps makes progress quicker and easier
  • Ideal for physios and personal trainers: Supplied in sets of loops or in dispenser rolls that let you cut the size needed, TheraBand Resistance Bands are really convenient for fitness and medical professionals
  • Safer than standard weights: As conventional weights are heavy, they pose a danger if dropped. In comparison, even the highest resistance of TheraBand is lightweight
  • They're incredibly versatile: As you've seen with the exercises above, (they're just the tip of the iceberg) TheraBand can be used for a wide variety of exercises 

Do you have any more questions about TheraBand exercises, or something to add? Share your thoughts below or find us on Facebook and Twitter!