5 Incredible Exercises You Never Knew You Could Do With Resistance Bands

YouTube/TheraBand

Resistance bands are every exerciser’s best friend. They’re incredibly versatile, super easy to travel with and they help you rehabilitate injuries as much as they strengthen and tone muscles that are already in tip-top shape. But after a while, we can only be so entertained by bicep curls and glute bridges, ya know?

That’s when it’s time to take things to the next level. TheraBand, one of the most popular resistance band manufacturers in the world, created the Theraband CLX system, which has consecutive loops for both hands and feet to create a total-body toning workout. Just pick your strength level in the elasticity of the bands, get looped up and start moving.

TheraBand’s accompanying app shows you all sorts of cool moves you can do with this magical band, but below are helpful, how-to videos of our five of our favorites. We had to spotlight these for how effectively they get your body burning from head to toe. Keep one of these bands in your bag at all times and you’ll never have an excuse for missing a workout when the gym or your go-to class isn’t available.

1. Russian Squat

Move over, boring old squats. There’s a new kid in town and he crisscrosses a resistance band, adds tension between his feet and integrates his upper body just for funsies. But seriously, these Russian squats take a standard quad exercise and transform it into a total body move.

2. Lateral Straight Leg Raise

OMG, our outer glutes and thighs ache just watching this video. These lateral straight leg raises will test your balance, the range of motion of your hips, and virtually every muscle in your powerhouse. Adding in that arm component helps to work those delts as well. Get after it!

3. Standing Reverse Fly

Oh yeah, we’re bringing sexy back… or at least toning the crap out of our upper backs with this move. The criss-cross action of the resistance bands in front of your legs makes it so you feel the fly movement in all the right places. That little isometric squat is a nice added bonus, too.

4. In And Outs

These babies are clearly inspired by the classic Pilates V shape, but the resistance bands create an added challenge for the arms and shoulders. Get ready to work both the upper and lower abs, your hip flexors and that upper body as you maintain proper form from start to finish.

5. Oblique Plank

And as if normal oblique planks aren’t difficult enough, this move has you suspending your top leg in the air and adding tension your extended upper arm. You’ll seriously be testing your balance as you conquer this killer core workout. Burn, baby, burn!