{"id":736427,"date":"2026-06-14T17:37:18","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T17:37:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/736427\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T17:37:18","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T17:37:18","slug":"you-dont-need-the-gym-to-build-strength-and-muscle-try-this-resistance-band-workout-plan-instead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/736427\/","title":{"rendered":"You don\u2019t need the gym to build strength and muscle \u2013\u00a0try this resistance band workout plan instead"},"content":{"rendered":"

The gym isn\u2019t for everyone, but strength training<\/a> is. This training style builds a fit, functional body, with new research<\/a> also linking regular sessions to significantly reduced risk of early death and several serious health conditions. For better health, it should be a non-negotiable. <\/p>\n

Fortunately, strength training can take many forms, with resistance band<\/a> workouts being among the most accessible. <\/p>\n

These looped rubber bands broaden your exercise horizons significantly, allowing you to enjoy an effective strength training workout sans gym. They are also relatively inexpensive and fit innocuously in most bags \u2013\u00a0useful if you want to train on-the-go. <\/p>\n

Once you own one of these savvy training tools, the last piece of the puzzle is knowing how to get the most out of it. For this, I enlisted the help of Matt Van Mol and Cyan Koay, the personal trainers responsible for founding Strong Band<\/a>. <\/p>\n

How to start <\/p>\n

To start training with a resistance band, you\u2019ll need a resistance band\u2026 and that\u2019s about it. You can use them anywhere, any time, to enjoy an effective workout. <\/p>\n

Working with them will differ greatly from training with weights, however, on account of their variable resistance. This means that, while a 10kg dumbbell will always weigh 10kg, a band will generate more resistance the more you stretch it. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe always tell people to ease into the exercises and get used to how the bands feel at lower resistances,\u201d Van Mol says. \u201cReally focus on form before targeting progression.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next, he recommends acquainting yourself with a few fundamental exercises: a squat or lunge, a hip hinge such as a Romanian deadlift, a banded shoulder press, a row and a core exercise. you can find examples of these movements demonstrated in the videos below. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt doesn\u2019t need to be complicated,\u201d Van Mol stresses. \u201cIn fact, to begin with, the more simple it is, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more: Do these three things each week to be fitter than most Brits<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ResistanceResistance bands come in many forms, including looped bands featured in this piece, the mini bands (pictured) and physio bands. For workouts, looped bands are the most versatile (Alamy\/PA)<\/p>\n

The resistance band workout plan for beginners <\/p>\n

This eight-week workout plan from Koay and Van Mol is designed to build strength, muscle and mobility in beginners. There are five different workouts involved, and each one can be found below as a follow-along video. <\/p>\n

Phase one<\/p>\n

The plan starts with two workouts, each performed once per week for four weeks. This is phase one.<\/p>\n

In these workouts, most exercises are performed for two sets of 12-15 repetitions, giving you plenty of opportunity to practice good technique and build confidence with the movements. During this phase, prioritise form and technique, taking each exercise to a point that feels like roughly a six out of 10 effort. <\/p>\n

Phase one: workout A <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Phase one: workout B<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Phase two<\/p>\n

Phase two of this beginner resistance band workout plan involves the three workouts below. Complete each one once per week for four weeks, leaving at least a day between them to allow your body to recover.<\/p>\n

New exercises are introduced during phase two to provide an extra challenge, and most exercises are performed for two sets of eight to 12 repetitions. <\/p>\n

At this point, you\u2019ll be more familiar with resistance band workouts, so you can also push each set a bit harder. Take each exercise to the point where it feels like roughly an eight out of 10 effort. <\/p>\n

Phase two: workout A<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Phase two: workout B<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Phase two: workout C<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

How to progress your training with resistance bands<\/p>\n

A successful strength training workout has to challenge the targeted muscles in some way. This persuades the body to spend its resources on making your body \u2013 that is, your muscles, ligaments, tendons and more \u2013 fitter and stronger. <\/p>\n

To achieve this, you need to find a resistance band and exercise pairing that is challenging for you and gradually upgrade this in line with your increasing strength levels as the months go by. This is called progressive overload<\/a>, and it is the common denominator behind any effective long-term training plan. <\/p>\n

Most full resistance band sets come with five bands of differing thicknesses, offering as many different resistance options. As a rule of thumb, the thicker a resistance band is, the more resistance it will generate. <\/p>\n

The most obvious way to progress your workouts is to switch to a thicker band, but this can represent a significant step up. Koay suggests taking more manageable steps. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can move your hands down the band by a few centimetres to pull it tighter and increase the resistance,\u201d she says. \u201cOur Strong Bands have seven numbered progress lines, each five centimetres apart, so you can have seven-plus levels of progress on each band before moving on to the next one.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can apply this principle with any looped resistance band. But the Strong Band\u2019s numbered lines are a handy tool for tracking and measuring your performance over time. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s a psychological benefit to using resistance bands too,\u201d Van Mol adds. \u201cWhen training with dumbbells or barbells, people tend to get stuck on a certain weight. But resistance bands give you a running start into strength training. They\u2019re less intimidating, and the next level of progression is only ever five centimetres away. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe best part of our job is doing workshops. We see people arrive really nervous, then halfway through they go, \u2018This feels good, why don\u2019t I try the next progress line?\u2019 You haven\u2019t done anything as a coach, but they\u2019ve progressed the workout themselves.\u201d <\/p>\n

Read more: The easiest way to strengthen your entire body, according to this expert coach<\/a><\/p>\n

\"ResistanceResistance bands can make body weight movements more difficult or be used for entirely new exercises (Harry Bullmore\/The Independent)<\/p>\n

Benefits of training with resistance bands<\/p>\n

Building strength and muscle<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you know how to use resistance bands properly, you are able to find the right level of challenge for you and you implement progressive overload, there\u2019s a lot of evidence to say you can get the same results as you would with free weights,\u201d Koay says. \u201cIt\u2019s all about how you use them.\u201d <\/p>\n

Your nervous system doesn\u2019t know what a dumbbell is, adds Van Mol. If you can create an adequate challenge for your body by using resistance bands, you can build strength, muscle, mobility and robustness. <\/p>\n

Easier on your joints<\/p>\n

\u201cResistance bands use variable resistance,\u201d says Koay. \u201cThis means the resistance changes depending on how much you stretch it.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is why most resistance bands come with a listed resistance range \u2013 6-9kg, for example. When it is taut, it will be at the lower end of the spectrum. When you stretch it further, the resistance increases. This can ease your body into an exercise, placing less stress on your joints. <\/p>\n

Read more: I spoke to one of the world\u2019s leading kettlebell experts \u2013 this is how to transform your body with just one weight<\/a><\/p>\n

\"PocketPocket gym: the bands are a super-handy tool for those looking for a workout while on the move (Harry Bullmore\/The Independent)<\/p>\n

Injury prevention and mobility<\/p>\n

The larger muscles in the body often steal the limelight during strength training sessions \u2013 the glutes, pecs, quads and lats. Resistance band workouts can strengthen these effectively, but they also recruit the smaller, surrounding unsung heroes such as the rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder to stabilise the band as you stretch it. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis can help create healthy joints, which is great for injury prevention and helping people move in a pain-free way,\u201d says Koay.<\/p>\n

Supports daily life<\/p>\n

Most exercises in the gym involve you moving up, down, forward and backward. But life is rarely this two-dimensional. <\/p>\n

Resistance bands offer accessible options to train your body in other planes of motion \u2013 twisting, bending and moving from side to side. <\/p>\n

\u201cGetting out of the car is one of the most common activities where people twinge their back,\u201d Van Mol says. \u201cThat twisting motion \u2013 getting groceries out of the car or picking up your kids \u2013 is largely ignored in most exercise plans.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut resistance band exercises like the Pallof press, suitcase march and lateral lunge require you to control the band through space, making them more applicable to everyday life.\u201d <\/p>\n

Read more: You don\u2019t need to lift weights for strength training \u2013 these exercises count too<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The gym isn\u2019t for everyone, but strength training is. This training style builds a fit, functional body, with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":650326,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[64,63,538,137],"class_list":["post-736427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fitness","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=736427"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/736427\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/650326"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=736427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=736427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=736427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}