Resistance Band Arms & Abs

I
love
the
simplicity
and
versatility
of
resistance
bands.
They’re
compact,
easy
to
travel
with,
and
pack
a
serious
punch
when
it
comes
to
working
those
muscles.
And
let’s
be
real

who
doesn’t
enjoy
a
good
arms
and
abs
session?

Today,
I’m
sharing
a
workout
that
targets
both
areas
at
the
same
time.
Yep,
you
read
that
right.
We’re

hitting
those
abs

and
arms
simultaneously
with
nothing
but
resistance
bands.
It’s
quick,
effective,
and,
trust
me,
your
muscles
will
thank
you
later!


1.
Overhead
Press
&
Side
Bend

bent arm

  • Stand
    with
    your
    feet
    hip-width
    apart,
    resistance
    band
    looped
    under
    your
    feet.
  • Bring
    the
    right
    hand
    up
    into
    a
    cactus
    position,
    elbow
    bent
    at
    90
    degrees.
  • Press
    the
    arm
    overhead,
    then
    lean
    to
    the
    left
    as
    you
    engage
    your
    left-side
    obliques.
  • Return
    to
    the
    start,
    keeping
    it
    controlled.


Repeat
12
times
on
each
side.
This
move
targets
your
shoulders
while
really
challenging
those
side
abs.
You’ll
feel
the
burn
as
you
press
up
and
lean,
working
the
shoulders
and
obliques
all
in
one
go.


2.
Twist
&
Upright
Row

Here’s
how
to
do
it:

  • Stand
    with
    the
    band
    under
    your
    feet,
    crossing
    it
    in
    front
    to
    make
    an
    “X.”
  • As
    you
    pull
    the
    right
    arm
    up
    towards
    the
    shoulder
    in
    a
    row,
    twist
    your
    torso
    to
    the
    right.
  • Keep
    your
    hips
    steady,
    ensuring
    they
    face
    forward.

Do
15
reps
on
each
side.
The
upright
row

works
your
shoulders

and
upper
back,
while
the
twist
engages
your
obliques
for
an
added
core
challenge.


3.
Side
Plank
&
Pull

This
is
a
killer
move
for
your
obliques
and
shoulders.
Balancing
in
the
plank
position
makes
your
core
work
harder
to
stabilize,
while
the
band
adds
tension
to
your
shoulder
pull.

  • Get
    into
    a
    plank
    position
    with
    the
    band
    choked
    up
    in
    your
    hands.
  • Shift
    your
    weight
    to
    the
    left
    side
    as
    you
    pull
    the
    band
    with
    your
    right
    hand,
    raising
    it
    toward
    the
    ceiling
    in
    a
    side
    plank.



*Repeat
12
times
on
each
side. 


4.
Roll
Down
&
Wide
Row

How
to
do
it:

  • Sit
    on
    the
    floor,
    looping
    the
    band
    around
    your
    feet.

  • Roll
    halfway
    down
    ,
    engaging
    your
    core
    and
    holding
    the
    band’s
    handles.
  • Perform
    a
    wide
    row
    by
    pulling
    the
    handles
    back,
    elbows
    out.


Go
for
15
reps.
This
is
perfect
for
sculpting
your
back
while
also
giving
those
lower
abs
a
workout
as
you
hold
the
semi-reclined
position.


5.
Roll
Up
&
Front
Raise

The
roll-up
challenges
your
abs,
while
the
front
raise
gets
those
shoulders
engaged.
Bonus:
your
lower
back
will
love
the
stability
work.

  • Stay
    seated
    with
    the
    band
    still
    around
    your
    feet,
    lying
    flat
    on
    your
    back.
  • Hold
    the
    handles
    and
    roll
    up
    to
    a
    seated
    position,
    keeping
    your
    arms
    straight
    as
    you
    raise
    the
    band
    overhead.
  • Lower
    yourself
    back
    down
    with
    control,
    bringing
    the
    arms
    to
    your
    sides.



*Complete
10
reps. 


6.
Bicycles

How
to
do
it:

  • Sit
    up,
    slip
    the
    band
    handles
    over
    your
    feet,
    and
    roll
    slightly
    back.
  • Lift
    your
    legs
    to
    about
    a
    45-degree
    angle.
  • Alternate
    bringing
    each
    knee
    to
    your
    chest
    in
    a
    bicycle
    motion.


Shoot
for
20
reps
total.
It’s
a
classic
bicycle
move,
but
with
the
band,
you
get
extra
resistance
for
your
lower
abs
and
hip
flexors.


7.
Scissors

This
move
really
isolates
the
lower
abs
while
the
crunch
works
your
upper
abs,
making
it
a
great
full-ab
move.

  • Lie
    flat
    on
    your
    back
    with
    the
    band
    handles
    still
    around
    your
    feet.
  • Lift
    your
    legs
    up
    toward
    the
    ceiling
    and

    curl
    your
    shoulders

    off
    the
    mat
    in
    a
    small
    crunch.
  • Lower
    the
    right
    leg
    down
    to
    hover
    above
    the
    floor,
    then
    switch
    legs
    in
    a
    scissoring
    motion.



*Repeat
for
20
reps. 


Quick
Tips
for
Success

I
get
it

new
moves
with
resistance
bands
can
sometimes
feel
a
little
tricky
at
first.
But
don’t
worry,
once
you
get
the
hang
of
the
tension
and
how
the
band
moves
with
your
body,
it’ll
feel
more
natural.
Here
are
a
few
tips
that
can
help:


  • Start
    with
    lighter
    resistance:
     If
    you’re
    new
    to
    bands,
    start
    with
    a
    lighter
    one
    and
    gradually
    increase
    the
    tension
    as
    you
    build
    strength.

  • Focus
    on
    form:
     Keep
    your
    core
    tight

    throughout
    each
    movement.
    It’s
    tempting
    to
    rush
    through,
    but
    slow
    and
    controlled
    motions
    will
    make
    sure
    you’re
    targeting
    the
    right
    muscles.

  • Modify
    as
    needed:
     If
    an
    exercise
    feels
    too
    challenging,
    shorten
    the
    band
    or
    try
    a
    different
    variation.
    For
    example,
    you
    can
    do
    a

    side
    plank
    on
    your
    knees

    instead
    of
    your
    toes.

And
the
best
part?
You
can
easily
adjust
the
resistance
on
the
fly

just
grab
the
band
closer
to
the
handles
for
more
tension,
or
give
yourself
more
slack
for
less.
It’s
all
about
finding
what
works
best
for
your
body.


Why
I
Love
Combining
Arms
and
Abs

Why
not
work
smarter
and

hit
two
muscle
groups
,
at
once?
When
you
pair
arms
and
abs,
you’re
not
just
saving
time,
you’re
also
helping
to
engage
your
whole
upper
body.
Your
core
is
constantly
working
to
stabilize
you
during
arm
exercises,
and
your
arms
assist
in
many
ab-focused
moves.


Working
arms
and
abs
together
also
encourages
better
posture.
Strong
abs
support
your
back,
while
toned
arms
help
carry
you
through
everyday
tasks
more
efficiently.


Wrapping
Up

By
incorporating
both
arms
and
abs
into
your
workout,
you’ll
maximize
your
time
and
results.
Each
of
these
moves
is
designed
to
target
both
areas,
giving
you
a
well-rounded
upper-body
session
in
under
30
minutes.