Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Fit & Well
Fit & Well
Health
Harry Bullmore

You don’t need the gym to build a stronger back—use these three resistance band moves instead

A woman performing a bent-over row with a resistance band as part of a back workout

You might think you need a gym to build strong back muscles, or at the very least a set of dumbbells, but that's not the case. 

This three-move workout hits muscles all over your back with just one piece of equipment: a resistance band.

Devised by fitness trainer Alexia Clark, the session challenges you to perform 12-15 repetitions of each exercise back-to-back as a three-move circuit. Repeat for a total of five rounds for a quick yet effective workout. 

Watch Clark's video below for a demonstration of the three exercises. 

Watch Alexia Clark's resistance band back workout

Despite only containing three exercises—the resistance band row, banded good morning and a face pull variation—this workout manages to put your pulling muscles to the test. 

Similar to a dumbbell row, the resistance band row will focus on muscles across your upper back like your lats, while the banded good mornings are brilliant for strengthening your lower back. 

Face pulls are also an excellent exercise for developing the smaller stabilising muscles in the back and shoulders, such as the rhomboids, trapezius and rear deltoids. 

Working on these muscles can help protect you from future injuries by improving the strength of your shoulder joint and lower back. Building a stronger back will also help you maintain good posture and support your spine, while making everyday tasks like carrying the groceries feel much easier

Hopefully that teaser for the benefits of back workouts has you ready to grab a band and get to work. 

If that is the case, you can use this short session in isolation as a quick way to add some more movement into your day, or pair it with this resistance band chest workout for for a comprehensive upper-body bout. 

You can also use it as a "finisher" on the end of this chest and back workout, if you have a bit more time on your hands.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.