Old School Resistance Band Exercises That Still Work

These old school resistance band exercises get the job done! Here’s the best of the best for a full-body workout.

Many things have changed over time, but exercises that work aren’t one of them. These old school exercises still do the job of giving your entire body a workout!

We’re going to focus here on exercises that use a pull up band so that you can replicate the kind of resistance that you would get with weights, but without having to carry a home gym around with you.

Let’s get started!

5 Old School Resistance Band Exercises For The Entire Body

Here’s how you can work your entire body with minimum equipment and maximum results:

1. Leg Exercise – Squats

Stand with your feet approximately hip-distance apart. Keep your chest out and bend your knees slightly, leaning slightly forward. Make sure your hips are back, and your knees stay behind your toes.

The ends of the resistance band should be in each hand, and the band underneath the middle of your feet (the arches). You don’t want the band to snap up at you while exercising!

With your hands next to your shoulders with your elbows bent, do squats.

2. Back Exercise – Seated Rows

Make sure you take care of your back in these exercises. If you struggle with back pain, check out this advice here.

For seated rows, you want to sit with your feet out in front of you, and your legs slightly bent. Wrap the resistance band around a pole, tree, or another stationary object. If possible, choose a wide enough tree so that you can rest your feet against it.

The ends of the resistance band should be in each hand. Pull your hands back as if you’re rowing a boat. Your feet should be on the ground, with your elbows close to your body.

Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades as you pull back while keeping your upper body straight.

3. Biceps Exercise – Standing Curls

Stand as you would for bicep curls, with your feet hip-distance apart and the resistance band under the middle of both feet. Again, make sure the band is secured, so it doesn’t snap up.

Hold one end of the resistance band in each hand, and do biceps curls as you normally would. Keep your elbows close to your body as you lift the band on the exhale.

Make sure your back is straight, with your knees slightly bent.

4. Triceps Exercise – French Curls

Also called skull crushers, these exercises are typically done on a bench to rely on gravity, but with resistance bands, all you need is a tree branch or overhead pole that’s slightly taller than you.

Wrap the resistance band around the branch or pole, holding one end of the band in each hand. Stand in a split stance (one foot about 2-3 feet in front of the other), with your elbows bent so that your biceps are shoulder height.

Keeping your back straight (bend your knees slightly to stabilize yourself), pull down and forward with your hands so that your arms end up straight. Try not to move your elbows as you do this, and work slowly.

5. Chest Exercise – Bench Press

Usually, bench presses are done lying on a bench, but resistance bands allow you to do this old school exercise standing up.

Using your pole, tree, or another stationary object from your seated rows exercises, stand facing away from the pole, with the resistance band wrapped around the pole. Hold one end in each hand with an underarm grip.

Using an underarm grip will prevent the resistance band from catching on the hairs of your arm (ouch!)

With your arms at chest height, bend your elbows back towards the pole. Lean into the pole if you can (otherwise, tighten your core and leg muscles to keep your body upright and straight).

Straighten your arms out in front of you as you exhale, keeping your arms chest height (they should be parallel to the ground).

Your arms are making the same motion as they would for a traditional bench press, but using the resistance of the band to build strength.

I hope you enjoy these old school resistance band exercises that still work!