Resistance band exercise library: 24 movements by muscle group
Short answer
Twenty-four band movements covering every main pattern, each with the band level, rep range and the single cue that fixes the most common mistake. Filter the table by typing a muscle group, pattern or band.
Filter, do not scroll. Type "glute", "pull", "light" or "row" in the box and the table narrows to just those rows.
| Exercise | Pattern | Band | Reps | The cue that matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band row (seated or standing) | Horizontal pull | Medium | 10–15 | Pause with the shoulder blade squeezed, do not shrug |
| Banded pull-up assist | Vertical pull | Heavy | 5–10 | Let the band carry the bottom of the rep, not the top |
| Lat pulldown with door anchor | Vertical pull | Medium | 10–15 | Elbows down and back, ribs stay down |
| Face pull | Horizontal pull | Light | 12–20 | Hands finish at eye level, thumbs back |
| Reverse fly | Horizontal pull | Light | 12–20 | Lead with the elbows, not the hands |
| Band chest press (anchor) | Horizontal push | Medium | 10–15 | Wrists stacked over elbows the whole way |
| Standing overhead press | Vertical push | Light to medium | 8–15 | Do not arch the lower back to finish the rep |
| Push-up with band across back | Horizontal push | Medium | 6–12 | Band sits across the shoulder blades, body in one line |
| Bicep curl | Arm isolation | Medium | 10–15 | Elbows pinned to the ribs; no swing at the bottom |
| Triceps pressdown (anchor) | Arm isolation | Medium | 12–20 | Upper arms still; only the forearms move |
| Lateral raise | Shoulder isolation | Light | 12–20 | Stop at shoulder height, lead with the elbow |
| Rotator cuff external rotation | Shoulder health | Extra light | 12–20 | Elbow at 90°, tiny range, controlled |
| Back squat | Squat | Medium to heavy | 8–15 | Band under both feet, even tension on both sides |
| Goblet squat with long loop | Squat | Heavy | 8–15 | Chest tall, knees track over the middle toes |
| Split squat | Single leg | Medium | 8–12 each | Front shin near vertical; do not push off the back foot |
| Lateral band walk | Hip | Light to medium | 10–15 steps each way | Stay in a quarter squat, feet never cross |
| Hip thrust with band | Hinge | Heavy | 10–15 | Chin tucked, ribs down, squeeze at the top for two seconds |
| Banded deadlift pattern | Hinge | Heavy | 8–12 | Push the floor away; do not yank with the lower back |
| Glute kickback | Hip | Light | 12–20 each | Stop when the hip is level, not when the back arches |
| Band pull-through | Hinge | Heavy | 10–15 | Hips back, spine neutral, arms relaxed |
| Dead bug with band | Core anti-extension | Light | 8–12 each side | Low back stays flat on the floor the whole time |
| Pallof press | Core anti-rotation | Light to medium | 10–15 each side | Resist the twist; do not let the band turn you |
| Farmer-style band carry | Carry | Heavy | 30–45 s | Stand tall, band tension constant, no leaning |
| Banded hip flexor march | Hip | Light | 12–20 each | Keep the pelvis level; do not lean back |
How to build a session from this table
- Pick one lower-body pattern (squat or hinge) and one upper-body pull. That is your base.
- Add one push and one core anti-rotation movement.
- Add one small-muscle accessory — cuff, calf or arm.
- Three sets of each at the rep range shown. Rest 60–90 seconds.
- Run it for four to six weeks, then swap the exercises but keep the patterns.
Form first, resistance secondA band that pulls you out of position is too heavy, regardless of what the chart says. If a rep looks different from the one before it, end the set.
Tools that pair with this library
Sources
- ACSM. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults — pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18296951/
- Lopes JSS, et al. SAGE Open Medicine, 2019 — elastic versus conventional resistance — pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6383082/