7 Mini-Band Exercises for a Killer Full Body Workout

If you are looking for a new way to target your entire body and maximize your total body workout, then you have come to the right place.

Stop blaming your bank account or busy travel schedule. There are no excuses now once you learn about mini band workouts. Resistance bands are a great way to target upper body and lower body muscles. These exercises can be performed anywhere whether you seek a quick at-home workout or simply seek new ways to incorporate strength training into your workout routine.

Mini bands are perfect for the fast-paced lifestyles we all have to keep up within this day and age. They are super convenient as they are light and compact making them easy to throw in your bag if you have to travel a lot. They indeed are lightweight but don't let that hold you back.

These mini-bands have a variety of levels of resistance depending on the particular color of the band allowing variety in your workout plan. Using a resistance band is a great way to add some excitement to typical bodyweight exercises!

What Are Mini Band Workouts?

​Mini Band Workouts are an easy way to change up your workout routine through the use of mini resistance bands. These workouts target multiple muscle groups and can increase your mobility as well as your range of motion.

They can be performed indoors or outdoors, at the gym or at home, or simply anywhere you desire to break a sweat and continue working on those muscle gains. Mini band exercises can target any of your extremities and everything in between giving you a great opportunity to improve your strength and get those muscles working.

What Muscles Do Mini-Band Exercises Target?

Resistance band workouts are capable of targeting almost all your muscle groups ensuring you get a killer full-body workout. Depending on which particular exercise you choose to perform, these mini resistance bands can target your lower body, upper body, or abs.

Your lower body consists of those glute muscles which are extremely important for keeping us upright and supporting our bodies. Your glute muscles provide your whole body with strength including your core. Your upper body consists of your triceps, shoulder blades, biceps, and pectoral muscles.

These muscles allow you to lift heavy items and if you have weak upper body muscles, you risk muscle imbalance as your lower back muscles may have to take synergistic dominance causing pain throughout your body.

Also, by continuing to strengthen your upper body muscles, you allow room for growth and more variation in your workout reps or weight.

How to Choose a Resistance Band

If you're new to resistance bands, it could be hard to figure out where to start. There are many different types with different colors which relate to the amount of resistance the band provides. My first recommendation would be to buy a pack that has a variety of bands so you can try out different resistance.

The color typically coordinates with the amount of resistance. Also, make sure you keep in mind that different exercises will require different levels of resistance so do not just assume that you need the most resistance to maximize your workout.

Below, there are many different types of exercises that work almost every muscle in your body but some muscles may need less resistance than others and vice versa.

If you'd like to learn more about resistance bands and how to purchase the one that is right for you, check out this article about the five types of resistance bands and which ones would be recommended to you.

Getting Ready for Resistance Band Training

Before starting any sort of exercise whether it is the conventional way or with resistance bands, you need to make sure you incorporate a warm-up into your workout routine. 

Warming up helps prevent injuries as you increase the temperature of your body and muscles, increase your heart rate and overall give your body more mobility in preparation for the movement. Some great warm-up exercises are shoulder circles, side bends, sidewalks, and kicks.

Shoulder circles are quite simple to perform. You simply will hold onto the resistance band in both of your hands and start stretching your arms out to the sides. Think about what you do when you first get out of bed and stretch your whole body.

Side bends are a great way to bring stability into your life and improve your flexibility. Starting with your right side, hold the resistance band between your hands with your arms above your head. Push your right hip to the right side of the room and bend your body to the left side. Alternate sides to make sure you are stretching both sides of your body.

Sidewalks are commonly used in the gym and they are a great method for glute activation. Place the resistance band around your thighs. Bend your knees and keep your shoulders, hips, and knees facing forward. Clasp your hands and walk to one side. Once you reach the end, switch sides and walk in the other direction.

Resistance band kicks are not only a great way to activate your quads but they also challenge your mind through balance. Place your resistance band above your knees and start with your right leg. Ground your left foot into the floor and slowly swing your right leg in front of you. Repeat this about 10 times then switch to the left leg by grounding your right foot into the floor.

You can use the lighter bands to warm up then increase the resistance when you are performing the exercises below. Now, let's get started and find out how to do some body resistance band workouts!

7 Mini-Band Exercises for a Killer Full Body Workout

Your form is everything so it might be good to perform these exercises in front of a mirror to ensure correct activation and engagement of the muscles.

1. Glute Bridge Mini Band Workout

How To:

1. Place your mini band either above or below your knees. If you're seeking more of a challenge, place it below your knees. Regardless of placement, make sure you are feeling that glute engagement. 
   
   
2. Get into your starting position by laying back on the floor with your feet shoulder-width apart or feet hip-width apart.
   
   
3. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle and begin to push through your heels and upper back to bring your hips up into a bridge position. Press against the band to ensure engagement. 
   
   
4. Hold at the top for a couple of seconds and slowly lower down. Repeat this movement for your desired number of reps and sets. Make sure you aren't caving your knees in and squeeze your glutes when you reach the bridge position. Do not hyperextend your lower back and make sure you are engaging your core.

This can also be performed as a single-leg exercise by lifting one foot off the ground and extending it in front of you keeping your foot flexed. Make sure you drive through your heels and upper back to fully extend your hips to engage those hamstrings.

2. Jumping Jack to Squat

This is a great alternative to typical jumping jacks or squats as it incorporates strength alongside cardio training.

How To:

1. Place the mini band around your ankles with your legs shoulder-width apart. 
   
   
2. Keep your knees bent to prevent them from locking and perform a jumping jack. You can move your arms like a normal jumping jack but you can also keep them by your chest. 
   
   
3. Next, move into your squat position. 

Go as fast or as slow as you desire for about 30 seconds. Pause for 60 seconds to breathe then repeat for 3-5 rounds.

3. Rear Delt Pull

How To:

1. Place a mini band around both of your wrists.
    
2. Bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle. 
   
   
3. Reach your arms in front of you at shoulder height then bend your elbows to bring your arms towards your chest. Make sure you squeeze your upper back to ensure engagement of all muscles.

4. Repeat for your desired number of reps and sets.

4. Tricep Extension with Mini Band

How To:

1. Stand up straight and press one end of the band to your chest with your left hand. 
   
   
2. With your right hand, press your right hand against the other side of the band into a tricep extension. 
   
   
3. Go as slowly or as fast as possible while performing this in a controlled manner. 
   
   
4. Repeat for as many reps and sets as you desire but make sure you switch sides and repeat on your left side to ensure balance.

5. Bicep Curl with Mini Band

How To:

1. Get into a lunge position with your left leg in front first. 
   
   
2. Place your resistance band just above the left knee and put your right hand through the band. 
   
   
3. Pull your right hand up toward the shoulder as if you are performing a bicep curl with a dumbbell in your hand. Slowly release down to really target those muscle fibers. Make sure you keep your right elbow close to your body.
   
   
4. Repeat for your desired number of reps and sets then switch sides.

6. Shoulder Press with Mini Band

How To:

1. Stand up tall with your shoulders back with your feet shoulder-width apart. 
2. Place the resistance band around your wrists. 
3. Your starting position should be as if you performed a bicep curl. 
4. Slowly raise your arms into a shoulder press all the way up above your head then lower back to your starting position.
5. Repeat this motion for your desired number of reps and sets.

7. Plank Jacks with Mini Band

How To:

1. Place your mini band around your ankle and get into your push-up position with your wrists in line with your shoulders and your legs and hips shoulder-width apart. To ensure alignment, try to get your right arm in line with your right knee and your left arm in line with your left knee.

2. Keep your back straight and your core tight. With your core tight and engaged, spread your feet apart then bring them back together to your starting position. Imagine you are performing a jumping jack except on the floor. 
   
   
3. Repeat this motion as quickly or as slowly as possible, but make sure you stay in the correct plank position and keep your core tight. 
   
   
4. Repeat this for about 45 seconds then take a 60-second break and repeat for 3-5 rounds.

Benefits of Doing Mini Band Workouts:

Ever since resistance bands became widely available in the 1980s, research has been showing the variety of benefits provided such as increasing strength as a result of muscle activation, improving body composition, and overall improving quality of life.

A study performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compile previous studies in order to compare the strength gains individuals received from the use of resistance bands in comparison to the use of conventional methods of working out such as weight machines and free weights.

The duration of the training programs studied typically lasted between 4-12 weeks and were performed 2-5 times per week. This study showed that on average, about 50% of individuals who use conventional methods such as weight machines and dumbbells stop performing this type of workout by the first year.

Their excuses typically are related to their bank account, lack of time, or inaccessibility to a gym or resources. The use of resistance bands can help cross off almost all those obstacles and allow individuals to adhere and commit to their muscle gains goals.

If you're struggling to commit to a particular workout routine and you need that extra boost of energy, there's no harm in trying out our new Charged-AF Pre-Workout.

Resistance band training requires a lot of focus to ensure proper engagement and this pre-workout formula provides you with all the energy and focus you need.

Wrap-Up

Regardless of which exercise you choose to perform, you are allowing your body to reap the benefits by taking that first step. Resistance bands provide a wide variety of options and are flexible (literally) for those who are on the go. The bands allow you to use major muscle groups and maximize engagement allowing you to reach your goals and muscle gains.

If this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that the only reason you are not reaching your goals is due to the fact you are not putting in enough effort. You can't blame it on not having access to the gym because you can make any place a gym with your mini bands.

Now, go give one of the many options mentioned above a try!

If you enjoyed switching up your routine by incorporating resistance bands, you can try a whole new type of workout through Tabata training!

Read here to learn more about Tabata workouts.