​ ​

15-Minute Resistance Band Arm Workout (with Mini Loop Band)

Six resistance band exercises for your arms that you can do absolutely anywhere! All you need is a mini band to complete this quick, 15-minute resistance band arm workout.



 

Build strong, toned arms at home with this 15-Minute Resistance Band Arm Workout!

I love to add resistance bands to my home workouts because they increase the time under tension or the amount of time a muscle is working. Any time there is tension on the band, your muscles are working against the resistance created.

Resistance bands are also great at working larger muscles groups (legs, glutes, quads, back and shoulders) as well as smaller, stabilizing muscles (like the core and pelvic floor) that are harder to target with free weights.

Although it’s only 15 minutes, this arm workout with bands hits all the upper body muscles — shoulders, back, biceps, triceps and chest muscles! 

woman performing a concentration bicep curl in a resistance band arm workout for women

Resistance Band Arm Workout FAQs

What Are The Benefits Of Resistance Band Arm Workouts?

Resistance band exercises are a great way to challenge your upper body! They challenge your stabilization and core activation, offer a variety of exercise options, and are inexpensive and easy to travel with or store in a home gym. Resistance bands also provide greater muscle stimulus and control (you have to maintain tension on the band throughout the entire movement).

Are Resistance Band Arm Workouts Effective?

Yes! Research shows that resistance bands are a comparable alternative to dumbbells when it comes to muscle engagement, specifically in upper body exercises (Journal of Human Kinetics). In a mini band arm workout, your arm muscles are under constant tension, so they’re working harder with each rep due to the time under tension. Resistance band exercises also increase flexibility and mobility in your upper body.

women performing a tricep extension with resistance band

15-Minute Resistance Band Arm Workout

Six of the best resistance band exercises for your arms, that you can do absolutely anywhere.

This is one of my favorite arm workouts to add onto a run. I throw a mini band in the bottom of my stroller, run the kids to the park and do this resistance band arm workout while the kids play at the park.

It’s also a great quick and effective upper body workout when you’re short on time or traveling.

Workout Equipment:

Mini Loop Resistance Band

I recommend light to medium resistance. You want to be able to move throughout the full range of motion with each arm exercise, but the last 2-3 reps should feel challenging to complete.

Shop My Resistance Bands

These are the mini loop bands I use and love!

DISCOUNT CODE: NML
Click Here To Shop
woman performing a single arm lat pull down in a resistance band arm workout

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Resistance Bands Arm Workout on YouTubeled by certified personal trainer, Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 6 Resistance Band Arm Exercises (repeating some exercises on the right arm and left arm)
  • Timed Intervals (30 seconds work, 10 seconds rest)
  • Repeat x2 Sets

Workout Outline

  1. Push Ups
  2. Kneeling Shoulder Press
  3. Kneeling Lat Pull Down, Right
  4. Kneeling Concentration Bicep Curl, Right
  5. Plank and Alternating Row
  6. Kneeling Lat Pull Down, Left
  7. Kneeling Concentration Bicep Curl, Left
  8. Tricep Press Down, Right
  9. Tricep Press Down, Left
resistance band arm workout bicep curl

Prefer to Watch On YouTube?

youtube icon Arm Workout

6 Resistance Band Exercises for Arms

Banded Push Ups

Targets: Chest, shoulders, triceps, abs and core.

woman performing banded push ups in a resistance band arm workout

How To Do Banded Push Ups

  1. Place the mini band around your wrists or upper arms.
  2. Start in high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists, weight evenly distributed amongst all 10 fingers.
  3. Hold this position, maintaining a straight line with your body, gaze slightly in front of you.
  4. Slowly lower your chest down towards the ground, elbows fall back towards your body. Maintain a straight line with your body — head, chest and legs in one straight line.
  5. Then push back up into high plank position (pushing your body up in one straight line from head to heels).
  6. Maintain tension on the band during each rep.

Modification: Drop to your knees and place the band around your upper arms to help push you back up to the top of your push up.

Kneeling Shoulder Press

Targets: Arms, shoulders, chest, back and stabilizing core muscles.

woman performing resistance band shoulder presses in a mini band arm workout

How To Do A Resistance Band Shoulder Press

  1. Start in a kneeling position (option to perform this standing if you have knee pain). Loop the resistance band around your wrists.
  2. Bend your elbows to 90 degrees, hands out in front of you, palms facing in towards each other. Spread your hands apart to create tension across the band.
  3. Maintaining this tension, straighten your arms as you press them overhead while keeping your shoulder blades pulled down. Fully extending your arms overhead.
  4. With control and constant tension on the band, lower arms, bringing the bands back down to the starting position.

Kneeling Lat Pull Down

Targets: Arms and lats (the largest muscle in the upper body and biggest back muscle).

woman performing a banded lat pull down in an arm workout

How To Do A Resistance Band Lat Pull Down

  1. Start in a kneeling position (option to perform this standing if you have knee pain). Loop the resistance band between your thumbs and hold both hands overhead; arms fully extended overhead.
  2. Keeping your left hand steady, pull your right elbow down and out, engaging your back muscles and pulling your shoulder blade down. Right arm should pull down to a 90 degree bend, shoulder and elbow parallel.
  3. Slowly, release the tension, bringing your right hand back to the starting position with control.
  4. Repeat, staying on the right side for the timed interval. Switch to the left side for the second set.

Kneeling Concentration Bicep Curls

Targets: Both the long and short heads of the bicep muscle (upper arm).

woman performing resistance band bicep curls in a mini band arm workout

How To Do Resistance Band Bicep Curls (Single Arm Concentration Curls)

  1. Start in a half kneeling position, left knee on the mat with toes of left foot tucked under and right foot on the mat. Bring your right foot out towards your right side and loop the resistance band around the arch of your right foot and your right hand.
  2. Slightly hinge forward at the hips and press your right elbow into the inside of your right thigh. Then curl your right palm up towards your right shoulder. Performing a single arm concentration curl.
  3. Control the tension on the band as you lower your right hand back down to the starting position.
  4. Stay on the right arm for the timed interval. Switch sides for the second set.

Plank and Alternating Row

Targets: Arms, shoulders, chest, back, triceps, abs and core.

woman performing a plank and row with resistance band in an arm workout with resistance band

How To Do A Plank And Row With Resistance Bands

  1. Start in high plank position with the resistance band looped around your thumbs. You can always modify your plank with both knees on the ground.
  2. Hold this plank position as you pull the band and your right hand back towards your right hip. Pulling your right elbow up to meet your right rib cage, while trying to keep both hips square to the ground.
  3. Lower your right hand back to the mat with control, and repeat the row on the left hand.

Modification: Drop to your knees and perform the rows from your knees. Or add an incline by placing your hands on a chair or bench.

Tricep Pressdown

Targets: All three heads of the tricep muscle (back of the upper arm).

woman performing resistance band tricep kickbacks in an upper body workout

How To Do A Resistance Band Tricep Kickback

  1. Start with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent. Option to slightly stagger your feet (pictured above).
  2. Hold the top of the band at your left shoulder with your right hand. Then loop your left hand/palm through the bottom of the resistance band.
  3. Slightly hinge forward at the hips and perform a ‘tricep kickback’ on the left arm; extending the left arm long behind you as you pull the band band back towards your left hips/butt (left arm straight).
  4. With control, slowly return your left hand to the starting position.
  5. Stay on the left arm for the timed interval. Switch sides for the second set.

Pin this Resistance Band Arm Workout:

Mini Band Arm Workout pin for pinterest

This post includes affiliate links. I do make a small commission for products purchased using these links (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for supporting Nourish Move Love, making the content you see on this blog possible.

no comments