I ditched the gym and tried this back strengthening resistance band workout instead — here’s what happened to my upper body
I trained my upper body using just a resistance band
A typical back day at the gym often includes popular upper body exercises like deadlifts, pull-ups, bent-over rows, and lateral pulldowns. While these are excellent for building strength and muscle, there are alternative ways to train your back without needing the gym or heavy equipment.
I've never felt confident training my upper body as I do training my lower body, especially when it comes to performing big compound lifts. Keen to ditch the weights, I decided to skip the gym and instead try a resistance band workout that claims to work the entire posterior chain, paying particular attention to the back muscles.
The routine I found was shared by Pilates Instructor Hilal Leigh on her Instagram. It's an eight-move strength workout using one of the best resistance bands. Below you can view a full rundown of the workout and then read up on how I got on trying it out at home.
A post shared by Hilal Leigh (@hilalleighpilates)
A photo posted by on
Don't underestimate the power of a resistance band
When I came to try this banded-back workout I was using a new set of bands straight out of the packaging and soon came to realize that they probably weren't the best style for this workout. I was working with a heavy-duty fabric band, one you'd typically use for leg day.
The band sits around your wrists during each exercise, an area that doesn't hold the same strength and power as your thighs or glutes do and therefore you won't need to go super heavy with the resistance unless you're feeling up to it. For me, I felt like I couldn't reach the full capacity of the move and was missing out on gains because of this.
For this reason, I'd recommend opting for a thinner, rubber resistance band if you're eager to give this banded workout a shot.
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In this set, you'll get five bands of varying resistances to suit all abilities and to support progressive overload training. They can be used for strength training, mobility work and even to aid injury rehabilitation. The bands also come with a bag so you can travel with them.
I really felt it in my triceps
According to Leigh, "This workout will strengthen your back, low back muscles, upper body especially shoulders, legs and hips as it works scapula retractors, rotator cuff, deltoid, erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, gluteus and hamstrings."
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I definitely felt all the targeted areas being challenged throughout the eight exercises, but I also noticed a significant burn in my triceps. I wasn't sure if this was supposed to happen, as Leigh didn't mention it in her post.
However, my colleague Sam who is a trainer herself reassured me that feeling it in the triceps was normal. All of the moves require you to pull the arms backward against the resistance band and if you watch the video demonstrations of Leigh and her workout buddy you can actually see the muscle in the forearms contracting as they work through the exercises.
No bad workout ends with cat cows
I read through the comments section for this workout, and someone described the exercises as 'small but mighty'—I couldn't agree more.
My back muscles felt thoroughly worked, but without the dread of intense delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) the next day and the cherry on top was ending the routine with a series of cat-cows, downward dogs, and cobra positions (without the band). I especially love the deep stretch and spinal awareness that the cat cow stretch brings to me.
The final part of this back routine left me feeling more mobile and a sense of relief across my back where I often hold tension.
It's tempting to skip the cool-down section of a workout, but this part is often the most important for preventing muscle tightness and promoting recovery.
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Jessica has been a fitness writer at Tom’s Guide since 2023, bringing three years of experience writing about health, fitness, and the great outdoors. Her passion for exercise began during her childhood, where she spent weekends hiking and competing in local athletics club events. After earning a master’s degree in journalism from Cardiff University, Jessica found the perfect way to combine her love of storytelling and fitness into a career.
Jessica is passionate about testing fitness gear and tech, using her reviews to help readers make informed buying decisions. She ran her first marathon in April 2024, finishing it in 3 hours and 48 minutes. Through her training, she’s developed a deep understanding of what it takes to grow as a runner, from effective workouts and recovery techniques to selecting the right gear for every challenge.
When she’s not at her desk, Jessica enjoys spending time in the kitchen crafting new recipes, braving cold water swims and hiking.