Exercise of the Week - Bent Over Row with Bands

A lot of us have a set of resistance bands lying around somewhere and maybe we even think of using them sometimes. We often wonder, what do we do with them and are they really as good as free weights or machines? Resistance bands can be a great way to change your workouts and add something a little different. They produce a constant tension on the muscles (something dumbells don't do), which can make exercises feel more challenging. You also get to work on coordination and stability because you really have to work to keep good form with that constant tension on your muscles.

The bent over row with a resistance band is one of my favorites because you really engage the arm muscles, which gives you an extra bicep bonus, and you'll feel it in your mid-back as well. If you usually do this move with dumbbells, a barbell or on a machine, try it with a resistance band to fire your muscles in a different way. The key with this move is to make sure you have enough tension that, when you lower the arms, the band doesn't sag.

Do it right: Center the band under both feet and bend forward at the waist, back flat and abs in. Grab the band on each side close to the feet and bend the elbows to pull the arms up to the torso, squeezing the back. You may need to adjust your hand position to create more or less tension. Holding the band closer to your feet will create more tension. You may also need to wrap the band around your hands a few times to create more tension.

An alternative to this move is to do it from a seated position with the band wrapped around a sturdy object in front of you:

More Upper Body Band Exercises