12 minutes and this resistance band workout to sculpt your entire body

Down the dumbbells and reach for a resistance band instead

Woman doing full-body resistance band workout
(Image credit: Getty Images)

You want to build muscle, but don’t go to the gym or own a pair of dumbbells either, that’s cool, you actually don’t need either of these! Instead, you can reach for a resistance band. They’re affordable, versatile and research shows they can build muscle too; so they're one of the best pieces of home gym equipment you can own. Plus, this 12 minute workout is ideal for fitting in when you're pushed for time, but are still keen to work on developing full-body muscle.

A benefit of using resistance bands, as oppose to free weights, is the fact that your muscles are under constant tension throughout the exercise. What this means is your muscles are working harder, which is key when it key for hypertrophy (increasing the size of your muscles). They're also a lot more lower impact than weights, with a smaller risk of injury, therefore if you're just getting started on your fitness journey they're well worth considering

For this workout you've got 14 different exercises to get through and you'll do each one for 30 seconds, with a 10 second rest in between. If you have access to different weight resistance bands, that's great. If not, we recommend opting for a medium weight one so that you still have decent resistance to work against, without it being too easy. You've only got one round to get through, but if you have more time on your hands we recommend doing this workout two, or even three times, for the best muscle-building benefits. Also, make sure to watch the video above if you're unsure how to do the exercises. Here's your workout:

  • Overhead press
  • Band squats 
  • Band RDL's 
  • Band Bent Over Row
  • Single arm row row (both sides for 30 secs each) 
  • Bicep curls
  • Single arm triceps extensions (both sides for 30 secs each)
  • Single arm chest fly (both sides for 30 secs each)
  • Chest press 
  • Single arm bicep curls (both sides for 30 secs each)
  • Banded push ups
  • V - sit ups
  • Glute side steps
  • Plank 

We hope you enjoyed that! Looking for more resistance band workouts, then you're in the right place as we've got plenty on T3. If it's your upper body you want to focus your attention on, then we've got this 20 minute banded workout to sculpt your arms, shoulders and back. But if it's your lower body you want to dedicate some time too, then we've also got this no squat banded workout to target your legs and glutes. More time on your hands? Give this other full-body banded workout a go, but this time it's 30 minutes.

Bryony Firth-Bernard
Staff Writer, Active

Bryony’s T3’s official ‘gym-bunny’ and Active Staff Writer, covering all things fitness. In her spare time, you will find her in her natural habitat - the gym - where her style of training is a hybrid of bodybuilding and powerlifting. Bryony loves writing about accessible workouts, nutrition and testing innovative fitness products that help you reach your fitness goals and take your training to the next level.