A strength training workout at home with elastic bands and some dumbbells

We will soon see what elastic band training is for beginners in a second article “Using elastic bands for “ Develop muscle mass .” In this article, we will assume that using resistance bands at home is perfectly suited to beginners in bodybuilding in terms of strength and muscle mass gain. Frankly speaking, using resistance bands is particularly suitable for training all muscle groups, as long as you know how to use them. To this end, nothing is simpler than watching videos on YouTube to find numerous examples of exercises. Many of them are particularly informative, especially for American videos for example. We will have the opportunity to describe some of them below. Some rather ill-informed strength athletes consider these accessories to be of little use. In reality, this is not the case. Quite the contrary, resistance bands prove to be particularly effective for strength and muscle growth.

And obviously, resistance bands are of particular interest over dumbbell training because they allow for continuous muscle tension throughout the entire range of motion, which is particularly effective for muscle hypertrophy . However, barbells and dumbbells are still undeniably essential because they allow for a considerable number of exercises to be performed, based on several different angles, which is not always possible with resistance bands. But whatever form of resistance you use, these accessories and means will allow you to develop muscle mass and strength . In this case, why not use both resistance bands and dumbbells for home strength training? This is precisely what we propose to discuss in this article, with numerous examples. Using this minimalist equipment, nothing could be simpler than performing strength training. bodybuilding at home .

Combine dumbbell exercises with elastic bands to gain muscle mass

Strictly speaking, it's quite simple to combine dumbbell work with resistance bands to create good strength training workouts at home. As long as you have a bench, straight or inclined, as well as a fixed support to attach your resistance bands, the exercise possibilities are very numerous. Speaking of which, let's just say that the first time you pick up resistance bands, you'll inevitably want to pull, resulting in a pulling movement of the lats and biceps. It's a movement that's almost instinctive and in a way, it's rather interesting from the moment you have to train at home . This movement is our first example with back training.

Rowing with elastic bands in supersets with the bent-over dumbbell fly

Resistance band rows are one of the most obvious exercises to do when you pick up a pair of resistance bands. Start by attaching one or two resistance bands (one-sided or two-sided) to a wall rack in front of you to perform rows. rowings . With resistance bands, you'll also tend to do more reps per exercise than with dumbbells since you don't feel the weight of the weight, as the resistance of the bands is much lighter and more uniform, while providing consistent resistance throughout the entire working length. Perform at least three to four sets of back rows. The number of reps can be high, depending on the resistance of the bands. However, try to stay within a range of 8 to 15 reps at most. This row exercise will be followed by a bent-over dumbbell fly.

Supersets of elastic band presses with dumbbell flyes

Your elastic bands being fixed on a support, why not use them to work the pectorals. To do this, place yourself between the elastics at a distance that will allow you to obtain a low tension, then push them in front of you while contracting the pectorals. This exercise mimics the bench press exercise quite effectively, but you can also work it unilaterally to find a movement similar to that of the Cross over. With this exercise, you could quite naturally use a bench (inclined or not) to perform lying or inclined dumbbell flyes. The combination of the two types of exercises (dumbbells and elastics) is particularly effective in this context.

The deltoids are very easily worked with elastic bands and a pair of dumbbells.

As you've probably seen in videos several times, resistance bands lend themselves very easily to lateral or front raise exercises, or even to very targeted work on the anterior deltoids. On the other hand, the shoulder press exercise is quite difficult and uncomfortable to do with resistance bands. To do this, we will first suggest you perform a series of dumbbell presses and then move on to the resistance bands for a series of lateral raises . For example, try alternating between press/lateral raises and press/front raises. To target the anterior deltoids, resistance bands are really ideal accessories. They really help isolate this part of the shoulders. To perform this exercise, attach a resistance band at shoulder height or a little lower. Position yourself in profile or three-quarter view depending on your position. Pull the resistance band backward until the anterior deltoids are isolated, then gradually release the tension.

Working biceps and triceps with elastic bands is particularly easy and effective.

Biceps and triceps are worked with resistance bands in a way that is perhaps as instinctive as the latissimus dorsi pull. Nothing is simpler than blocking a resistance band with your foot to perform a biceps curl. By blocking the resistance band with both feet, you can also vary the position of your hands to work your biceps in a classic way or with a hammer grip to work the anterior brachialis. To train your triceps, simply hang your resistance bands high up, 30 cm above your head to perform a classic push-down exercise (bi or unilateral) or a push-down behind the neck with your back to the wall. You can also block a resistance band under your heel to perform triceps extensions. Dumbbells will allow you to perform other rear triceps extension exercises to complement what you have done with the resistance bands.

Doing bodybuilding at home is not complicated, quite the opposite...

Similarly, you can work on abdominal crunches by placing your resistance bands high up. This type of exercise is particularly easy to perform, as long as your resistance bands are attached in a way that gives you sufficient range of motion. Resistance bands will also help you perform more intense squats and many other exercises. For squats, you could easily combine them with dumbbells. As you can see, working out at home is not rocket science. On the other hand, it is entirely possible to perform many exercises with resistance bands and a pair of dumbbells. You will find that weight machines and equipment are not always essential. We hope that this article has already given you some fruitful exercise ideas based on this particularly effective combination of resistance bands and dumbbells.

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