Supercharge Your Workout – How to Combine Bands with Other Gear

By now, you’ve mastered the fundamentals of resistance band training.

You know they are a fantastic standalone tool for a full-body workout.

A focused person performs a dumbbell chest press with a resistance band added for extra tension

But their true magic is revealed when you start thinking of them as a “workout multiplier”—an accessory that can enhance the effectiveness of the equipment you already own.

Combining bands with free weights or even your own bodyweight introduces a new type of challenge called accommodating resistance.

This forces your muscles to work harder through the entire range of motion, breaking through plateaus and building strength in a whole new way.

Let’s explore how.

Add Bands to Dumbbells for a New Challenge

Dumbbells are great, but their resistance is fixed by gravity.

This means an exercise like a chest press is hardest at the bottom and gets easier as you press the weight up.

By adding a resistance band, you flip that on its head.

  • The Concept: Anchor a loop band behind you and wrap it around your dumbbells or hands. As you press the dumbbells up, the band stretches and the resistance increases, forcing your muscles to work harder at the top of the movement where they are typically strongest.
  • Example Exercise: Banded Dumbbell Chest Press
    1. Lie on a bench or the floor. Loop a resistance band behind your back and hold the ends in each hand along with your dumbbells.
    2. Perform a chest press. You’ll feel the tension ramp up as you extend your arms.
  • Unsure about which free weights are best for you? Check out our guide: Dumbbells vs. Barbells: Which is Right for Your Home Gym?

Add Bands to Kettlebells for Explosive Power

Kettlebell swings are a phenomenal exercise for building power in your hips and glutes.

Adding a resistance band can make them even more explosive.

  • The Concept: By anchoring a band in front of you and looping it around the kettlebell, you add forward-pulling resistance that your hips have to work harder to overcome. This dramatically increases the power-building demand of the exercise.
  • Example Exercise: Banded Kettlebell Swings
    1. Anchor a loop band to a sturdy object in front of you. Loop the other end around the handle of your kettlebell.
    2. Step back to create tension and perform your kettlebell swings as normal. You’ll feel the extra pull on every rep.
  • New to this type of training? Get started with our Kettlebell Workout Guide for Your Home Gym.
Banded Kettlebell Swing Exercise
Adding a band to your kettlebell swing forces your hips to work harder, dramatically increasing explosive power

Add Bands to Your Bodyweight Exercises

This is where bands show their ultimate versatility.

They can be used to make bodyweight exercises harder or, just as importantly, make them easier for beginners.

To Make Exercises Harder (Added Resistance)

  • The Concept: Drape a band across your body to add resistance to exercises where you are pushing away from the floor.
  • Example: Banded Push-ups
    1. Take a large loop band and place it across your upper back. Pin the ends under your hands on the floor.
    2. Perform a push-up. The band will stretch as you push up, making the top of the movement significantly more challenging.
A woman at the top of a push-up with a purple loop band across her back for added resistance
Make bodyweight exercises more challenging by adding a band to provide resistance where you are strongest

To Make Exercises Easier (Assistance)

  • The Concept: Use the band to support a portion of your body weight, allowing you to perform difficult exercises with proper form that you might not be able to do otherwise.
  • Example: Assisted Pull-ups
    1. Hang a large loop band from your pull-up bar.
    2. Place one knee or foot into the bottom of the loop.
    3. Perform a pull-up. The band will stretch and help lift you, providing assistance where you are weakest.
  • Looking for a bar for your home? See our Pull-Up Bar Workout Guide.
A beginner uses a heavy loop band under their knee to get assistance while performing a pull-up
Resistance bands can help you achieve challenging exercises like pull-ups by providing support as you build strength

Your Final Step – Putting It All Together

Congratulations! You are now a resistance band expert.

You’ve learned everything from the core benefits and types to essential exercises, safety protocols, and advanced techniques.

You have all the knowledge you need to build a powerful, effective, and safe home workout routine.

We encourage you to bookmark our main Beginner’s Guide to Resistance Bands parent page and use it as your go-to resource whenever you need a refresher.

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You’ve built an incredible foundation for your fitness journey.

If you have any questions or want to share your progress, please feel free to [Contact Us]!

Ready to explore another piece of amazing, beginner-friendly equipment?

Discover a new way to get a full-body, low-impact workout in our Beginner’s Guide to Rowing Machines.