Push / Developing
Standing Band Press
Train horizontal pressing with resistance that increases as the hands move away from the body.
01 / Set up
Build the position.
- Secure an undamaged band behind the body at mid-chest height and face away from the anchor.
- Hold a handle in each hand, use a staggered stance, and begin with light band tension.
02 / Execute
Do the work.
- Press both hands forward while keeping the trunk and ribcage controlled.
- Stop before the shoulders shrug or the stance shifts under the band tension.
- Return the hands slowly until the elbows reach a comfortable starting position.
Useful cues
Stay heavy through the feet
Press straight ahead
Control the return
03 / Troubleshoot
Common ways it drifts.
- Using an anchor that can shift or release
- Letting the band pull the hands back quickly
Exercise evidence field
What this page can claim.
Research can support a training category or expose a hazard without proving every stance, range, cue, or progression on this page.
3 evidence notes / 4 source linksResistance training is the supported category.
The 2026 ACSM position stand supports progressive resistance training for muscle function, hypertrophy, and physical performance in generally healthy adults, with multiple workable equipment and prescription choices.
- American College of Sports Medicine via PubMed CentralProfessional consensus
Range and cues remain adjustable.
A systematic review found that resistance-training range can affect strength and lower-limb hypertrophy, while a separate review found that attentional-focus effects vary across lifting tasks and populations.
- Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports via PubMedSystematic review
- Frontiers in Sports and Active Living via PubMedSystematic review
Band recoil is a real equipment hazard.
A single-site case series documented exercise-band eye injuries in 11 patients and 14 eyes, including lasting vision loss in some cases.
- American Journal of Emergency Medicine via PubMedPrimary research
Exercise source register
Inspect the instruction trail.
Sources support the notes above. They do not convert this editorial-review page into individualized coaching or medical clearance.
- 01Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults
American College of Sports Medicine via PubMed Central
Professional consensus / Accessed 2026-07-26 - 02Effects of Range of Motion on Resistance Training Adaptations: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports via PubMed
Systematic review / Accessed 2026-07-26 - 03A Systematic Review of Attentional Focus Strategies in Weightlifting
Frontiers in Sports and Active Living via PubMed
Systematic review / Accessed 2026-07-26 - 04Ocular Trauma Secondary to Exercise Resistance Bands During the COVID-19 Pandemic
American Journal of Emergency Medicine via PubMed
Primary research / Accessed 2026-07-26
Connected training