upper body workout at home no equipment||upper body workout at home

Are you interested in improving your upper body strength but don't have any weights or equipment? These upper body bodyweight exercises may be the solution you're looking for! We offer a range of upper body exercise ideas suitable for both beginners and advanced exercisers. You can quickly navigate to the section that fits your level, or keep reading for additional information.

What are Bodyweight Exercises?

Bodyweight exercises are a form of exercise that enhances strength and fitness without relying on external weights. Often, no equipment is required. These exercises concentrate on utilizing the body's weight to exert resistance and stimulate muscles, making them ideal for anyone, regardless of location. They can be performed anywhere, whether at home, on a lunch break, or at the gym.

Can I use bodyweight exercises to build upper body strength?

Absolutely! Many effective bodyweight workouts involve exercises that engage multiple muscle groups, including those in the arms, back, and chest. While incorporating additional weights such as dumbbells, kettlebells, or weighted plates may be recommended to increase upper body mass, it may not always be feasible. In such cases, increasing the number of repetitions, holding the position for longer, or attempting more challenging variations of each exercise can be beneficial in building strength and muscle without equipment.

7 Beginners Upper Body Bodyweight Exercises

1. Planks side walk

Become a crab with hencher arms. (This one will hurt, but your abs and shoulders will thank you too.)

• Start in a high plank position with feet firmly together and toes pressed against the floor.
• Move both left arm and left leg sideways (about a body’s width) at the same time, keeping both straight and being sure to lift them from the floor. Keep your butt at a regular height.
• Bring right arm and leg back to meet left arm and leg in their new position, finishing in high plank.
• Repeat this for the length of the mat. Voila! You have 1 rep.
• When you’re done, drop your knees for support.
• If you need guidance on how to plank the right way, we’ve got you covered.

2. Up Down Planks

After achieving proficiency with the standard plank exercise, you may consider integrating Up Down Planks into your routine. These planks provide a dynamic movement that enhances the intensity of your plank, while simultaneously improving your back strength, posture, and core stability.

To perform: 

• Start in a regular plank position with forearms on the floor
• Place your left hand on the mat below your shoulder and straighten, before following with your right arm
• You’ll now be in a raised plank position - keep your core engaged and your back straight
• Hold for a few moments before bending your left elbow onto the mat and repeating with the right arm
• Switch sides as you repeat on alternate sides

3. Incline push ups

If performing a standard push-up seems too difficult, incline push-ups provide a less challenging starting point, while still providing an effective workout for the upper body and core. By elevating the upper body, some of the pressure is lifted off the arms and shoulders, and more emphasis is placed on the chest area. Incline push-ups can be performed using an exercise bench or box, or even the arm of a sofa. Stairs are a great option, as the incline can be reduced over time as you gain strength, leading to a gradual progression towards standard push-ups on the floor. For additional guidance on mastering your first push-up, refer to our guide.

To perform: 

• Start in a classic plank position, but with your feet on the floor and your hands on the edge of your chosen platform. Keep feet shoulder-width apart and arms straight, below your shoulders
• Your body should still be in a straight line, but raised at the front
• Once ready, bend your elbows, keeping them tucked as close into your body as you can
• Lower your chest as far towards your hands as you can, before pushing back up through your arms to starting position

4. Bird dog holds

Bird dog holds are highly beneficial for reducing lower back pain and enhancing the strength of your back muscles. They are an effective means of improving your posture, flexibility, and promoting core and gluteal muscle development.

To perform:

• Start on all fours, with your knees below your hips and your hands below your shoulders
• Engage your core and keep your back straight
• At the same time, lift up your left arm until it’s in front of you, level with your shoulders, and push out your right leg until it’s raised straight out behind you
• Hold for 5 seconds before lowering and then swap to the the right arm and left leg

5.Dragon walk

We’re pretty sure dragons fly, but they also have notoriously puny arms, so…

• Stand at the back of the mat, bending forward so your fingertips touch the mat, while keeping legs straight.
• Walk hands forward until you’re in a push-up position.
• Walk feet forward to meet hands, making sure to keep your butt in the air.
• Stand up straight and turn around for the next rep.

For individuals with less flexibility in their hamstrings, a modified version of the exercise is available. Begin by keeping your knees bent during the first step. Instead of walking your feet forward, walk your hands backward to the starting position.

6.Bodyweight triceps extension

This exercise entails alternating between high and low plank positions, targeting and strengthening the triceps muscles effectively.

• Start in a high plank position, keeping back straight and palms down on the mat.
• Steadily bring left elbow to the mat, then right elbow, forming a low plank.
• Return to a high plank in the same order (left elbow first, then right).
• Repeat, but start by dropping your right elbow this time.

The easier version: The same, but on your knees instead of your toes.

The harder version: Drop and raise both elbows at the same time (sheesh).

This mix of two different planks not enough for you? Fine, try 45 others.

7.Prone I, Y, T

Prone I, Y, and T exercises are highly effective in improving posture by engaging and strengthening the muscles around the spine, particularly the lower and mid back muscles. These exercises are instrumental in reducing back pain by targeting and strengthening various essential muscles.

To perform:

• Lie face down on your mat, with arms straight out ahead of you and feet around hip-width apart
• Engaging your core, lift your arms up off the ground in front of you, hold for a moment, then lower back to the ground (this is your ‘I’)
• Move your arms into a ‘Y’ position, engage your core and lift your arms off the ground. Hold for a moment before lowering 
• Move your arms out to a ‘T’ position, engage your core and lift your arms off the ground. Hold for a moment before lowering 
• This is one complete rep. Return to ‘I’ position to repeat.

5 Advanced Upper Body Bodyweight Exercises

1. Pike push ups

This exercise is ideal for enhancing shoulder strength and boosting core stability. You will experience a significant engagement of the shoulders, arms, chest, back, and core muscles during this exercise.

To perform:

• Lying on your front with your hands on the floor at shoulder height, push up through your arms, upwards and back with your hips and back through your heels until you’re in the ‘downward dog’ position (like an upside down ‘v’ shape) - this is your starting position
• Engaging your core, bend your elbows out to the sides so the crown of your head lowers to the floor
• Hold for a moment before pushing back up to starting position

2. Chin ups

Reverse push-ups, also known as chin-ups, are an excellent exercise for working almost every muscle group in the body. These exercises target the opposing muscles in comparison to push-ups, focusing on the biceps and lats. Additionally, they also stress the deltoids and core muscles, generating full-body tension, which helps build muscle all over the body. To perform chin-ups, a basic level of equipment is necessary, such as a sturdy doorframe or climbing frame.

To perform:

• Standing beneath the frame, take hold of the horizontal bar with both hands in an underhand grip around shoulder-width apart. Your fingers should be facing in towards your face
• Engaging your core, raise your body until your chin is above the bar - sometimes crossing your feet can help with balance and weight distribution
• Hold for a moment before lowering yourself back down in a controlled way, until your arms are straight again

3. Burpees

The burpee is an excellent full-body exercise that improves strength and enhances cardiovascular fitness by engaging various muscle groups such as arms, back, chest, core, legs, and glutes. It is a high-intensity movement that is suitable for adding to a HIIT workout. Additionally, it helps burn fat and tone the body. To learn more variations of the burpee and to add more variety to your workout, refer to this guide.

• Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart
• Engaging your core, drop into a high plank position by placing your hands on the floor, shoulder distance apart, with your feet and legs straight out behind you
• Keeping your back straight and abs engaged, drop your chest lightly to the floor in a controlled movement, keeping elbows tucked to either side of the body
• Push yourself back up to standing by extending your arms and jump your feet back so that they land just below your hands
• Swing your arms up and jump as high as you can so your feet leave the ground
• This is one rep - repeat for the required number

4. Clapping push ups

Clapping push ups are an advanced version of the push up that provide an extra challenge to help burn more energy. These explosive movements target your chest, triceps, and shoulders effectively.

1. Start in a regular push up position, with your feet slightly closer than shoulder-width and your hands either shoulder-width or wider 

• Lower yourself to the ground in a slow, controlled movement with elbows tucked in and your core engaged

1. Continuing to keep your body straight, push explosively upwards through your hands to propel your upper body into the air

• Clap your hands together while off the ground
• Aim to land in your starting position, as softly as possible, with extended but not locked arms

5. Mountain Climbers

Including compound movements in your upper body bodyweight workouts is an effective way to strengthen multiple muscle groups at once. The push-up, for example, works the arms, back, and shoulders while engaging the core and legs. You can expect to feel the burn primarily in your arms, back, and shoulders. Additionally, performing compound movements like push-ups can improve your balance, agility, and coordination.

To perform:

• Start in a press-up position with your hands positioned beneath your shoulders
• Engage your core and, as fast as you can, pull your right knee inwards towards your chest and then return to the start position
• Repeat with your left leg
• This should be a high paced movement - start practising slowly and once you’re used to the movement, aim to move more quickly

Upper Body Bodyweight HIIT Exercises

Consider adding a variety of bodyweight exercises for your upper body to your HIIT workout, including some of the movements we've discussed in this article. You can also include a high-intensity option at the end to push yourself even further.

For example: 

• 1 minute up down planks
• 1 minute bird dog holds
• 1 minute incline push ups
• 30 seconds burpees
• 30 seconds rest

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q.How do beginners build upper body?

Gym beginners can build upper body strength by doing compound upper body exercises like push ups, bench press, back rows, and assisted pullups. Try to work your upper body twice per week with weights that challenge you. Using heavier weights with lower reps is often recommended for building strength.

Q.Is plank a upper body exercise?

The plank is a full body exercise, meaning it targets muscles of the upper body, core, and lower body.

Q.What is the king of upper body exercises?

Many coaches consider the Bench Press the “King” of upper body exercises – with its unique ability to isolate chest, shoulders, and triceps, and allow heavy loading for these muscle groups.

Q.Is 5 exercises for upper body enough?

3-4 exercises per workout is enough to accomplish your fitness goals. If you program your workout correctly, more than 4 exercises per day can become counterproductive. You only need to focus on 6 major movement patterns when selecting your exercises.

Q.How many pushups should I do a day?

Many people do more than 300 push-ups a day. But for an average person, even 50 to 100 push-ups should be enough to maintain a good upper body, provided it is done properly. You can start with 20 push-ups, but do not stick to this number. It is important to keep increasing the number to challenge your body.

Q.IsUpper body: At least 2 days a week

Upper body: At least 2 days a week

Your abs, back, shoulders, arms, and chest need some muscle-building action at least 2 days a week too. To work on your biceps, triceps, deltoids, pecs, and abs, consider busting out the following moves: overhead press. triceps kickback.

Q.How many upper body workouts per day?

Training upper/lower splits means are targeting each muscle group at least twice a week, sometimes even three times per week. Each workout could include 2-4 different exercises per muscle group on a given day, meaning that you could include 4-12 different exercises per muscle group per program.

Q.Who invented pushup?

One of the oldest forms of exercise in the world is the push-up. It has been around for thousands of years and was part of soldiers' military training in ancient India. There are some records that show the Roman emperor Constantine performed push-ups for his health.

Q.What is the Indian pushup called?

The Hindu push-up, also known as dand or downward facing dog, is a complex move made up of multiple parts. It engages your entire body and is a rather intense version of a push-up.

Q.Is a 2 minute plank good?

As you progress, you can extend your plank for up to one or even two minutes, but don't go beyond that. “Two minutes is often considered the maximum, and you don't get much more benefit after that,” says L'Italien

Q.How do I start upper body day?

Pushups. On the floor: ...

Triceps Dips. Challenge these hard-to-reach muscles with just two moves. ...

Shoulder Press. Fire up those shoulder muscles! Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip. ...

Dumbbell Row. ...

Biceps Curl.

Q.What exercises work all upper body?

Push-Ups. A classic workout, push-ups offer excellent exercise for multiple upper body areas. ...

Chin-Ups. Chin-ups require a lot of focus, balance, and energy, making them a great exercise that works out your entire upper body. ...

Bent-Over Barbell Row. ...

Overhead Dumbbell Press.

Q.How many planks per day?

Start by doing 1 plank a day to slowly 3 to 10 a day to reap the maximum benefits. Then, slowly also try side planks which can help improve your flexibility. If you are doing plank exercise at home, make sure you try in front of the mirror or with someone who can guide you.

Q.How do I get in shape for my upper body?

Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold dumbbells along your body, palms facing your thighs.

Lean forward slightly at the waist and engage your core.

Lift your arms out to the side until they reach shoulder level and form a “T.”

Return to the starting position.

Repeat 10 to 15 times

Q.Is 2 upper body days enough?

Schoenfeld's recommendations: If you split your training into upper-and lower-body days, do two upper-body days and two lower-body days per week. But if you like total-body training and want to maximize your gains, Schoenfeld advises lifting three times per week.

Q.What is the most important upper body exercise?

If you could only do one upper body exercise – the pull-up would be it. There is no greater exercise that improves both relative and absolute upper body strength than the pull-up. If done correctly, this movement will train several muscles in the upper and mid back while strengthening your core.

Q.Is upper body workout important?

When it comes to everyday tasks, stronger upper body muscles help you lift heavy items. Without strengthening these areas, your lower back muscles often have to compensate for the arms and shoulders, which can result in strain, unexplained pain or an overuse injury.

Q.How many upper body workouts?

For this reason, I would adjust this recommendation to be 10-20 direct sets each, per week, for the chest and back, and 5-10 direct sets each, per week, for the biceps, triceps, and shoulders.

Q.Why can't I do a push up?

03/7If you don't work on your legs

If you focus more on arms muscles then it might be difficult for you to do push-ups. Push-up is a full-body exercise and to do that your arms, core, and legs muscles have to be strong. If any of these muscles are weak it might be difficult for you to do push-ups.

Q.How many exercises per day?

As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, maintain weight loss or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. Reducing sitting time is important, too. The more hours you sit each day, the higher your risk of metabolic problems.

Q.What is too much exercise?

How can you tell if you are working out too much? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a minimum amount of exercise—150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise per week, plus muscle-strengthening activities two days per week. But there's no recommended upper limit.

Q.The no-equipment, no-nonsense upper-body workout

One-armed push-up variation (both sides) The one-armed push-up is a notorious show-off move and an ambitious place to start. ...

Push-up. ...

Kneeling archer push-up. ...

Diamond press-up. ...

Hindu push-up. ...

Dragon walk. ...

Bodyweight triceps extension. ...

Plank side walk.

Q.How can I train my upper body at home?

20-Minute Upper Body Home Workout

What you need:

Modified pushups (on knees): 8-12 repetitions.

Standing triceps kickbacks with canned goods: 8-12 repetitions.

Jumping jacks: 20 seconds.

Squat-curl-press with cans: 10-12 repetitions.

Chair dips: 10-12 repetitions.

Bent-over row with canned good: 12-15 repetitions.

 

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