8 No Equipment Bodyweight Exercises for the Upper Body
Imagine achieving a stronger, more toned upper body without stepping foot into a gym or picking up a single piece of equipment. If that sounds ideal to you, then check out this workout routine: bodyweight exercises for upper body.
Perfect for those with busy schedules, limited space, or a budget that doesn't allow for gym memberships, bodyweight training is all about utilizing one's own body weight to build strength, endurance, and muscle.
Whether you're a fitness newbie or a seasoned athlete, the beauty of bodyweight training lies in its simplicity and effectiveness, adaptable to all fitness levels and goals.
Your Printable Upper Body Bodyweight Workout Log
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Why You Need a No Equipment Upper Body Routine
While workout equipment has many benefits, it's useful for everyone to have a routine consisting of only bodyweight exercises in their repertoire. If you run out of time and can't make it to the gym, or you're out of town for the weekend, this workout will work anytime and anywhere!
You might want to mix things up with an upper body bodyweight workout and share this upper body strength routine with others because it's:
Accessible:
No need for equipment or a gym membership; you can perform these exercises anywhere, anytime.
Cost-Effective:
Eliminates the financial barrier to fitness, making it affordable for everyone. You don't need a gym membership or equipment to participate in this fully free workout.
Adaptable:
The exercise routine below can be easily modified to suit all fitness levels, from beginners to advanced athletes.
Functional Fitness:
Improves strength, flexibility, and balance in ways that mimic daily activities, enhancing overall quality of life.
Build Strength:
According to fitness experts, you should do exercises to build strength at least twice weekly. This helps you improve your strength and body composition, avoid injury, and maintain better posture.
Muscle Groups to Include in an Upper Body Workout
1. Chest (Pectorals):
The chest muscles, or pectorals, are pivotal for various upper body exercises, especially those involving pushing movements. The development of the chest muscles plays a crucial role in activities that require pushing or throwing.
2. Back (Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids):
The back muscles, including the latissimus dorsi and rhomboids, are fundamental for pulling movements. Strengthening these muscles through exercises like pull-ups and rows improves posture, prevents back pain, and enhances athletic performance. A strong back ensures a balanced physique, counteracting the chest's development and supporting the spine and shoulders in daily activities.
3. Shoulders (Deltoids):
Shoulder muscles, or deltoids, are involved in virtually every arm movement, providing stability and power. Exercises targeting the shoulders, such as shoulder presses, lateral raises, and front raises, build strength and improve the range of motion. Strong shoulders are vital for tasks involving lifting, pushing, and pulling above the head. Taking care of your shoulder joint helps to avoid injury.
4. Arms (Biceps, Triceps, Forearms):
The arm muscles, including the biceps, triceps, and forearms, are crucial for various functions, from lifting and carrying to throwing and swinging. Arm exercises also improve grip strength, which is essential for sports and daily tasks.
5. Core (Abs, Obliques):
Though not traditionally considered part of the upper body, the core muscles—including the abs and obliques—play a pivotal role in nearly all upper body exercises. A strong core enhances stability, supports the spine, and improves balance, making it foundational for effective upper body training.
Incorporating exercises that target these muscle groups into your upper body workout routine ensures a comprehensive approach to strength training. This promotes muscular balance and symmetry and enhances overall functionality and performance in sports, exercise, and daily activities.
Remember, the key to effective training is consistency, proper form, and gradual progression in intensity and complexity.
How to Prepare for this Workout
1. Warm-Up: Begin with a 5-10 minute warm-up to increase heart rate and blood flow to muscles. Dynamic stretches and light cardio work well.
2. Set Realistic Goals: Start with what you can manage and gradually increase the intensity to avoid burnout and injury.
3. Create a Comfortable Space: Ensure you have enough room to move freely and safely.
4. Stay Hydrated: Drink water before, during, and after your workout to stay hydrated.
5. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body's signals and be willing to adjust the intensity of your workout.
Focusing on these elements will help you develop a solid foundation for your upper body workout. Stay tuned for one of the best bodyweight workouts that will help you sculpt, strengthen, and stabilize your upper body without any equipment.
8 Bodyweight Exercises for Upper Body
Below, you'll find upper body bodyweight exercises that target major muscle groups, including the back, chest, arms, and core. These will all help strengthen and build your upper body muscle!
Each exercise has modifications and variations that will help you adap the exercise whether you are a beginner or advanced exerciser. Remember that for muscle growth, you must continue to challenge each muscle group. You can increase the number of repetitions or sets, and use the variations for progressive challenge.
Here are some of the best bodyweight exercises for building strength!
Plank
Muscles worked: Core, Shoulders, Glutes, Arms
How to do it: Begin in a prone (face down) kneeling position with your hands shoulder-width apart and stacking your elbows and wrists directly under your shoulders. Rise up onto your toes with your legs extended straight behind you. Engage your core and glutes, forming a straight line from head to heels with shoulder blades flat across the back. Keep your gaze down to maintain a neutral neck. Hold this position, ensuring your hips don’t sag or lift too high.
Modifications and Variations for Upper Body:
1. Forearm Plank: Bend your elbows 90 degrees and place them directly under your shoulders with your forearms flat on the ground. Engage your core and lift your hips to make a line from head to heels, keeping your core engaged the entire time.
2. Plank Ups or Up-Downs: Start in a full plank position, then move into a forearm plank, lowering one arm at a time, being mindful to keep your core engaged and elbows directly under your shoulders. This requires good shoulder stability. Use controlled movement and alternate which side you start on.
3. Plank Shoulder Taps: Begin in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line. Lift one hand to tap the opposite shoulder while engaging your core to keep the hips as stable as possible. Place the hand back down and repeat on the other side. This adds an element of balance and stability, challenging your shoulders and core.
4. Mountain climbers: Add a little cardio burst with mountain climbers; stay in the plank or push-up start position with hands under your shoulders. Bring your left knee into your chest with your right leg straight behind you, then switch pulling the right knee into the chest. Alternate, using explosive movements.
Back Extensions
Muscles worked: Lower back, Glutes, Hamstrings
How to do it: Lie face down on the floor, legs straight and arms behind you, hands laid on your lower back or placed lightly behind your ears. Engage your core and lift your chest and legs off the floor simultaneously, keeping your neck neutral. Slowly lower back down to the starting position. Focus on using your back muscles to lift, not momentum. Keep your eyes on the ground directly in front of you and avoid hyperextending the neck.
Modifications and Variations:
1. Arms Straing in Front/Superman: Stretch your arms straight in front and lift. This increases the difficulty by adding the full weight of your arms, requiring more effort from the lower back muscles.
2. Alternating Superman: Extend your arms overhead and lift your opposite arm and leg—right arm and left leg simultaneously, then left arm and right leg, alternating sides. Keep the neck neutral and avoid hyperextending the back. This is an easier option for beginners.
3. YTWs: Lie face down on the floor with legs extended. Move your arms in a Y position, lift and lower your upper body keeping the head in line with the neck. Move your arms into a T position (straight out to the sides) and lift and lower. Repeat with a W position, arms bent by your sides. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you lift to engage the upper back muscles.
Push-Ups
Muscles worked: Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Core
How to do it: Begin in a plank position with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your body forming a straight line from head to heels. Bend your elbows and lower yourself until your chest grazes the floor. Press up through your hands to extend your arms and return to the starting position. A regular push up is a challenging exercise that works your entire body!
Modifications and Variations:
1. Kneeling (Modified) Push-Ups: Perform the push-up with knees bent to reduce the difficulty; ideal for beginners. In the press up position, keep your shoulders directly over your wrists and a straight line from head to knees.
2. Wall Push Ups: start in a standing position with hands on the wall shoulder width apart and feet hip width apart, far enough away from the wall to create a diagonal line when you lean in. Push up off the wall, straightening your arms, and lower.
3. Incline Push-Ups: Place your hands on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step. This will decrease the push up difficulty while still engaging the upper body.
4. Diamond Push-Ups: Bring your hands together under your chest, thumbs and forefingers touching, forming a diamond shape to increase focus on the triceps and inner chest.
5. Decline Push-Ups: Place your feet on an elevated surface, such as a bench or step, and position your hands on the ground slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels as you perform push-ups. This variation increases the intensity by shifting more body weight to your upper chest and shoulders.
Triceps Dips
Muscles worked: Triceps, Shoulders, Upper Back
How to do it: Sit on the edge of a stable chair or bench with your hands next to your thighs, fingers pointing forward. Extend your legs out in front of you and shift your weight forward to lift your buttocks off the bench, arms straight. Bend your elbows to lower your body towards the floor until your arms form a 90-degree angle, then press down into the bench to straighten your arms and return to the starting position. Your leg position will make the tricep dips easier (if legs are closer) or more challenging (if straighter and farther away).
Modifications and Variations:
1. Bent-Knee Dips: Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor to make the exercise less challenging by reducing the amount of body weight you're lifting.
2. Elevated Leg Dips: Elevate your feet on another bench or step in front of you to increase the difficulty and further engage the core.
3. Single-Leg Triceps Dip: Perform the dip with one leg lifted off the ground to increase the core engagement and add a balance challenge.
Side Plank
Muscles worked: Obliques, Core, Shoulders
How to do it: Begin by lying on your side with your legs extended and stacked from hip to feet. Place your hand directly under your shoulder. Lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from head to feet. Hold this position, keeping your hips elevated and core engaged. For balance, extend your top arm towards the ceiling.
Modifications and Variations:
1. Knee-Supported Side Plank: Bend the bottom leg at the knee for support while extending the top leg, making it easier to maintain balance.
2. Side Plank Raises: From the side plank position, slowly lower your hips toward the floor and then lift back to the starting position to add dynamic movement and intensity.
3. Side Plank with Leg Lift: While holding the side plank, lift your top leg upward, increasing the challenge to your balance and the engagement of your side muscles.
Inverted Rows - Door Frame or Table Options
Muscles worked: Upper Back, Biceps, Forearms
How to do it: For Door Frame Rows, stand facing an open door and grasp both sides of the frame at waist height. With your feet shoulder-width apart, lean back, keeping your body straight and feet planted firmly. Engage your back muscles and pull your chest towards the door frame by bending your elbows; squeeze the shoulder blades together. Slowly extend your arms to return to the starting position. For Table Rows, lie underneath a sturdy table (it must be sturdy and able to support your body weight!), gripping the edge with both hands. Pull your chest up towards the table, then lower back down with control.
In the gym, you can do this exercise by setting a bar in a rack at waist height. Lie underneath the bar, grabbing it with an overhand grip and hands shoulder-width apart.
Women's Inverted Row from Precision Nutrition on Vimeo.
Modifications and Variations:
1. Bent-Knee Inverted Row: Bend your knees and plant your feet on the ground to make the row easier by reducing the weight your upper body must lift.
2. Elevated Feet Inverted Row: Place your feet on an elevated surface to increase the difficulty and engage the core more intensely.
3. Underhand vs Overhand Grip Inverted Row: Change your grip to engage muscles in different ways and focus more towards the biceps and forearms.
Dolphin to Plank Press
Muscles worked: Shoulders, Core, Arms
How to do it: Start in a forearm plank position with your elbows on the ground directly under your shoulders. Push off your elbows to lift your hips toward the ceiling, entering the dolphin pose (similar to Downward Dog but on your forearms). Lower your hips back to the forearm plank position. This completes one rep.
Modifications and Variations:
1. Dolphin Pose Holds: Instead of moving between dolphin pose and plank, hold the dolphin pose for a set time to focus on shoulder strength and flexibility.
2. Plank to Pike: For a more advanced variation, from the forearm plank, lift into a pike position (hips lifted high, legs and arms straight) and then return to plank.
3. Dolphin Push-Ups: While in dolphin pose, add a slight bend and straighten the elbows to mimic a push-up movement, intensifying the work on the shoulders and upper arms. You can also do this as a shoulder stand push-up with legs against the wall; this would be an advanced option.
Arm Circles
Muscles worked: Shoulders, Upper Back, Arms
How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended straight out to the sides at shoulder height. Rotate your arms in small circles forward for 30-60 seconds or count the number of circles, then reverse the direction for the same amount of time or reps.
Modifications and Variations:
1. Weighted Arm Circles: Hold light weights in each hand to add resistance and increase the intensity of the exercise. You can use cans or any equivalent weight object that you can comfortably and safely grasp.
2. Large Arm Circles: Increase the size of the circles to challenge your range of motion and engage different muscle fibers.
3. Alternating Arm Circles: Alternate the direction of each arm (one forward, one backward) to add a coordination challenge and engage the core for stability.
Build Upper Body Strength
With these upper body bodyweight exercises, you can achieve a complete strength training routine. With just your bodyweight, you'll build strength, save time, and feel confident!
Look for more bodyweight workouts and lower-body no-equipment strength routines to come!