I love strength training, probably more than any other kind of training type (it’s a tie between lifting and HIIT!), but bodyweight-only workouts are the absolute best when it comes to convenience and accessibility. There’s no set up, no equipment to pack around, and no excuses to not just jump right in and get your workout finished.
There is no jumping at all in this routine, making it a downstairs neighbor-friendly apartment workout and/or low impact, for those who need it. The difficulty of these upper body exercises are entirely scalable and as we go through, I will show you ways to make each move easier or more difficult. Do what you can to constantly push yourself, but know that it’s always okay to take a quick break and shake your muscles out.
The closest thing you need to a piece of equipment when it comes to this workout is a wall (and you can even improvise by doing the wall push ups on the floor, if you happen to be in a place without walls).
Workout Structure
- Warm up included
- No equipment
- Muscles targeted: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, upper back, abs, obliques, lower back
- 40 Seconds on, 15 seconds off, twice through for each group
- Four groups of three
No Equipment Upper Body & Abs Workout
Backbow Jacks - Targets: upper back, lower back, shoulders, glutes, thighs
Walk Down + Up Down - Targets: arms, shoulders, core
Abs: Oblique Crossover Crunch - Targets: abs, obliques, thighs
Palm Press & Extension - Targets: chest, arms
Bentover Rows - Targets: upper back
Abs: 3 Way Crunch Pulses (3 pulses; side, center, side) - Targets: entire core
Wall Side Push Up - bicep, tricep, shoulder
Arm Circles - Targets: arms, upper back, shoulders
Abs: Plank + Row & Extension - abs, obliques, lower back, arms, shoulders
Pulldowns + Step - Targets: shoulders, core, glutes, thighs
Tricep Dips - Targets: triceps, shoulders, core
Bicycle Crunch - Targets: abs, obliques
Did you know that most of us are chronically dehydrated? Make sure to drink lots of water to replenish what you just sweated away once you're done with this workout.
What did you think of this no equipment upper body workout? Was there an exercise group that you struggled with more than others? Let me know if you're sore tomorrow!
If you're not going directly into another workout, make sure to cool down & stretch!