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Upper bodyweight exercises are ones you perform to specifically work out the upper body. These are bodyweight exercises you do to strengthen the upper body using just your bodyweight.
You can strengthen the arms, back, and chest by performing these exercises. Adding weight in the form of dumbbells, kettlebells, or weighted plates is a good idea if you want to gain muscle mass in the upper body as you progress through your workouts.
However, if you must perform upper bodyweight exercises without any external aid. It's worthwhile to increase the number of repetitions you perform by elongating the duration of each movement.
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Upper Bodyweight Exercises to Try
Check out the following six upper bodyweight exercises you can do. You can also check out these best upper body workouts for beginners. Let's get started:
1) Plank
Plank is one of the best upper bodyweight exercises that strengthens the core and glutes in addition to the arms, back, chest, shoulders, and upper body.
Instructions:
- Spread your feet hip-width apart, and lie on a mat so that the forearms are under the shoulders.
- Raise yourself up, with the forearms and toes off the ground.
- Don't let your shoulders slump; instead, keep your core tight.
- Hold your position as long as you can, and try to extend it as your strength improves.
2) Bird Dog
This funny-sounding exercise is a one of the easiest beginner-level upper bodyweight exercises you can include in your routine to strengthen the core.
Instructions:
- Get down on all fours, with the knees in front of the hips, and hands under the shoulders.
- Maintain a straight posture and active core.
- Raise your left arm in front of you till it's at shoulder height, and extend your right leg behind you till it's at a right angle to the floor.
- Maintain the position for five seconds before releasing and switching to the right arm and left leg.
3) Prone I,Y,T
The third workout in our list of upper bodyweight exercises is the prone I,Y,T. It's great for correcting poor posture and can also help reduce lower back pain.
Instructions:
- Get down on your mat on your stomach, with your arms extended in front and feet hip-distance apart.
- Lift your arms off the floor in front of you. Hold for a second, and bring them back down (this is the 'I').
- Form a 'Y' with your arms; squeeze the abs, and raise the arms off the floor. Wait a second before letting go and lowering.
- Get in a 'T' position with your arms; crunch up, and lift your arms. Wait a second before letting go and lowering yourself.
- Count that as one full repetition. To repeat, take the 'I' position again.
4) Burpee
One of the best upper bodyweight exercises, burpees work out the arms, back, chest, core, legs, and glutes all at once. It's a good cardio workout that you can also do for fat loss and muscle toning.
Instructions:
- Ensure that your feet are hip-width apart and back is straight.
- Drop into a high plank position by placing your hands on the floor at shoulder width apart, feet and legs extended straight behind you, and engaging the core.
- Maintaining a neutral spine and tight abs, slowly lower your chest to the floor while keeping your elbows tucked to your sides.
- Extend your arms to help you stand, and jump your feet back so that they land just under your hands as you do so.
- Lift your feet off the ground by extending your arms and jumping as high as you can.
- That;s one repetition; keep going till you've completed the necessary set.
5) Mountain Climber
One of the more challenging upper bodyweight exercises, this one is recommended for those who want to tone their belly and core.
Instructions:
- Position your hands directly under your shoulders, and get into a press-up position.
- Put your core to work, and quickly bring your right knee in towards your chest before returning to the starting position.
- Perform the same on the left side.
- Practicing this motion slowly at first can help you get the hang of it, but eventually you should work up to performing it at full speed.
6) Up Down Plank
The last workout in our list of upper bodyweight exercises are up down planks, which are a great progression to the normal plank pose. It can help strengthen the arms and shoulders along with the core.
Instructions:
- Start with your forearms on the ground in a standard plank position.
- Straighten your left arm by placing it on the mat just below your shoulder. Do the same with your right arm.
- You're now in a modified high-plank position. Maintain a strong core and straight back.
- For a few seconds, hold the position before lowering your left elbow to the mat and bringing your right arm into a similar position.
- As you repeat on opposite sides, switch.
Takeaway
Performing the aforementioned upper bodyweight exercises can help you work out the core, shoulders and arms - the entire upper body.
These exercises are simple enough for beginners to do and can be performed anywhere, in your home or at the park. You dont need any equipment to do these exercises.
For more such exercises, check out these exercises to work on your upper body muscles.
