Need a simple and straightforward upper body workout? Look no further than my arm routine that includes my 9 favorite upper body exercises.
Each of these exercises requires no equipment, is low impact, and results in completely tones arms. Burn fat, build muscle, and sculpt strong arms with my upper body workout!
1. Tricep Pushups
Kick your workout off with tricep pushups. Not only do they activate your arms, but also your core, chest, and shoulders.
You can do these on either your toes or knees. Doing them on your knees will take some of the load off of your arms.
Start in a plank position with your hands directly underneath your shoulders and with a neutral back. Inhale to prepare, then exhale and drop your chest to the floor by bending your elbows. Squeeze your triceps, then inhale and push your upper body back up into a plank position.
Throughout the exercise, practice good form by keeping your elbows locked in at the sides of your body. This ensures that you’re targeting your triceps properly.
2. Tricep Dips
You’re not done with triceps just yet in this upper body workout! Grab a workout bench, chair, or other stable anchor to prepare for tricep dips.
Stand about one to two feet in front of your anchor and face away from it. Bend your knees and lean back so your hands rest on the bench. Your feet should remain stable on the floor.
When you’re ready, exhale and bend your elbows so your glutes drop towards the floor. Make sure to squeeze your triceps as you dip down. Then, inhale and slowly press out of the dip by straightening your elbows.
3. Plank Up Downs
Begin by getting into a plank position on either your toes or knees.
When you’re ready, lift up your right hand and tap your left shoulder. Then, drop your right hand back to the starting position.
Repeat the exercise by tapping your right shoulder with your left hand. Continue alternating between tapping your right and left shoulders.
4. Plank With a Spinal Rotation
In addition to working your arms, this plank variation also targets your obliques. Obliques are your side abs that help give you that fully toned tummy area!
Start in a plank position on either your toes or knees. Make sure that your hands are planted on the floor right underneath your shoulders.
Then, lift your right arm up towards the sky so that your upper body twists open to the right. Open up as far as your spine will twist without losing your balance.
Remain balanced on your left arm, then slowly untwist your spine and drop your right arm back to the floor. Repeat by opening to the left side and continue to alternate between sides.
Not only does this exercise work your arms and oblique muscles, but it also stretches your spine. This gives the exercise a relaxing effect.
5. Walnut Crushers
Walnut crushers are one of my favorite arm exercises in this upper body workout! They’re the definition of “looks really easy but hurts like crazy!”.
Either standing up or sitting down, hold your arms straight out from your shoulder joints. They should be slightly bent, your palms should face up, and your hands in fists.
When you’re ready, exhale and squeeze your shoulder blades together by pulling your elbows in towards your body. Imagine that there’s a walnut between your shoulder blades that you’re trying to crush. Also, imagine as if you’re trying to touch your elbows together behind your back.
Then, release the squeeze and return to holding your arms straight out. Keep pulsing the shoulder blade squeeze. You’ll know you’re doing it right if you feel it in your shoulders and upper back!
6. Prayer Pulses
Prayer pulses are another seemingly easy exercise that is actually super challenging. They primarily work your biceps and shoulders.
Start by holding your hands in a prayer position. Then, touch your elbows together so your hands point straight in the air. Your forearms should be completely locked together as if they’re stuck with glue.
When you’re ready, do little upward pulses with your arms. Make sure that you’re lifting your arms, not dropping them. You’ll know you’re doing the exercise right if you feel a burn in your biceps.
7. Bent Elbow Lateral Raises
Start by standing up tall with your arms hanging straight down. Bend your elbows to 90-degrees so that your forearms are parallel with the floor.
Keeping your arms steady, raise your arms in the air until they’re at about shoulder height. As you lift your arms, be sure to maintain the locked 90-degree position of the elbows.
Feel the pinch in your shoulders and upper back, then slowly drop your arms back down to starting position. Keep repeating raising and lowering your arms.
To make the exercise more challenging, you try doing it while holding little hand weights.
8. Arm Circles
Standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, lift your arms up to shoulder-height. They should be parallel to the floor.
While keeping them locked straight, start making little forward circles with your arms. Do 25 forward, then switch directions and do 25 backward.
Then, switch back to the forward direction doing big circles. Make the circles as big as you can. Again, do 25 forward then switch to backward.
Make sure that you’re not swinging your arms. Swinging them won’t work your muscles. Rather, do slow and controlled movements to get the benefits of the exercise.
9. Supermans With Extended Arms
The last exercise of the upper body workout is supermans with extended arms. In addition to the arms, this exercise works the entire backside of your body including the glutes, hamstrings, and shoulders.
Lay flat on your stomach with your legs hip-width apart and arms straight above your head. When you’re ready, exhale and hover your legs, arms and chest slightly above the floor. Hold the position and feel the burn in the backside of your body.
After holding for about 10 seconds, lower back to the floor for 3 seconds, then lift again. When your body is lifted, shift your balance to your pubic bone.
You’ll know you’re doing the exercise right if you look like superman flying when your body is lifted.
