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20 Minute Upper Body Workout with No Equipment

This week, we’re also adding in short cardio bursts (called high intensity intervals) into our weight training to get the heart rate up, burn calories, and make this workout extra sweaty!

What are the best Upper Body Weight Exercises?

While there isn’t any one “best exercise,” bodyweight exercises are a great way to focus on form and strengthen and tone the muscles of the upper body by increasing your range of motion, flexibility and joint mobility! No equipment exercises can also be more beneficial than dumbbell exercises (and especially gym machines!) because it requires you to focus on the muscles as they lengthen and contract. This helps prevent injuries by not overloading the muscles or overextending.

Beginner HIIT Workouts:

Bodyweight workouts are the ideal beginner workout because they require no additional equipment and they can be easily modified to reduce weight and pressure on joints, such as the wrists and knees. Try increasing the difficulty as you grow stronger and more confident by adding in weights!

See our full workout series here.

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No Equipment At Home Upper Body Workout in 20 Minutes

Suggested:

5-10 Minute warmup + cool down of your choice.

Tip:

Since this is a bodyweight workout, pay attention to how your body feels during each movement. Engage the muscles of your core and upper body and work to get that full range of motion!

Increase the difficulty!

Speed up the 30 second cardio bursts and move as fast as you can!

Need a modification?

Don’t like to add cardio into your workout? Keep moving during the entire burst but move at your own pace to control your breathing.

Upper Body Exercise List:

Perform each rep for 1 minute. At the end of each round, finish with a 30 second high intensity round before repeating the round again. Then, move on to the next round.

Round 1:

Pushups + Rotation

How-to: Start in the pushup position, with the hands underneath the shoulders, core engaged, body long. Press the chest to the mat, elbows at 45 degrees. Press back up to the plank position and, rotating the torso to the ceiling, reach up with one hand. Bring the hand down to the mat, perform another pushup and as you press back up, twist to the opposite side.

Form tip: This movement is focused on strengthening the core and shoulders so keep the twist in the obliques and shoulders. Avoid shifting the feet.

Modification: Drop to your knees if you need to during the pushup.

Tricep Dips

How-to: Using a chair, place your hands behind you, in line with your hips, fingertips turned in towards your body. Keep your chest vertical and legs outstretched in front of you. Bend your elbows to dip and press through the hands back to the start position.

Form tip: Keep the elbows pointed directly behind you, avoid letting them flare to keep this tricep exercise focused on the correct muscles. Keep the back as close to the chair as possible and straight, seated tall.

Modification: Bend the knees to shorten the legs and take pressure off of wrists.

Plank Up/Downs

How-to: Start in a forearm plank, core engaged, body in one line. Slowly press up from your forearms into a pushup position, wrists stacked directly underneath your shoulders.

Form tip: Don’t let the hips rock! Keep the glutes squeezed and the core activated will keep the hips from unnecessary movement.

Modification: Drop to your knees during the exercise.

HIIT Burst: Plank Shoulder Taps

How-to: In the pushup position, alternate touching your shoulder with your opposite hand. Squeeze the core and glutes to keep the hips still.

Form tip: Like the plank up/downs, avoid letting the hips rock. Press into the mat and squeeze the core.

Modification: Drop to your knees. Alternately, avoid the crossbody movement by touching the hand to the same shoulder as if in a row.

Round 2:

Lateral Plank Walks

How-to: In a plank position, move from side to side on your mat by stepping out one hand and moving the same leg to meet it. Step the opposite hand and leg to meet back in the pushup position. Take two steps to the right before taking two steps to the left.

Form tip: Widen your stance if you need more stability through your core.

Challenge: Add a mini band over the knees for added resistance and increased difficulty.

Angled Tricep pushups

How-to: Using the same chair or bench from the tricep dips, place the hands just outside of the shoulders, elbows pressed into the side, facing directly backwards. Slowly lower your chest down to touch the chair/bench and then press back up.

Form tip: Don’t let your back arch as you press upwards. Squeeze the core and tilt the pelvis forward to press with your triceps and chest.

Challenge: Perform the tricep pushups on the mat for added difficulty.

Superman Reach backs

How-to: On your stomach, stretch your arms and legs out long. Pull the chest and legs off the ground. “Swim” the arms back, bringing the arms to the hips, palms inward. Bring arms back to your ears and lower the body back down.

Form tip: Avoid rocking as you pull your chest off the mat to use the lower back muscles to pull your body from the mat.

Challenge: Add a mini band over the knees for added resistance and increased difficulty.

HIIT Burst: Plank Jacks

How-to: Start in a pushup position. Jump your legs out wide to either side of your mat and jump the feet back to center.

Form tip: Avoid piking the hips as you get tired. Squeeze the glutes and press the hips down during this exercise. Keep the weight in the hands, with the shoulders directly over the wrists, avoiding pushing back.

Modification: If you want to take out the jumping in your workout, step out the feet to either side of the mat and then step back in.

Challenge: Add a mini band over the knees for added resistance and increased difficulty or a pushup between each plank jack.

Round 3:

V-Sit Shoulder Presses

How-to: Start seated on your mat. Scoop your tailbone and raise your legs straight from the hip. Pull the chest tall and vertical as you settle into the V-sit. Start with the arms at 90 degrees, palms facing away, triceps parallel with the ground. Press up overhead and back to 90 degrees.

Form tip: Each time you return the arms to 90 degrees, actively pull with your elbows down to engage the shoulders and lats.

Modification: If the V-sit position is difficult or hurts your hip flexors, bend the knees or place the feet on the ground.

Challenge: Use a dumbbell in either hand to increase the difficulty.

Arm Circles

How-to: In the same V-sit position, extend your arms out to your sides, palms facing down. Start with small circles forward, making sure to not drop the arms. At 30 seconds, reverse the direction of the circle.

Form tip: Squeeze the biceps and triceps as you circle your arms and avoid bending the elbows.

Challenge: Add weights in either hand to increase the difficulty.

Straight Leg Crunches

How-to: On your back, raise your legs straight up, creating an L-shape with your body. Reach your fingertips up to touch your toes, curling with the upper abs.

Form tip: Avoid tucking your chin as you crunch and exhale as you reach to your toes.

Modification: Optionally, place the hands behind the head, elbows wide.

HIIT Burst: Mountain Climbers

How-to: Start in a pushup position, shoulders stacked over wrists, core engaged. Alternate bringing the knees into the chest

Form tip: It can be easy to round your back as you drive the knees into the chest. Squeeze your glutes and make sure that the shoulders stay directly over the hands.

Modification: To avoid bouncing, you can step the feet into the center into a bear plank and step back out.

Challenge: Bring your opposite knee to elbow for a crossbody oblique twist core exercise.