Build Strength with This 20-Minute Upper Body Workout at Home

Why it’s great: The trusty body weight push-up never goes out of style. With many ways to progress it, you should never get tired of it. It will add muscle-building tension to your core, delts, chest, and triceps. 

RELATED: What Muscles Do Push-Ups Work?

How to do it:

1. Begin with your hands and knees on the floor with your hands approximately shoulder width apart.
2. Step both legs back and engage your glutes and core so you are in a straight line. This is the push-up plank position.
3. Slowly bend your arms to lower your torso down until your chest almost touches the ground, allowing your shoulder blades to come together.
4. Push up to the starting position and reset and repeat.

Why it’s great: Triceps make up two-thirds of the upper arm and training them improves the size and strength of your arms. Triceps dips are an effective exercise to isolate them for enhanced muscle development. 

RELATED: Best Triceps Workouts

How to do it:

Note: You will need a chair, couch, or bench.

1. Sit upright on a chair and put your hands on the edge of the chair on either side of your hips.
2. Step your feet out so your weight is on your arms. Your legs can be straight or bent at a 90-degree angle. 
3. Bend your elbows to lower your torso down until you feel a stretch in your triceps.
4. Extend your elbows to return to the starting position and reset and repeat.

Why it’s great: The inverted V shape emphasizes the upper pecs and shoulders to strengthen them while improving core strength and lower body mobility.  

How to do it:

1. Begin in the push-up plank position described above.
2. With your core and glutes engaged, walk your feet in toward your hands until your hips are up and your body forms an inverted V shape, similar to a downward dog yoga pose.
3. While keeping your arms and legs straight, bend your elbows and lower your upper body toward the ground. 
4. When you feel a muscle contraction in your shoulders, push back up to the starting position.
5. Then reset and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why it’s great: Lateral arm raises focus on the lateral deltoid, and training it is a simple way to improve the size and shape of your shoulders to give them a more rounded appearance. 

How to do it:

1. Stand holding a weight in each hand (could be dumbbells, resistance bands, cans of food, bricks, or anything else you have that will provide resistance) with your arms by your sides and your lower back neutral.
2. Slowly raise your arms out to the sides, stopping when your hands are at shoulder height. 
3. Pause for a second, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting position.
4. Reset and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Why it’s great: The shoulder press is only one of a few upper body exercises that train all three heads of the deltoids while adding mass to your triceps. This is an excellent alternative if you’re a beginner and have trouble with the pike push-up.  

How to do it:

1. Stand holding a weight in each hand in front of your shoulders with your palms facing out (could be dumbbells, resistance bands, cans of food, bricks, or anything else you have that will provide resistance).
2. Ensure your chest is up, shoulders are down, and your glutes are engaged with your feet hip-width apart.  
3. Press the weights overhead until your elbows are extended and your biceps are by or behind your ears.
4. Slowly lower back down to the starting position and reset and repeat for reps.

Why it’s great: Does this CPT really need to explain why biceps curls are great? They are a muscle group that doesn’t require an explanation. 

How to do it:

Note: This is a variation of a biceps curl, a concentration curl 

1. Sit on a chair holding a weight in one hand (could be a dumbbell, resistance band, can of food, brick, or anything else you have that will provide resistance). 
2. Place your elbow on your inner thigh with your arm hanging down between your legs.
3. Curl your arm up, making sure your elbow stays on your inner thigh.
4. Slowly lower back to the starting position, reset, and repeat for reps.

Triset 1:

• Pike push-up 6 reps
• Lateral raise 6 reps
• Biceps curl (concentration curl) 6 reps on each side

Triset 2:

• Push-up 6 reps
• Shoulder press 6 reps
• Triceps dip 6 reps