Best Upper Body Workouts at Home

Sometimes you simply need an alternative to the expensive personal training sessions, gym memberships, workout classes, or a solution to a worldwide pandemic when your gym is shut down (anyone?). If you haven’t tried at-home workouts before, they may seem like they aren’t as “good” or won’t do as much for your body. That’s simply not true. 

The best upper body workouts at home tend to use little to no equipment, so you can get some exercise in without having to go out. Once you get started, you can replace the extra costs of memberships/classes and opt for simple equipment, like a few weights, resistance bands, or a cardio machine if you have space. 

Today we’ll be covering the best upper body workouts at home, from head to toe. These exercises are perfect for the days when you can’t be bothered to make it to the gym, but you don’t want to fall behind a day. Or, they’re great for those just starting on their fitness journey! Stick around to discover at-home equipment alternatives, apartment-friendly workouts (that don’t make much noise), and more from industry experts, backed by science. 

Equipment Suggestions for an Upper Body Workout at Home

Non-Slip Exercise Mat

First, find a non-slip exercise mat. Nobody wants to slip and slide (or get rug burn) while trying to do ab workouts at home, so this is the first step toward an at-home “gym” that can fit in your coat closet. These mats also help with stability and comfort with weight training or stretching. You can find affordable options anywhere from Amazon or the local superstore in the workout section to specialty exercise shops. For about $10 you can find a quality, simple mat if you shop around.

Pull-Up Bar

Next, you can find removable doorway pull-up bars at several different price points. Don’t let that product name stop you; you can easily place pull-up bars at the base of a doorframe to aid with push-ups, other exercises, and even stretching. This goes hand in hand with the next equipment must-have.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands or cords. Not only do these come in different sizes, lengths, and resistance levels, but they’re extremely compact and work well for different exercises. Arm workouts at home? No problem. Chest workouts at home? A cinch. Bicep, tricep, or shoulder exercises at home? Done, done, and done. Both professionals and first-timers use portable resistance bands, as they’re suitable for homes and travel. You can find incredibly inexpensive options, making it worthwhile even as a trial run.

Weights

Finally, the last pieces of equipment we’re going to highlight today: dumbbells and medicine balls. They both achieve similar goals, so it boils down to preference. For convenience and ease of transport, it may be best to opt for weights that are lighter but heavier than any common object you could use for the same purpose. This means you may not want 50lb+ dumbbells or medicine balls, because that would simply be a pain and a half to move when the time comes. 

If you’re staying in the same place for a while, however, this may be a nonissue. Again, choosing weights comes down to personal preference. Dumbbells tend to be better for arm workouts at home, bicep workouts at home, or tricep workouts at home. Medicine balls (or kettle balls) are slightly better for the core: think chest or ab workouts at home. Medicine balls are also great for partner workouts, as tossing one back and forth is a solid upper body workout you can do at home.

Don’t Have Proper Equipment?

man using a dumbbell at home on his couch
No problem. You can swap out basic equipment for common household objects if you don’t feel like investing in workout gear just yet. For instance, a gallon of milk, water, or a bottle of laundry detergent is a great swap. A US gallon of water or milk typically weighs 8.6 lbs, with a quart weighing about 2.15 lbs. Likewise, with laundry detergent, a 72-ounce bottle weighs about 5lbs, let alone the larger containers that could likely weigh up to 40 lbs or more. You could also use boxes of soda cans, sacks of potatoes, or cartons of pet food for upper body workouts at home.

Another alternative: a backpack filled with books or cans. You remember what it feels like to lug around everything you needed for school, right? You could fill a backpack with as much weight as you’d like and do some arm workouts at home. Try curls, kettle ball swings, or for a good shoulder workout at home, get into those shoulder presses. For similar arm exercises, you could also use paint cans if they’re wasting space in your garage. 

Bet you didn’t think there was an at-home alternative to resistance bands, right? Surprise, we’re talking towels. Roll one up and use it to stretch out your shoulders, arms, or use it as a foam roller replacement.

The Best Upper Body Workouts at Home

woman in a plank position doing a full-body workout at home

Before we get into specific exercises, we urge you to alter the way you think about things in your house. We already touched on equipment replacements, but consider using your furniture and infrastructure to your advantage. If you’re somewhere with stairs, for instance, you can use them to do decline/incline push-ups or box dips. No stairs? No worries. You can get the job done using couches, beds, chairs, and coffee tables, too.

Upper Body Workouts for You to Try

Several plank-oriented exercises will strengthen everything from your upper body to your core, depending on what part of the body the exercise targets. We want to dive into ab-centered workouts that will not only strengthen your core but will set those arms on fire, too. For example, you could start with a lateral plank walk, one of the best equipment-less ab workouts at home. 

Another favorite: the plank up-down, where you start from a traditional high plank position but lower yourself to your elbows and forearms and then back up. This is definitely an upper body workout at home that will leave every part of your upper body quaking.

Similarly, you can practice the ‘body saw’ exercise, where you’re in a low plank position resting on your elbows and forearms while shifting your weight forward and backward – get it? Like a saw. If you’re looking for ab workouts at home that aren’t crunches or sit-ups, a body saw is an interesting alternative that will also strengthen the shoulders and back.

Planks with spinal rotations are excellent for the core, shoulders, and back. Bonus: they get your obliques working, too. This move may require a bit more upper body strength and balance than other plank variations. 

If you want to take things up a notch and make your upper body workout at home more cardio-focused and less about strength training, mountain climbers or plank jacks are great alternatives. For plank jacks, you’re in a plank position and you simply jump your legs out and in like a jumping jack.

Studies Show Why Upper Body Workouts at Home Are Effective

Some worry that without someone guiding you (like you would have in a fitness class or from a personal trainer) and without the machines, equipment, and environment of a gym or workout facility, your workouts are less effective. This simply isn’t true. We’ll let these studies do the talking. 

Let’s take a look at these two studies focused on older adults and at-home workouts. One study determined that a home-based, well-rounded exercise program can improve overall fitness, while the second study focused on muscle mass for a four-week trial, determining that no significant changes in health, wellness, or muscle mass can take place in such a short timeframe. 

The latter study doesn’t mean at-home workouts are minimally effective but further proves the widely accepted fact that crash diets, extreme workout routines, and combinations of the two are unsustainable. It takes time for significant changes in weight and body shape to show. The first study allowed for more time and a variety of exercises, which is why more distinct changes were seen. 

Another study tested at-home workouts and how effective they are at helping people with chronic diseases in regaining strength (specifically diseases that deteriorate mobility and skeletal muscle). They found that strength and lean arm mass can be partially maintained through using simple hand weights, but that other upper body training would be necessary to build substantial muscle. So, if you keep at it with simple exercises, you should be able to maintain your strength just fine, but if you’re looking to build, that will require fine-tuned behavior. 

Finally, this pooled study looked at health and wellness through things like diet, exercise, routines, and machines. From the three different studies, data indicated a positive correlation between home-based training systems when utilizing proper trainers (videos or routines) in combination with diet and cardiometabolic outcomes. 

Here’s the gist. Upper body workouts at home, or even cardio workouts and/or overall strength training at home, can be effective when you consider other variables, such as diet and workout intensity. Plus, you can easily find ‘equipment’ around the house, no matter your intensity starting point. So, don’t discount the effectiveness of at-home exercise, because, at the bare minimum, it can maintain your strength and weight without having to rely on gyms, memberships, classes, trainers, or anything of the sort. 

What’s your favorite upper body workout at home? Drop your tips and tricks in the comments!

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