When building upper body endurance, many people default to using weights or machines to execute exercises like bicep curls with dumbbells or lat pulldowns. However, a no-equipment arm workout utilizing your bodyweight can be just as effective at developing strength and muscle endurance in the arms and upper body.
Bodyweight movements engage stabilizing muscles (which help keep you balanced and aligned during everyday movement) and improve functional strength. They also boast a unique advantage: you can do them anywhere — and without the need for equipment. Plus, bodyweight exercises help improve coordination, mobility, and overall muscle control. Whether you’re at home or in the gym, incorporating bodyweight movements into your upper body routine offers maximum flexibility and strengthening potential.
This upper body circuit, which I designed utilizing my background as a strength and conditioning specialist, features a blend of compound exercises and isolation exercises that target all major muscle groups in the upper body, focusing on challenging the arms and shoulders, along with the chest and back.
Compound movements — such as push-ups, plank shoulder taps, and the crab walk — work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, building overall strength and improving functional fitness. Meanwhile, isolated movements (or isolation exercises) like standing “Y,” “T,” and “I” shapes (YTI’s) allow you to target smaller muscle groups in the upper back region.
I also combined “push” exercises (targeting the chest, shoulders, and triceps) and “pull” exercises (focusing on the back and biceps) to create a balanced workout that helps reduce muscle imbalances. You’ll find YTI movements or isolation exercises highlighting the rotator cuff (including the trapezius and shoulder girdle) to promote total upper body development. The goal is to challenge your muscles through varied motions while strengthening your upper body and core. And with no equipment required, you can start on these exercises today.
No-Equipment Arm Circuit Workout
Equipment needed: None. But you can always use a yoga or exercise mat for floor-based movements. To increase intensity, consider using light hand weights or dumbbells for specific movements.
Directions: Start with a quick dynamic warm-up, including five minutes of low intensity cardio (like walking in place, lightly jogging or hopping, or jumping jacks).
This workout is divided into a circuit of three sets with three exercises in each set. Beginners should aim to complete each circuit three times through, or four times for more intermediate/advanced folks, performing each exercise for 30 seconds and resting for 60 to 90 seconds between each circuit.
For a cool down, focus on three to five minutes of low-intensity cardio, like a light walk on the treadmill or slow cycle on the bike, followed by foam rolling and gentle stretching.
Circuit 1
Plank Hold or Plank Up-Down onto Forearms
Y T I’s
Jumping Jacks
Circuit 2
Push Up
Bear Crawl
Crab Walk
Circuit 3
Side Plank Hold or with Rotation
Tricep Dips
Plank with Shoulder Taps
- Start on your stomach, with both hands about shoulder-width apart and your wrists stacked evenly below your shoulders.
- Push into the ground with the back of your feet and press the chest away from the floor.
- Maintain even alignment, without letting the hips sag down toward the floor or arch upward.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds, and return to the starting position.
- Start standing up, or lying down with your stomach on the floor in a prone position.
- If you choose to start from standing, first place both feet about shoulder to hip-width apart. Bend the knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips. Keep this slight knee bend and hip hinge throughout the movement.
- Extend both arms up by your ears, creating an “I” letter shape.
- Then, move the arms slightly away from the body, around 45 degrees, creating a “Y” shape, followed by bringing both arms extended out either side, creating a “T” shape.
- Bring both arms up toward the ears, and repeat.
- The goal of performing I, Y, and T movements is to challenge the muscles of the rotator cuff and the shoulder girdle.
- The “I” movement targets the upper back, including the trapezius muscle and the lower portion.
- The “Y” shape also challenges the upper and lower quadrants of the trapezius and latissimus dorsi while also focusing on the supraspinatus muscle.
- The “T” shape also works the trapezius muscles (upper, middle, and lower), along with the infraspinatus and teres major.
If you have access to doorframes, a suspension trainer system like TRX, or equipment at a park or gym, you can also perform bodyweight rows to emphasize a pulling motion.
- Starting from standing, place both feet about shoulder to hip-width apart, with the chest tall and proud.
- Bringing both arms out to the side, start by jumping both feet apart while extending both hands overhead, forming an X with your body.
- Keep the chest out, and try not to let the spine and back cave forward too much.
- Repeat for 30 seconds.
- Start by lying on the floor, with your belly against a mat or the ground.
- Place both hands about shoulder-width apart, with your wrists stacked evenly below your shoulders.
- Push into the ground with the back of your feet and press the chest away from the floor.
- Slowly lower the body down toward the ground without letting the hips drop down toward the floor or arch upward.
- Repeat for 30 seconds, and return to the starting position.
- Start on the ground with your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders, or quadruped position.
- Push into the ground and press the feet away from the floor, with your knees hovering above the ground and pushing into the ground with your hands and feet.
- Next, you will slowly crawl forward and backward. Start by moving one hand forward and the opposite foot forward in one fluid motion. Repeat with the opposite hand and foot to create your crawl pattern.
- Remember to not let the hips drop down too much or arch excessively upward.
- Repeat for 30 seconds, and return to the starting position.
- Start on the ground with both hands back behind your body, knees bent, and feet down in front of you.
- Push into the ground and press the hips up toward the sky, pushing into the ground with your hands and feet.
- Create a tabletop position, imagining aligning a straight line from your torso, hips and knees.
- Remember not to let the hips drop down too much or arch excessively upward.
- Slowly reach one hand farther behind your body, and bring the opposite foot back in the same reverse direction. Slowly walk the body backward, keeping a cross-body coordination pattern with one hand moving with the opposite foot. Repeat for 30 seconds, and return to the starting position.
- To begin, start by lying on your side with both knees bent or straight.
- Stack your forearm under your shoulder, and push away from the floor, bringing the hips up and away from the ground.
- Hold this side plank position with bent knees for 30 seconds, before returning to the floor start position.
- To increase intensity, try performing a side plank with bent knees, holding, and eventually progressing to straight legs, with the knees slightly bent.
- For an added challenge, you may start by performing plank rotations. From a front plank position, rotate the body to one side, shifting the hips and feet to one side, while you extend the opposite arm.
- Start by sitting on the floor, with both hands back behind your hips and feet in front of you.
- Push into the ground and press the hips up toward the sky, pushing into the ground with your hands and feet.
- Imagine you are creating a tabletop position, without letting the hips sag down toward the floor or arch excessively upward.
- Slowly lower your hips down toward the floor, and return to the starting tabletop position. Repeat for 30 seconds, and return to the starting position.
- Start with a front plank position.
- Begin on your stomach, with both hands about shoulder width apart and both wrists stacked evenly below the shoulders.
- Push into the ground with the back of your feet and press the chest, hips, and knees away from the floor.
- Using one arm at a time, push into the ground and bring one hand to tap the opposite shoulder. Maintain balance and stability throughout the movement, being mindful to stay in control while you shift your weight from side to side.
- Maintain even alignment, without letting the hips sag down toward the floor or arch upward.
- Repeat these shoulder taps from the plank position for 30 seconds, and return to the starting position.
Jade Esmeralda (she/her), MS, CSCS, is a health and fitness staff writer and a strength and conditioning specialist. A lifelong martial artist and dancer, Jade has a strong passion for strength and conditioning, sports science, and human performance. She graduated with a Master of Science degree in exercise science and strength and conditioning from George Washington University.
