8 Best Upper Body Workouts To Try
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Feeling in a workout slump? Looking for a new workout to get you excited to go into the gym? We love a good upper body workout, especially when the workout is full of upper body exercises that aren’t boring!
Especially if you are not currently heading to the gym on a regular basis, you need an at-home upper body workout that is quick, easy, and most of all, fun! Add in the fact that most don’t have bulky gym equipment at home, we know that you are looking for bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, or other small home workout equipment.
Break out of that workout rut and add one of these 8 upper body workouts to your fitness routine this week.
8 Best Upper Body Workouts to Try
15 Minutes
Exercises: shoulder raise, hammer curls, chest press
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Ready to dedicate 15 minutes to an all-out shoulder and arm burn? This dumbbell upper body workout features two rounds of arms and shoulders, fatiguing the muscles with a variety of presses, lifts, pulls and curls to be all you need on any upper body day. And did we mention it has an abdominal finisher?
30 Minutes
Exercises: chest fly, bent over row, pushup shoulder taps
Difficulty: Hard
Supersets can be a great way of structuring your exercises to maximize your time during a workout. A traditional superset means that you are performing exercise sets with very little rest in between, often with opposing muscle groups. This workout combines push and pull movements to give you a killer chest and back workout in just 30 minutes!
30 Minutes
Exercises: tricep kickbacks, tension curls, shoulder presses
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
No room for dumbbells at home or a frequent traveler? The mini band is a gym bag must-have. This small resistance band is the perfect upper body workout tool for a workout of any length! This upper body workout is divided into three sections: biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Each round is specifically designed to target the muscle group and leave it fatigued and stronger than ever!
30 Minutes
Exercises: upright row, tempo pushups, V-ups
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Not only is this an intense upper body dumbbell workout, but it incorporates abdominal exercises to give you a 2-for-1 workout in just 30 minutes. During the combo round, focus on core stabilization movements while feeling those arms and shoulders burn as you build muscle.
30 Minutes
Exercises: plank walks, tricep dips, shoulder taps
Difficulty: Hard
Short on time? No equipment? No problem! This high intensity interval training workout intertwines short bursts of heart-pounding cardio with equipment-free upper body work that will have your arms shaking and the sweat dripping! Plus, this entire workout is done without any jumping, meaning it’s a low impact workout, ideal for those with sensitive knees.
30 Minutes
Exercises: dolphin pike, reverse plank, hollow body holds
Difficulty: Hard
Need more than 15 minutes in your upper body workout? This no-equipment needed workout is full of unique exercises to break you out of the same ol’ boring upper body routine and incorporate a few new twists. Add a mini band or a set of dumbbells for added difficulty if needed, but we guarantee that you won’t need to!
30 Minutes
Exercises: wood choppers, plank row, skull crushers
Difficulty: Intermediate
Grab your dumbbells, this is a challenging upper body and core heavy workout. Start with a plank series, where you challenge your balance, and then jump into a quad-burning kneeling sequence. While we call this an upper body workout, you’ll be feeling a total body burn.
30 Minutes
Exercises: forearm pushups, plank reach backs, plank up/downs
Difficulty: Hard
We couldn’t leave you with just one equipment-free upper body workout. This is a not-for-beginners upper body and core workout that combines challenging upper body exercises with core stabilization for a total body workout. Not quite ready for the full movements? Modify this workout with our simple tips until you’re ready to conquer the full thing!