10 of the Best Upper Body Bodyweight Exercises (Beginners and Advanced)

Keen to work out your upper body without needing any additional weights or equipment? Then these upper body bodyweight exercises could be just what you need! We have upper body ideas for beginners and more advanced exercisers, so either jump to the section you need below, or read on for more:

What are Bodyweight Exercises?

Bodyweight exercises are movements that help build strength and fitness, without the need for additional weights. In many cases, they don’t need any other equipment at all. These exercises focus on simply using the weight of your own body to challenge your muscles, so are easy to do wherever you are, whether that’s at home, on your lunch break or at the gym.

Can I use bodyweight exercises to build upper body strength?

Yes, absolutely. Many of the best bodyweight workouts include exercises that target the whole body, so you’ll be able to see results in your arms, back and chest with these movements. If you’re aiming to bulk up these upper body areas, we’d generally recommend incorporating some additional weight as you progress, using dumbbells, kettlebells or weighted plates. However, this isn’t always possible, so if you need to keep your upper body bodyweight exercises completely equipment-free, then it’s worth building in more reps, extending the duration of each movement (particularly the moment of higher tension) or trying more challenging variations of each exercise.

5 Beginners Upper Body Bodyweight Exercises

1. Planks
2. Up Down Planks
3. Incline push ups
4. Bird dog holds
5. Prone I, Y, T

5 Advanced Upper Body Bodyweight Exercises

1. Pike push ups
2. Chin ups
3. Burpees
4. Clapping push ups
5. Mountain Climbers