fitness

The 10-Move At-Home Arm Workout for Strong Shoulders

December 20, 2019

174

Traditional arm exercises like bicep curls and shoulder presses work great for strengthening the upper body—but they usually require some weights to get the best benefit. So what if you want an efficient, effective workout, without having to worry about equipment (like, when you’re traveling, have limited space, or just can’t make it to the gym)? Enter, bodyweight arm exercises.

Just a quick FYI: Arm strength is important—strong arms and shoulders help you move more comfortably throughout daily life, Roxie Jones, NASM-CPT, personal trainer and SoulCycle instructor, tells Health. Just think about how many times you open and close doors, carry groceries, push yourself up out of bed, or lift a suitcase into the overhead compartment. All these moves will feel much easier if you’ve been training your upper body—even without weights.

Pushing, pulling, and holding your own bodyweight takes some serious work and requires strength and stability. Plus, if you’re new to strength training, starting with exercises sans equipment is the smartest thing to do. “I always recommend mastering bodyweight exercises before moving on to actual weights,” Jones says. It’s important to get comfortable with an exercise and nail proper form before adding any external resistance—that’s one surefire strategy for sidestepping injury.

To get you building up your upper body, try these 10 bodyweight arm exercises from Jones. Do them in your living room, hotel room, or wherever else you feel like you need to get a quick workout in.

The Workout

Do the arm exercises below anytime and anywhere you have enough space to plank. They all target your arms—specifically, triceps, biceps, and shoulders—but many of them also work your core, glutes, chest, and back muscles, too. (Your abs will definitely be on fire with all the planking.) Pick four or five exercises to do circuit-style, either for time (anywhere from 30-60 seconds) or reps (aim for 10-12). Complete the entire circuit 2-4 times, depending on how long you want to work out. If you’re at the gym and want to grab the weights after, Jones suggests using these moves as your warm-up.