Arm workouts without weights that you can do at Home

Want to get strong, toned arms without having to go to the gym? You don’t need weights or any fancy equipment – here are some best arm exercises you can do at home with no equipment required.

When you do free weight arm exercises, you typically need some equipment like dumbbells or bands to curl and flex your biceps and triceps. It is, however, entirely possible to perform upper body and arm exercises without weights.

Most arm workouts without weights are some version of push-ups, dip, and planks, which means they also require you to engage your core, so you’ll work those muscles at the same time.

These exercises are good for anyone, no matter your fitness level. They’re especially good for beginners.

Adding the right exercises to your workout routine can help you strengthen the muscles in your arms much more quickly.

Benefits of bodyweight arm workouts (Without Weight)

You can effectively train your arms by using this simple bodyweight exercise at home, and you don’t need any equipment for this.

It offers several advantages to incorporate arm workouts without weights into your bodyweight workout plan.

1. They can be done anywhere, at any time: All you need is your own body, so you don’t need access to a gym or any specialized equipment.
2. Don’t require any equipment: As mentioned above, bodyweight exercises don’t require any equipment, so you don’t have to worry about buying weights or other expensive equipment.
3. Improve functional strength: Bodyweight Arm exercises mimic everyday movements, so they can help improve your functional strength, which is the strength you need to perform everyday tasks such as lifting groceries or playing with your kids.
4. Improve your balance and coordination: Bodyweight exercises often require balance and coordination, which can help improve these skills over time.
5. They can be modified for any fitness level: Bodyweight Arm exercises can be modified to suit any fitness level, so whether you’re a beginner or an advanced exerciser, you can still benefit from these types of workouts.
6. Arm workouts without weights are perfect for the at-home exerciser with the limited space. It also Provides more flexibility as you can train as per your schedule.

Utilizing household items for arm workouts

There are several household items that can be used to add resistance to arm workouts and help build muscle strength:

1. Water bottles or canned goods: These can be used as makeshift dumbbells for bicep curls, tricep extensions, and other arm exercises.
2. Towels: Towels can be used for a variety of arm exercises, such as towel bicep curls, tricep extensions, and lateral raises.
3. Stairs: Stairs can be used for tricep dips, push-ups, and other lower body exercises that also target the arms.
4. Chair: A sturdy chair can be used for tricep dips, push-ups, and other exercises that target the arms and upper body.
5. Backpack: A backpack filled with books or other heavy items can be used for exercises like weight push ups, weighted dips, bicep curls, and tricep extensions.

It’s important to use caution when using household items for workouts and to make sure they are stable and secure before starting any exercise.

18 Arm Workouts Without Weights for At-Home Exercise

Here are the best arm workouts without weights to help you build the arm without iron. You can use these as part of a regular workout or as a standalone circuit.

1. Knee push-up

The knee push-up is a brilliant bodyweight exercise for beginners that targets muscles throughout your upper body including chest, triceps, shoulder.

It is an easier push-up variation if you are having trouble performing a standard push-up.

How To Do It

1. Kneel on the floor. Put your arms out in front of you with your hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Lower yourself by flexing your elbows so that your chest is close to the floor.
3. Make sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your knees.
4. Push up with your arms and raise your body to the starting position.

Tips

• Keep your back straight — never rounded! — throughout the move.
• Tighten your abs and butt to work your core.

2. Kneeling bodyweight triceps extension

kneeling bodyweight triceps extension is one of the best arm exercises to isolate your triceps without weights or dumbbells, barbells, and weight machines.

It is an ideal beginner’s exercise for those who have limited upper body strength, and it can be used to build both muscle and strength gradually.

How To Do It

1. Get on all fours with your hands together under your chest
2. Lower your elbows to the floor, shoulder-width apart.
3. Lean forward so that your body weight is supported by your elbows.
4. Exhale as you push your body off the floor by extending your elbows.
5. Inhale as you lower your elbows to the starting position by flexing your elbows.

Tips

• Keep your elbows tucked in to your body. Do not flare them out.
• Stop the exercise if you feel pain in your wrists

3. Inverted Row

The inverted row is another name for bodyweight rows. It’s putting your body in a horizontal position, making it easier to perform.

In the gym, most people do this exercise on the smith machine.

But, you can also perform the inverted row at home by lying under a chair, holding the chair’s sides, and pulling yourself up.

How To Do It

1. Adjust the height of the chair and bar so that it’s a little higher than arm’s length from the floor.
2. Lie under the bar with your legs and body straight.
3. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip that’s a little wider than shoulder width.
4. Keeping your legs and body straight, exhale as you pull your chest up to the bar.
5. Hold for a count of two and squeeze your back muscles.
6. Inhale as you lower your body until your arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat.

Tips

• Do not allow your butt to sag.
• Grab the bar with your hands slightly closer together and keeping your elbows at an angle to your body, similar to doing a bench-press.

4. Standard Push Up

Push-Ups are the best bodyweight calisthenics exercise to build your entire upper body, shoulders, chest, and arms.

Do push-ups to build muscle and strength in the chest, shoulders, and arms.

How To Do It

1. Lay face down on the ground with your legs straight, and arms supporting the upper body. Keep your knees off the ground.
2. Raise yourself off the ground straightening your elbows and your arms. But keep your elbows close to your body.
3. Raise until your elbows are locked, and pause for a moment at the top of the movement.
4. Now, lower your body under slow sustained motion, feeling the motion all the way down until your chest is very close to the ground.

5. Shoulder Tap Push Up

The shoulder tap push-up is a full-body strength move that focuses on your arms and chest while also strengthening your core.

Once you have the ability to do at least 10 full push-ups, you should be able to start incorporating some shoulder taps into the mix. Be sure to rely on the strength of your core for most of the move.

How To Do It

1. Start in a high plank position with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you
2. Lower yourself by flexing your elbows so that your chest comes within a few inches of the floor, making sure your body is in a straight line from your head to your knees.
3. Raise your body to the starting position by pushing up with your arms. Tap your left hand to your right shoulder while engaging your core and glutes to keep your hips as still as possible.
4. Place it back on the floor and repeat your next push up and shoulder tap with another hand.

Tips

• Tighten your core, engage your glutes, and keep your spine, head and neck aligned.
• Your arms should resemble an arrow in the bottom position, not a “T”

6. Bicep Leg Curl

The bicep leg curl is a very effective bodyweight isolation exercise for building muscle and strength.

Sometimes we just don’t have access to equipment, but that’s not an issue with the bicep leg curl, as you only need your arms and legs.

How To Do It

1. Begin by sitting on a chair as close to the edge as possible. Then, place your right hand under your left thigh at the crease between your hamstrings and calves.
2. Slowly curl your right up as high as you can. Exhale during this portion of the exercise.
3. Hold for a couple of seconds. Then, slowly lower your leg back down, so your foot is just above the ground. Inhale during this portion of the exercise.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps. Repeat the exercise with your left arm.

Tips

• Try to get as much range of motion as possible.
• You can perform a variation of the bicep leg curl lying down.

7. Bench Dips

A Tricep bench dip is a medium-intensity exercise that uses your own body weight.

Bench dips are fairly simple to learn and can be done almost anywhere, making them bodyweight shoulder exercises for home-workout.

How To Do It

1. Place your hands on the side of a flat bench so that your body is perpendicular to the bench when you place your feet out in front of you.
2. Only your heels should be on the floor and your legs should be straight. keep your knees and hips bent.
3. Your arms should be fully extended with just your palms on the bench.
4. Bend your elbows to lower your body down until your elbows reach 90 degrees.
5. Now extend your arms to lift your body back to the starting position, flexing your triceps hard at the top.

Tips

• Really squeeze the triceps at the top of the movement to get the most out of this exercise.
• Do not dip down too low as it places unnecessary strain on the shoulder joints.

8. Pike Push Up

Pike Push-ups is a variation of the push-up that increases strength and stability in the shoulders and triceps.

Performing the exercise in a more upright position will target the shoulders more than the chest.

How To Do It

1. Start in a standard push-up position.
2. Lift hips up and back until your body forms an inverted V shape. Keep arms and legs as straight as possible.
3. Slowly lower the top of your head towards the ground.
4. Once your head is about to make contact with the ground, pause for a second.
5. Then slowly push back up until your arms are straight and you’re in the inverted V position.

Tips

• Make sure you maintain control throughout the movement.

9. Crab Walk

The Crab Walk is excellent for toning, effectively targeting all upper arms, shoulders, upper legs, and core and working them hard to build strength.

Moves like the crab walk are great total-body exercises that don’t require any additional equipment, making them ideal moves to perform when you don’t have a lot of time or fitness gear on hand.

How To Do It

1. Position your hands and feet so that they are flat on the ground, and you are face up.
2. Lift your butt up off the ground by tightening your gluteal muscles.
3. Begin “walking” by first moving your hands and then your feet.
4. Avoid excessive shoulder strain by moving your hands no more than 6 to 8 inches at a time.

Tips

• Do not let your feet get moving too fast for your upper body so as not to injure your shoulders.

10. Chin Up

A chin-up is a compound exercise that targets the muscles in your biceps, back, and core.

Chin-ups can be challenging for beginners, so it’s important to start with a small number of reps and gradually increase as you get stronger.

If you find the exercise too difficult, you can use a resistance band or have a spotter assist you.

How To Do It

1. Grasp a pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower.
2. Straighten your arms, keep your knees bent and cross your lower legs.
3. Retract your shoulder blades and pull your body up until your chin becomes aligned with the bar.
4. Pause for one to two seconds at the top, with the biceps under maximum tension. Slowly lower to the start position.

Tips

• Don’t get in the habit of doing half reps and chasing numbers.
• Lower to almost full extension of the elbow, but avoid locking out completely.

11. Clapping push-up

Clapping Push-ups is the advanced exercise that works your chest, triceps, abs, and shoulders.

With this type of push up, a “jumping” element is added to the exercise to make it more challenging and explosive.

Athletes perform this push up to build strength, endurance, and speed.

How To Do It

1. Start in a standard Push-Ups.
2. Start to lower your body as if you’re going to do a pushup until your chest is almost touching the floor.
3. Reverse the motion by pushing hard through the palms, just as your arms reach full extension, pull your hands up off the floor.
4. Rapidly clapping the hands together and placing them back in the original position before your body falls back to the ground.

Tips

• Be sure to exhale when exploding off the ground and inhaling on the way down.
• Do not let the elbows flare out. Keep the elbows close to your sides throughout.

12. Parallel Bar Triceps Dip

Parallel bar triceps dips are one of the most effective compound movements for the upper body pushing muscles in the chest and triceps especially.

To do a triceps dip on parallel bars at home, you will need a stable surface that is approximately waist height, such as a pair of sturdy chairs or a bench.

How To Do It

1. Place your hands on the edge of the chairs or bench, palms facing down and fingers facing forward.
2. Your arms should be straight and your feet should be flat on the ground.
3. Engage your core and lift your hips off the ground, so that your body is straight and your weight is supported by your hands.
4. Lower your body down by bending your elbows and allowing your hips to drop towards the ground.
5. Once your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, push back up to the starting position, straightening your arms as you do so.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips

• Do not lock out your elbows at the top of the movement.
• Keep your elbows close to your body and try to keep your upper arms perpendicular to the ground.

13. Plank to Push-up

A Plank to Push-up is a full-body exercise and variation of a plank. It is a compound exercise that targets the muscles in your arms, chest, and core.

Maintaining a plank position, you alternate between a forearm plank and a high plank.

How To Do It

1. Start to get in a push up position, bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of on your hands.
2. Keep your core, butt, and quads tight, and avoid arching your back.
3. Brace your core by contracting your abs as if you were about to be punched in the gut.
4. Press your body up into the top position of a push up by extending your arms one at a time.
5. Pause, then reverse the movement and return to your elbows. That’s 1 rep

Tips

• Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
• Avoid letting your hips sag during the exercise

14. High Side Plank

A High side plank strengthens your obliques and entire core and helps you work your way to a flatter tummy and stronger back.

It also strengthen your shoulders, arms, and upper back muscles.

How To Do It

1. Get in a side plank position by lying on your right side on the floor with your left foot rested on top right foot and your left arm rested on top of your left side.
2. Raise your body by placing your right palm flat on the floor so that it’s perpendicular to your torso. Lift your torso until your right arm is straight underneath you.
3. In this position, only your right arm and the right foot are making contact with the floor and your body forms a diagonal line that is at about a 20-degree angle to the floor.
4. Keep your abs pulled in tight and hold this position for as long as you can and then repeat on the left side.

Tips

• Keep your legs and body straight.
• Squeeze your abs and glutes throughout the movement for stability.

15. Rolling Side Plank

The rolling side plank improves strength and endurance throughout the core, with an emphasis on the obliques. It also increases strength in the lower back and shoulders.

The rolling—or side-to-side—plank involves switching between left and right side plank, with a brief forearm plank in between (whew).

How To Do It

1. Start to get in a pushup position, bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of on your hands.
2. Keep your core, butt, and quads tight, and avoid arching your back.
3. Now roll to your left forearm into a side plank with your right arm raised above you.
4. Then roll back to the original plank position.
5. Roll to your right forearm into a side plank with your left arm raised above you, and then return to the original plank.

Tips

• Avoid letting your hips sag during the exercise
• Do not let your hips sag during any part of the movement.

16. Inchworm

The Inchworm is a full-body exercise that increases strength and flexibility.

Your body weight is the only gym equipment you need to perform this low-impact exercise, which is highly effective.

Inspired by the rhythmic movements of inchworms, this move covers all the bases: core, arms, chest, and upper back.

How To Do It

1. Stand tall, your feet hip-distance apart. Hinge forward at your hips and place your palms on the mat. You can bend your knees if needed to get your palms flat on the floor.
2. Walk your hands forward so that you’re in high plank. your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Brace your core by contracting your abs.
3. Walk your hands back in toward your feet, keeping your legs as straight as possible.
4. Roll back up to a standing position.

Tips

• Try to avoid your torso from swaying from side to side during the exercise.
• Keep your legs straight, don’t let your hips sag, and maintain a neutral spine.

17. Lateral Plank Walk

It is a full-body exercise that intensely engages your core like a classic plank, but the side-to-side motion works your arms and delts, too.

The faster you “walk,” the more challenging this will be cardiovascular. Slow down if you need to dial down the intensity a bit.

How To Do It

1. Start in a high plank position
2. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Brace your core.
3. Take a step to the right starting with your right hand and right foot and following with your left hand and foot, maintaining a plank position as you move.
4. Do as many reps as you can in one direction, and then repeat the same number of reps in the opposite direction.

Tips

• Do not let your lower back sag or your butt rise.
• Keep your glutes and core muscles contracted.

18. Arm Circles

Arm circles is a low-impact exercise that is easy on the joints and can be done by people of all fitness levels.

It’s a great way to warm up the muscles in your arms and shoulders before a more intense workout.

How To Do It

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms extended out to the sides at shoulder height.
2. Start by making small circles with your arms, moving them in a clockwise direction.
3. Gradually increase the size of the circles as you get more comfortable with the movement.
4. After completing several reps in the clockwise direction, reverse the direction and do the same number of reps in a counterclockwise direction.

Tips

• You can make your circles bigger as you progress and increase the repetitions for an added challenge.
• Make sure that your core is engaged and your shoulders are relaxed.

Tips for optimizing arm workouts at home

1. Focus on proper form

Proper form is crucial for any type of workout, but it’s especially important when you’re using your own body weight or household items as resistance.

Incorrect form can lead to injury, so make sure to pay attention to proper alignment and technique.

2. Incorporate a variety of exercises

Mixing up your arm workouts with a variety of exercises can help prevent boredom and ensure that you’re working all of the muscles in your arms.

3. Gradually increase intensity and difficulty

As you get stronger and more comfortable with the exercises, gradually increase the intensity and difficulty by adding more reps, holding a plank for longer, or using heavier weights.

5. Take breaks and rest as needed

It’s important to listen to your body and take breaks as needed to prevent overexertion.

6. Stay motivated

Working out at home can be challenging, so it’s important to find ways to stay motivated.

This could include setting goals, working out with a friend or family member, or listening to music or podcasts to make the time fly by.

 A 2016 research review suggests that training muscle groups at least twice a week can maximize results.

Building a 20-30 minute arm routine into your schedule 2 or 3 times a week is a good place to start.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Q. How often should we work on our arms?

A. Arm workout can be done at least 2 days a week, with a minimum of 48–72 hours rest in between.

Q. Is it normal for my arms to pain after the workout?

A. It’s not normal to have pain in your arms after a workout. What you should be feeling is mild soreness and not pain.

Q. How to combine bicep exercises into a great home workout:

• Choose three of the exercises and do 8–12 repetitions.
• Do three sets of each exercise, with 90–120 seconds of rest between sets.
• During isometric exercises, try to hold the position as long as possible. Repeat this three times with 90–120 seconds of rest between sets.

Takeaway

In conclusion, arm workouts without weights can be an effective and convenient way to build strength and tone your muscles at home.

Bodyweight exercises and household items can all be used to provide resistance and challenge your muscles.

It’s important to focus on proper form and technique, incorporate a variety of exercises, and gradually increase intensity and difficulty to optimize your workouts and prevent boredom.

With a little creativity and dedication, you can achieve impressive results with arm workouts at home.

Thanks for reading, enjoy working workouts!

Stay Fit, Live a Happy and Healthy Life