You’ve probably heard of different upper body push exercises, but have you heard of upper push body exercises with no equipment?
That’s true. You don’t need any weight, be it from barbells or dumbbells to achieve your upper body goals. All you need is the weight of your body to work your upper body muscles.
Here are some of the best upper push body exercises, no equipment needed. They will not only build your upper body strength but also engage your core.
Therefore, know these exercises, own them, love them and crush them.
UPPER BODY PUSH EXERCISES
1. PUSH-UP
Push-up is an incredible upper body push exercise that activates every major muscle in your body, including your biceps, core muscles, anterior deltoids and the lower back.
In addition to building strength, this research reveals that push-ups stretch your back and biceps muscles. This is because in the process of pushing down, your back muscles are carefully stretched.
Also, when pushing up, the biceps must be positioned into a full stretch.
To do push-ups, start with your body in a plank position. Bend your arms slowly until your elbows reach a 45 degree-angle then, come back up. Repeat the sequence 20-30 times in a set of three.
When doing push-ups, ensure your back is straight and engage your core and glutes.
If pushups are too hard for you, don’t sweat it. The alternative is to lower your knees to the ground and do pushups from there.
2. SHOULDER- TAP PLANKS
Any type of plank is a go-to exercise to engage your upper body.
However, if you want to enjoy more of your upper body muscles, try trading the standard plank workout for shoulder-tap plank.
According to Spotebi Fitness and Nutrition, shoulder-tap plank engages muscles in your glutes, triceps, wrists, shoulders and arms. It, therefore, reduces pain in your lower back, improves your posture and tightens your core.
By doing 3 sets of 20 shoulder plank-tap planks daily, you’ll gain enough strength in your upper body.
3. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
Climbing mountains is a very daunting experience, but what if the mountain you are climbing is your own floor in the house? That’s where this workout comes in handy.
Mountain climbers are a workout that engages your lower body muscles and your upper body part. It engages muscles in your arms, shoulders, quad and core consequently building your upper strength.
In the process of climbing, this workout also challenges your balance and agility. According to this study, climbing regularly improves endurance, stamina while building muscle strength.
To do mountain climbers, first position your body into a plank, alternate your moves by bringing one knee to your chest and repeat with the other knee. Ensure you engage your glutes and core in the process of doing this workout.
Try these variations from Runners world to make your mountain climbers more challenging.
4. TRICEPS DIPS
A triceps dip is a body workout that works the muscles in your arms, pecs and shoulders.
You don’t need any specific equipment to do this workout, either a bench, a box or your own body weight.
To do this workout, put your hands on the bench, stable chair or the ground. Extend your legs in front of you and slide off your back off the front of the bench. Bend your elbows slowly while lowering your body towards the floor until it reaches a 90-degree angle.
Do three sets of 20 triceps dips each.
5. WALL ANGELS
Wall angels is a simple workout that requires you to take advantage of the wall in your house. Easy, right?
According to Body Logistics, Health and Fitness Clinic, wall angels help reduce back and neck pain by engaging muscles in your lower back and shoulders. This leads to improved posture and mobility.
If you are the type who spends time seated on your laptop, make this work out your best buddy! Just make sure you don’t arch your back when doing this exercise for effective results.
6. INCHWORM
Inchworm, a workout that mimics tan inchworm’s movement is a High-Intensity Interval Training workout that targets your glutes, core, shoulders, deltoids and latissimus dorsi.
This workout builds strength in your chest, arms and core helping you have a defined, masculine and toned body.
To do this workout, stand up at the edge of the matt with the arms at your sides. Hinge forward and walk both of your hands in front of you while keeping your feet in place.
Ensure your arms are above your head and walk up to a plank position. Then start walking your feet towards your hands slowly until your feet meet the palm of your hand. Repeat this movement several times.
7. ALTERNATING SUPERMAN EXERCISE
Alternating superman exercise targets muscles in your rhomboids, glutes, core, deltoids and latissimus dorsi.
To do this workout, lie down on a mat when facing down. Stretch your arms above your head. Raise your right arms and left leg as far as you can then hold for 3 seconds. Repeat with the other leg and hand.
Ensure you don’t bend your legs and arms when doing this exercise and breathe normally.
8. BURPEE WITH PUSH-UPS
The aim of doing burpee with push-ups is to build muscle strength and endurance in your upper and lower body.
It’s a full-body workout that strengthens muscles in your hips, buttocks, abdomen, chest, arms and shoulders.
To do this workout, stand with your feet at shoulder-width apart. Get into a deep squat, place your hands on the floor, and kick back both your legs into a pushup position and hen do a push-up.
Bring back your legs to the squat position and jump up while throwing both arms above your head. Land on the ground and repeat the same exercise.
9. PLANK JACKS
Doing a static plank is great, but adding jumping jacks to your planks pushes this move to a top-notch level.
Plank jacks are a cardio workout that improves your heart rate while giving your upper and lower bodies strength. This workout targets almost every major muscle in your body, including glutes, deltoids, core, hip abductor, triceps and latissimus dorsi.
To do plank jacks, position your body in a plank position. The same way you do jumping jacks, jump both your legs until they are wide apart and jump again to bring them back together again.
Ensure you keep your core steady and back straight while doing this workout. Do three sets of 30 plank jacks each.
10. BEAR CRAWLS
Remember crawling when you were young? Crawling is a good foundation for every toddler. Bear crawl workout imitates the same movement hence the name.
Bear crawls utilize strength in your quads, biceps, abdominals, glutes and shoulders. You are required to transfer weight in your upper body rather than the lower body.
According to the ACE Fitness, you should start slow with the bear crawls to acquire control and build stability while ensuring your back is neutral.
Eager to start bear crawls? Check out this illustration to properly incorporate this exercise into your workout plans.
ARE PUSH-UPS THE BEST UPPER BODY EXERCISES?
It’s hard not to think about push-ups when we want to build our upper body strength. This is because they are the most effective exercises that build your chest and deltoids and triceps. Besides, it strengthens your entire core.
Different pushups, such as clap pushups, stagger plyo pushups, x-tap pushups, double knee tap pushups, clap behind pushups and superman pushups, make pushups among the best exercises for your upper body. They challenge your body muscles in different ways hence build strength.
You can follow this pushup challenge to increase the number of pushups you do each week for maximum benefits.
CONCLUSION
Ready to build your upper body strength without using any equipment? Challenge yourself with three of the above upper body push exercises that are convenient and comfortable for you and then incorporate them into your workout routine.
After one month of being consistent, you’ll realize incredible results on your upper body.
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