Tone and strengthen your upper body with two or three sets of this upper body workout, which includes five exercises that work your arms, shoulders, back, and abs.

Upper Body Workout at Home

Push-ups: 20 repetitions

This simple movement is great for strengthening your arms, but it’s important to perform it correctly:

1. Start with your arms and legs straight in a plank position. Your wrists should be right below your shoulders. If you have trouble holding this position, you can rest one or both knees on the floor while keeping your upper body straight in the plank position.
2. Keep your abs tight as you breathe in, bend your elbows to your sides, and lower your torso towards the floor. Keep your body in a straight line, and make sure your back doesn’t sink into your lower back or your hips don’t sag upward.
3. Exhale, extend your arms and take a step back to where you were before. This is the only time it has happened.

Try to do as many reps as you can, aiming for 20, but make sure you maintain good posture.

Superman: 12 reps

After the push-ups, for the next upper body exercise, lie on the floor to work your back muscles. Your arms will thank you, and your shoulders will benefit from this muscle-defining exercise.

1. Get down on your stomach with your arms and legs out straight. Keep your neck in a neutral position, and don’t strain it.
2. Keep your arms and legs straight (but don’t lock your body), and keep your torso stable. At the same time, raise your arms and legs toward the ceiling, trying to form an elongated U-shape with your body: back arched and arms and legs several inches above the floor.
3. Hold this position for two to five seconds, then lower yourself back to the starting position to complete one repetition.
4. You can do up to 12 reps per set.

Side elbow plank: 30 seconds on each side

Once you’ve worked on your back, it’s time to focus on your sides and arms. This exercise is great for toning your arms and gradually reducing your waistline.

1. To get started, lie on your side with your arm extended underneath you, directly under your shoulder. Switch up which foot you’re putting in front. Push your stomach in, put your lower elbow on the floor, and lift your body onto your side, resting on your arm.
2. Bring your upper hand toward the ceiling to raise your waist.
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Do the same exercise on the other side to finish one set.

Triceps bottom: Do 20 reps.

The triceps bottom exercise is a great upper-body workout that effectively and easily tones the back of the arms. You can also do this exercise with your hands on the floor and your knees bent.

1. Sit with your hands shoulder-width apart on a stable bench or chair and your feet semi-flexed or stretched out on the floor, facing forward.
2. Extend your arms, keeping a slight bend in your elbows to keep your triceps and elbow joints engaged.
3. Bend your elbows slowly until your body is almost touching the floor, but don’t let your arms form a 90-degree angle. Just make sure you keep your back close to the bench.
4. When you’ve reached the furthest you can go without touching the floor, press down to straighten your elbows and come back to the starting position. That’s one rep done.
5. Keep your shoulders down as you lower and lift your body. If this seems too challenging, you can bend your legs further. Do 20 reps for one set.

Rowing with incline dumbbells: 12 reps

This exercise is great for toning your shoulders and back. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Maintaining a flat back, bend both knees and lean forward.
2. Extend your arms down. Then, lift the weights without changing your posture. Imagine you’re going to carry them backward and bring them to chest height, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Keep your elbow pointing up, and don’t arch your back.
3. Return the weights to their initial positions gradually. That’s one time around.
4. Do 12 repetitions to complete one set.