Best Beginner Upper Body Workouts With Bodyweight

The Bicycle Crunch is an advanced ab exercise that targets your core while keeping your upper body lifted. Instead of lowering your torso, you maintain the position and move your legs in a cycling motion for better muscle engagement.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and knees bent at 90 degrees.
2. Lift your feet off the ground to start.
3. Extend one leg straight while keeping the other knee bent toward your chest.
4. Return the leg to your chest and touch your opposite elbow to that knee while twisting your torso.
5. Switch legs and repeat, lowering your head and shoulders to the ground between reps.

Crunches are a simple exercise that strengthens your abdominal muscles. Unlike sit-ups, you only lift your shoulder blades off the ground. This makes crunches perfect for beginners wanting to improve their core strength.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place hands behind your head and keep your lower back on the ground.
3. Curl your shoulders off the floor by tightening your abdomen, keeping your chin tucked.
4. Lower your shoulders back to the ground while holding tension in your abs.

The Leg Pull-In is a simple exercise that works your core muscles. By bringing your knees to your chest while lying on your back, you strengthen your abs and improve stability.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides, palms down.
2. Engage your core by breathing into your stomach and tightening your abs.
3. Pull your knees towards your chest while keeping your shins parallel to the ground.
4. Hold this position briefly when your thighs touch your stomach.
5. Lower your legs back down slowly to the starting position.

The Leg Raise is a beginner-friendly exercise that strengthens your core. You lie on your back and lift your legs up while controlling their descent for better results.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides, palms down.
2. Tilt your hips slightly so your lower back touches the floor.
3. Tighten your abs to keep your lower back down while breathing in.
4. Bend your ankles at 90 degrees and lift your legs up to a vertical position.
5. Slowly lower your legs back to the starting position.

Planks are a simple core exercise where you hold a position to strengthen your core muscles. You keep your body straight and engage your core for a set amount of time, making it great for building stability in everyday activities.

How to do it

1. Lie face down on the floor with your elbows bent under your shoulders.
2. Keep your forearms parallel and your palms facing down.
3. Tuck your toes under to lift your hips and knees off the ground.
4. Engage your core to keep your body straight from head to heels.
5. Hold this position for a specified time.

The Russian Twist is a core exercise that helps strengthen your obliques, which are the muscles on the sides of your abdomen. You sit with your feet lifted, engage your core, and twist your torso from side to side to work these muscles effectively.

How to do it

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet elevated above the ground.
2. Hold a weight or clasp your hands together in front of your chest.
3. Tilt your torso back so it forms a 45-degree angle with the floor.
4. Twist your torso to the right, bringing your hands or the weight toward the floor beside you.
5. Return to the center and twist to the left, again reaching toward the floor.
6. Keep your movements slow and controlled.

Scissor Kicks are a core exercise that strengthens your abdominal muscles by alternating the elevation of your legs. While lying on your back, you'll lift your legs up and down, engaging your core for stability throughout the movement.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your legs straight and arms at your sides, palms facing down.
2. Engage your core by tightening your stomach muscles to keep your lower back pressed against the ground.
3. Lift your right leg a few inches off the ground and raise your left leg to a 45-degree angle.
4. Lower your left leg and raise your right leg to 45 degrees, alternating between legs.
5. Continue alternating legs for the specified number of repetitions or time.

Sit Ups are a basic exercise that strengthens your core by raising your entire upper body off the ground. This move is similar to Crunches but involves a greater range of motion, engaging your abdominal muscles more fully.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands behind your head and engage your core muscles.
3. Lift your upper body off the floor until you sit up straight.
4. Lower your body back down while keeping your core tight.

The Hand Release Push Up is a modified version of the standard push up that helps improve your strength by ensuring full range of motion. By lifting your hands off the ground at the bottom of the movement, you engage your muscles more effectively during the exercise.

How to do it

1. Lie on the floor face down.
2. Position your hands in line with your chest, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
3. Keep your legs straight and your toes pointed down.
4. Engage your core to maintain a straight line from head to heels.
5. Bend your elbows and lower your chest to the floor.
6. Lift your hands off the ground for a moment, then place them back down.
7. Push your body back up to the starting position by extending your arms.

The Dead Bug is a core exercise that you perform while lying on your back. It helps strengthen your core by alternating the movement of your arms and legs, which keeps your body stable.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with arms up and knees bent at 90 degrees.
2. Engage your core by breathing into your stomach and pressing your low back to the floor.
3. Slowly extend one leg and the opposite arm while exhaling.
4. Return to the starting position and switch legs and arms.

Flutter Kicks are a core exercise performed while lying on a bench. They help strengthen your abs and improve leg mobility by allowing greater movement under your legs.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back on a bench with your legs hanging off the end.
2. Make sure your mid thigh is resting on the back edge of the bench.
3. Hold onto the bench for stability.
4. Raise one leg while keeping it straight.
5. Lower that leg back to the starting position, maintaining tension in your hamstring and glute.
6. Repeat with the other leg.

The Oblique Crunch is a core exercise that targets the muscles on the sides of your abdomen. By reaching across your body, you isolate your obliques for a more effective workout.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Place your left hand behind your head and extend your right arm on the floor.
3. Lift your left elbow and shoulder toward your right knee, bringing your right knee in as you crunch.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat for the recommended reps.
5. Switch sides and repeat the exercise with the right arm.

The Reverse Crunch is an exercise that targets your lower abs by lifting your legs and pelvis towards your chest. Unlike traditional crunches, this move focuses on raising your lower body instead of your upper body.

How to do it

1. Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your sides.
2. Tighten your core by breathing into your stomach and squeezing your abs.
3. Pull your knees towards your chest, keeping your shins level with the ground.
4. Lift your pelvis off the floor by bringing it towards your ribcage.
5. Lower your legs back to the starting position slowly.

The Side Bridge is a core exercise that focuses on your obliques. It helps improve core strength and balance between your sides by isolating each side of your body.

How to do it

1. Lie on your right side with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other.
2. Bend your right elbow to 90 degrees and place it under your shoulder. Rest your left arm along your side.
3. Tighten your core and keep your back straight.
4. Lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from your heels to your shoulders.
5. Switch sides and repeat the exercise.

The Superman exercise strengthens your lower back, glutes, and upper back. You lie on your stomach and lift your arms and legs off the ground together to engage these muscles.

How to do it

1. Lie face down with your arms stretched out above your head and legs straight.
2. Tighten your core by breathing into your belly and activating your abs.
3. Lift your arms and legs a few inches off the ground together, keeping your ears between your biceps.
4. Hold for a moment, then lower your arms and legs back down.