Can you build your upper body with bodyweight alone?
Workouts by Tiff and Dan · Updated October 7, 2026
Yes, for a long time, as long as the moves keep getting harder. Push ups can take your chest, shoulders and triceps a long way. The hard part at home is your back: you need something to pull on. Here's our no-equipment upper body workout, how to make pushing and pulling harder, and the signs it's time for dumbbells.
- Want the workout? Our beginner upper body workout needs no equipment and runs 34 minutes.
- Can't do a push up yet? Start at the top of the push up ladder.
- Nothing to pull on? See how to train your back at home.
Our no-equipment upper body workout
Beginner upper body workout, no equipment
Push up and plank variations for your chest, shoulders, back and arms: four circuits, each done twice, then a finisher and a cool down.
- Time: 34 minutes, 30 seconds work, 20 seconds rest
- Level: beginner
- You need: no equipment
The moves: standard push ups, shoulder taps, pull downs, W-raises, wide push ups, plank rows, snow angels, swimmers, diamond push ups, commandos, inchworm push ups, plank reaches, pike push ups, plank toe taps, T-raises, good mornings, then plank to bear plank, cobra push ups, plank T-rotations and skull crusher push ups to finish.
Make it easier: do the push ups and plank moves with your knees down, and use every rest.
The video has a cool down but no warm up, so do this 6 minute warm up first. No jumping, 20 seconds per move.
Short on time: 15 push up variations in 12 minutes
Fifteen push up variations, 20 seconds each, finishing with one very slow rep.
- Time: 12 minutes, 20 seconds work, 20 seconds rest
- You need: no equipment
The moves: standard, wide, narrow, elevated, staggered, decline, offset, shoulder tap, archer, reverse grip, skull crusher and diamond push ups, a low push up hold, then one push up with 10 seconds down and 10 seconds up.
Make it easier: do any variation with your knees down.
For chest only, Chest: 5 rounds, no equipment is 12 minutes of push ups, 20 seconds on and 20 off.
What bodyweight training does well, and where it runs out
Muscle grows from hard sets, whether the weight is a dumbbell or your own body. Bodyweight moves get you there for a long time, as long as you keep making them harder: a tougher variation, slower reps, more reps.
Where it runs out:
- Pulling. Without a bar or something sturdy to hold, rows are hard to load.
- Small steps. You can't add 2 lb to a push up. You move to a harder version, and the jump between versions can be big.
- Long sets. Once you can do 20 or more good reps of your hardest version, sets get long and progress slows.
Push progressions
Start with the hardest version you can do for 8 good reps. When you can do about 15 good reps for 3 sets, move one step down the table.
| Step | Push up | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wall push up | Hands on a wall, body in a straight line |
| 2 | Incline push up | Hands on a counter, then lower: a step, or a sturdy chair against a wall |
| 3 | Knee push up | Straight line from your knees to your head |
| 4 | Push up | Chest close to the floor, elbows angled back, not flared out |
| 5 | Decline push up | Feet on a step or the couch |
| 6 | Archer push up | Hands wide, lower toward one hand, keep the other arm straight |
At any step, lowering for 3 seconds makes it harder before you move on. Our 30 day push up challenge has every step with form tips.
The pulling problem, and how to solve it at home
Push ups train the front of your upper body. Your back and biceps need pulling, and most home workouts skip it. Here are the options, from easiest to hardest.
- Floor back moves. Swimmers, snow angels, W-raises and T-raises, lying face down. There's no load, so they won't take you far, but they're a start. Our beginner workout above has all four.
- Backpack rows. Load a backpack with books, hold it by the top handle and do one arm bent over rows. Add books to progress. Check the handle and seams can take the weight first.
- Towel door rows. Loop a strong towel around both handles of an open door, stand facing the edge of the door with a foot on each side, lean back and pull. Only use a solid door with handles that are firmly attached, test it with a gentle lean first, and start with your feet close to the door so you don't have far to fall.
- Table rows. Lie under a table, grip the edge and pull your chest up to it. Bent knees is easier, straight legs harder. Only use a heavy, solid table that can't tip or slide when you pull on one edge, and test it before you hang your weight from it. Never a folding or light table.
- A doorway pull up bar. The most useful single piece of kit for pulling at home. Start with hanging, then slow lowering (jump to the top, lower for 3 to 5 seconds), then chin ups and pull ups. Fit it exactly as the maker says, on a solid door frame.
Using an underhand grip on table rows or towel rows works your biceps more.
Shoulders and arms with no weights
- Shoulders: pike push ups. Hips high, lower the top of your head toward the floor between your hands. Raise your feet on a step to make them harder.
- Triceps: diamond push ups, and dips on a bench or sturdy chair. Dips put a lot of stress on the front of the shoulder, so keep the range short, point your elbows back, and skip them if your shoulders hurt.
- Biceps: the hardest to train without weights. Chin ups if you have a bar, otherwise underhand table rows or towel rows.
- Any move: slow the lowering to 3 to 5 seconds to make it harder.
How to progress week to week
Do the beginner workout two or three times a week, with a day off between. Change one thing at a time.
| Weeks | What to change |
|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | Learn the moves. Use the knees-down versions wherever you need them. |
| 3 and 4 | Do the full versions for as much of each interval as you can, then finish on your knees. |
| 5 and 6 | Lower for 3 seconds on every push up and row. |
| After that | Move down the push and pull ladders above, or add the 12 minute push up workout on another day. |
When to add dumbbells
You don't have to, but these are signs it's time:
- Your hardest push up version is easy for 20 or more reps.
- Your back work is all floor moves, with no table, door or bar to pull on.
- You've stopped progressing for a few weeks, even though you're eating and sleeping well.
Start with a lighter pair and a heavier pair. See upper body dumbbell workouts, dumbbell workouts for beginners and back workouts with dumbbells. For a full plan, the 4x5 Method is four dumbbell workouts a week for five weeks, for intermediate to advanced.
Questions
How long until I see results from bodyweight upper body training?
You'll usually manage more reps, or a harder version, within a few weeks. Muscle you can see takes months, and depends on your food, sleep and how consistent you are.
How many upper body workouts a week?
Two or three, with a day off between. Training each muscle about twice a week is a good target.
Can push ups build a big chest?
Push ups build your chest, shoulders and triceps for a long time, as long as you keep making them harder: decline, archer, slower lowering, more reps. How big depends on more than the exercise, including your food, sleep and genetics. Many people add weight eventually to keep progressing.
What can I do instead of pull ups at home?
Rows under a sturdy table, towel rows on a solid door, backpack rows, and floor moves like swimmers and snow angels. A doorway pull up bar is the simplest upgrade.
