At-Home Arm Workout: 10 Moves, No Weights Required

If you want strong, toned arms without weights, try this at-home arm workout that uses bodyweight exercises—from tricep dips to planks—to strengthen your arms.

Traditional arm exercises like bicep curls and shoulder presses work great for strengthening the upper body—but they usually require some weights to get the best benefit, Roxie Jones, NASM-CPT, a personal trainer and SoulCycle instructor, told Health. Instead, work your arms with these 10 bodyweight arm exercises developed by Jones.

1. Tricep Dip

1. Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet flat. Place hands behind you, elbows bent, wrists underneath shoulders, and fingertips facing in toward the body. Straighten your arms and lift your butt off the floor.
2. Slowly bend elbows to lower body toward the floor.
3. Straighten your arms again, using your triceps to push yourself up. Repeat.

2. Reverse Plank

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Place hands slightly behind you, palms on the floor underneath shoulders, fingertips facing in toward the body.
2. Press into palms to lift hips and torso off the floor. Keep arms and legs straight, and make sure abs and glutes are engaged. Pause for a few seconds.
3. Lower back down to the ground. Repeat.

3. Eccentric Push-Up

1. Start in a high plank position with hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart and wrists stacked under shoulders.
2. Keeping the body in one long line from shoulders to heels, bend elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body as you take 3-4 seconds to lower toward the floor.
3. With knees on the floor, press through palms to push back up to start.
4. Bring knees up to a high plank and repeat.

4. Plank Shoulder Tap

1. Start in a high plank position with hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart, wrists stacked under shoulders.
2. Tap right hand to left shoulder, then return to start, keeping abs and glutes engaged to keep hips as stable as possible.
3. Repeat, tapping the left hand to the right shoulder. Continue alternating.

5. Triceps Push-Up

1. Start in a high plank position with hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart, wrists stacked under shoulders. Rotate elbows so that the insides face in front of you.
2. Keeping elbows close to your sides and your body in one straight line from shoulders to heels, bend your arms behind you and lower to the floor. Maintain a straight line from shoulders to heels. Elbows should squeeze in tight toward the body.
3. Press through palms to push back up to start. Repeat.

6. Hand Release Push-Up With Reach

1. Start in a high plank position with hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart, wrists stacked under shoulders.
2. Keep your body in one straight line from shoulders to heels, bend elbows at a 45-degree angle to your body, and lower to the floor with control.
3. Rest your chest on the ground and squeeze your shoulder blades together to lift your hands an inch or two off the floor. Then, reach your arms out in front of you.
4. Next, pull elbows back in toward the chest and place palms back underneath the shoulders.
5. Press through palms to push back up to start. Repeat.

7. Up-Down Plank

1. Start in a high plank position with hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart, wrists stacked under shoulders.
2. Place the right forearm down on the ground, maintaining a plank. Then, come down to the left forearm and pause in a forearm plank.
3. Press back into the right hand, then the left hand to return to a high plank. Move as quickly as you can while keeping abs and glutes engaged, hips stable, and a straight line from shoulders to heels.
4. Repeat, alternating which arm you start with each time.

8. Plank With Bodyweight Row

1. Start in a high plank position with hands flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart, wrists stacked under shoulders.
2. Pull right elbow back so hand reaches the chest, engaging the lats (mid-back) as you go. Pause at the top, then place back down on the ground.
3. Repeat with the left elbow, alternating sides.

9. Forearm Side Plank With Rotation

1. Start lying on your left side with your left elbow stacked underneath your left shoulder, forearm on the floor, legs extended and hips and knees stacked. Engage your abs and glutes and extend your right arm toward the ceiling. Press through the left forearm to lift hips toward the ceiling. This is your starting position.
2. Rotate your torso toward the floor as you thread your right arm underneath your body.
3. Rotate back to start, bringing the right arm back toward the ceiling. Repeat. Then, switch sides.

10. Superwoman

1. Start lying on your stomach, arms and legs extended.
2. Lift arms, shoulders, chest, and legs off the floor and hold. Squeeze your glutes and keep your gaze toward the floor so your neck stays neutral.
3. Then lower back down to the floor. Repeat.

Benefits of Arm Workouts

Arm strength is important—strong arms and shoulders help you move more comfortably throughout daily life, said Jones. Just think about how many times you open and close doors, carry groceries, push yourself up out of bed, or lift a suitcase into the overhead compartment. All these moves will feel much easier if you’ve been training your upper body—even without weights.

Pushing, pulling, and holding your own bodyweight takes some serious work and requires strength and stability. If you’re new to strength training, starting with exercises sans equipment is the smartest thing to do. “I always recommend mastering bodyweight exercises before moving on to actual weights,” said Jones. It’s important to get comfortable with an exercise and nail proper form before adding any external resistance—that’s one surefire strategy for sidestepping injury.

Weight-Free Arm Workout Tips

Do the arm exercises below any time and anywhere you have enough space to do a push-up or plank. They all target your arms—specifically, triceps, biceps, and shoulders—but many of them also work your core, glutes, chest, and back muscles, too. (Your abs will definitely be on fire from all the planking.)

Pick four or five exercises to do circuit-style, either for time (anywhere from 30-60 seconds) or reps (aim for 10-12), recommended Jones. Complete the entire circuit 2-4 times, depending on how long you want to work out. If you’re at the gym and want to grab the weights after, Jones suggested using these moves as your warm-up.

A Quick Review

You don’t need weights or a gym to tone your arms. Easy, equipment-free bodyweight exercises can be done in any location where you have about the space of a yoga mat. Do these moves whenever you have time for a quick workout or do an entire circuit for faster results.

Contact a healthcare provider or personal trainer if you have any questions about working out or the best arm exercises for your body.