Kick off the week with this intermediate at-home no-equipment upper body muscle building workout! Push yourself to new limits — especially during the 3-minute challenge included in this session. Build muscle, get toned, and start the week as you mean to go on!
Finish up with these toughies, and then grab yourself a protein shake.
About this workout
At Home Intermediate Upper Body Muscle Gain is a free 30 min workout plan with 7 illustrated exercises for your abs, arms and legs. Follow the workout online, save it to your WorkoutLabs Fit account or download it as a printable PDF.
Tap any exercise in the workout to see the muscles worked, clear exercise illustrations and step-by-step instructions. Each workout includes sets, reps, rest times and notes so you can follow the plan without guessing.
No equipment is needed – every exercise in this workout uses your own bodyweight, so you can do it at home or anywhere.
How long does the At Home Intermediate Upper Body Muscle Gain take?
The full workout takes about 30 minutes, covering 7 exercises with prescribed sets, reps and rest periods. Using the built-in timers and auto-advance keeps you on pace from start to finish.
Is this workout suitable for my fitness level?
This is an intermediate workout, best suited to people with some training experience. Beginners can still follow it by reducing the weight, doing fewer sets or resting longer between sets – each exercise includes illustrated form instructions.
What muscles does this workout target?
This routine primarily works your glutes & hip flexors, quadriceps, abs, shoulders, triceps, obliques. Tap any exercise in the workout to see a muscle diagram showing exactly which primary and secondary muscles it activates.
How often should I do this workout?
For gain muscle, get toned, aim to do this workout 2–3 times per week with at least one rest day between sessions. Progress by gradually adding weight or reps, and pair it with workouts for other muscle groups during the week.
Can I download or save this workout?
Yes – you can download this workout as a free printable PDF using the download button, or save it to a free WorkoutLabs Fit account to follow it on your phone, customize the exercises and track your progress.
Kick off the week with this intermediate at-home no-equipment upper body muscle building workout! Push yourself to new limits — especially during the 3-minute challenge included in this session. Build muscle, get toned, and start the week as you mean to go on!
Auto-advanceStart exercises automatically after a 5-second delay
Stand with your feet together, arms fully extended with your hands by your sides. This is the start position.
Bend your knees slightly then straighten and push through the balls of your feet while straightening your your knees to jump up spreading your legs to wider than hip width apart.
As you do so, raise both arms out and up in a smooth arc until your hands meet above your head.
As you return to the ground, bring your feet together and your hands back to your sides with your arms fully extended.
Continue without pause for the desired amount of time or repetitions.
This exercise can be performed as a timed exercise, completing as many reps as possible in a set time or, in sets with a fixed number of repetitions per set. To increase intensity, bend your arms slightly as you raise them to engage your biceps and triceps and squeezing them during each rep.
Come to the ground, placing your knees below your hips and your hands below your shoulders. Elevate your hips up, extending your legs and arms. Keep the head in a neutral position.
Move the right hand forward as you simultaneously move the left foot forward. Afterwards, move the left hand and right foot forward.
Continue in this back and forth pattern, always moving the opposite hand and foot. Remember to brace the core throughout the movement.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs, Glutes & Hip Flexors
Secondary:
Obliques, Shoulders
Lay face down on the ground with extended legs.
Point your toes while you place your hands beneath your shoulders.
Push yourself up into the plank position.
Maintaining a tight core and flat back, bring your left knee to your right elbow.
Pause and slowly return each to the starting point.
Repeat with the other side and keep alternating.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs, Glutes & Hip Flexors
Secondary:
Lower Back
Get into a pushup position with hands under shoulders and body straight from head to toes.
Engage your core and bend your elbows, keeping them in towards the body.
Lower your body towards the floor.
Straighten your arms and quickly jump the feet forward to outside of the hands.
Jump back to starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors
Lie on a mat and position yourself in a plank position. Place your elbows on the floor beneath your shoulders. Your toes should touch the floor and your torso should be lifted in a straight line.
Engage your core muscles and lift one foot off the floor. Keep the rest of your body as still as you can. Your heel should lift until it is in line with your buttocks.
Slowly lower the leg to the starting position and repeat with the other leg.
Place your hands in front of you and shoulder-width apart.
Now bring your hands in towards the center until the tips of your index fingers and tips of your thumbs are touching. This creates a diamond shape between your hands. Your elbows and wrists should be in line with your chest.
With your fingers facing forwards, lift off your knees so that your body forms a straight line and just your hands and toes touch the floor.
Keep you pelvis straight and abs engaged and aim to keep a straight back throughout the movement.
Bend your elbows and lower your body towards the floor, aiming to touch your chest to the top of your hands. Pause briefly.
Return to the starting position by extending your elbows and lifting your body off the floor again.
Primary muscle group(s):
Triceps
Secondary:
Chest, Shoulders
Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor. Make sure your back is completely flat on the bench, with no “arching” of your spine.
Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, shoulder width or slightly less than shoulder width apart. (Do not make your grip too narrow as it limits stability of the barbell which can lead to injury)
Push up using your chest and shoulders to lift the barbell above your body, then lower it slowly ( a count of 2) towards the centre of your chest. Hold for a count of one.
Without “bouncing” the weight, force the barbell back up over the middle of your chest, straightening your arms and locking your elbows once your arms are fully straight. Hold for a count of one.
Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Chest
Secondary:
Abs, Shoulders, Triceps
Get into position by placing your hands flat on the floor, directly below your shoulders.
Extend your legs out behind you, with only your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor.
Hold your body up and keep your back straight by tightening your abdominal muscles.
Your neck and head should be bent slightly back.
Lower your chest towards the ground by bending your elbows until your chest is just above the ground or you feel a stretching of your chest and shoulders. Hold for a count of one.
Press upwards from your chest and shoulders, straightening your arms as you return to the starting position. Hold for a count of one.
Begin jogging in place, lifting the knees as high as you can.
Try to lift your knees up to hip level but keep the core tight to support your back.
For a more advanced move, hold your hands straight at hip level and try to touch the knees to your hands as you lift them.
Bring the knees towards your hands instead of reaching the hands to the knees!
Primary muscle group(s):
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Abs, Calves, Hamstrings, Shoulders
Stand with your feet together, arms fully extended with your hands by your sides. This is the start position.
Bend your knees slightly then straighten and push through the balls of your feet while straightening your your knees to jump up spreading your legs to wider than hip width apart.
As you do so, raise both arms out and up in a smooth arc until your hands meet above your head.
As you return to the ground, bring your feet together and your hands back to your sides with your arms fully extended.
Continue without pause for the desired amount of time or repetitions.
This exercise can be performed as a timed exercise, completing as many reps as possible in a set time or, in sets with a fixed number of repetitions per set. To increase intensity, bend your arms slightly as you raise them to engage your biceps and triceps and squeezing them during each rep.
Primary muscle group(s):
Hamstrings, Quadriceps
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors
Standing tall with a tight core and flat back, you will begin the dynamic stretching exercise as if you were running in place. Keep the knees slightly bent at all times.Start slowly and work up to a faster speed.
Bring your left foot back and all the way up to the glutes. Return your left foot to the ground and repeat on the other side.
Continue this back and forth motion, keeping your arms swinging in motion.
Lie on an exercise mat, with your back flat, knees bent and your feet flat on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Fully extend your arms down the side of your body, palms facing in. This is the start position.
Exhaling, crunch your torso forward and to the right until you can touch your right heel with your right hand. Hold for a count of one.
Return to the starting position smooth motion, inhaling as you do so.
Repeat the movement, this time to your left side.
When you have completed the movement on both sides, you have done one repetition.
Repeat.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs
Lie flat on your back with your feet flat on the ground, with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Alternatively, you can place your feet up on a bench a few inches apart with your toes turned inwards and touching.
Place your hands lightly on either side of your head.
Keep your elbows in so that they are parallel to your body.
Push your back down flat into the floor to isolate your abdominal muscles.
Gently curl your shoulders forward and up off the floor.
Continue to push down into the floor with your lower back.
Raise your shoulders about four to six inches only.
Hold and squeeze your abdominal muscles for a count of one.
Return to the start position in a smooth movement.
Lie on your back. Bring your knees up to a 90-degree angle. Shins should be parallel to the floor. Place your hands behind your head and bring your shoulders off the ground.
Exhale and contract your abdominals. Bring your head towards your knees while moving your knees toward your chest.
Pause and return to the starting position.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs, Obliques
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors, Quadriceps
Lie flat on an exercise mat on the floor keeping your lower back straight with no arching of your spine and with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Place your hands lightly on the sides of your head.
Curl your torso upwards so your shoulders are slightly raised off the floor..
Raise your knees until your thighs are at a right angle to the floor and your calves are parallel to the floor. This is the start position.
Slowly move your legs in a pedaling action as if you are riding a bicycle.
As you do so, exhale and bring your opposing elbow close to each knee by crunching to one side. Left elbow to right knee. Right elbow to left knee.
After each crunch, return to the start position inhaling as you do so.
Without pausing, repeat the movement to the other side.
Repeat without pausing for the desired number of repetitions to each side.
Do not use your hands to pull your head and neck up during this exercise. Doing so may cause injury. Concentrate on a slow rhythmic cycle from side to side with perfect form for each repetition.
Primary muscle group(s):
Abs
Secondary:
Glutes & Hip Flexors
Lie flat on an exercise mat, extending your arms straight back behind your head.
Fully extend your legs also. This is the start position.
Bend at your waist and at the same time, raise your legs and arms to meet in a closed jackknife position. Exhale as you do this.
At this point, your legs should remain fully extended at between 35-45 degrees from the floor.
Your arms should be fully extended, parallel to your legs.
Your upper body should be raised off the floor.
Return to the start position by lowering your arms and legs back to the floor, exhaling as you do so.
Repeat.
Workout done!
Exercises done
of 7
Total time
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