If you want to stay fit at home, it’s possible even if you don’t have any equipment, with the ‘No Equipment Upper Body and Cardio Workout with a Warm-Up Routine’ that we’re sharing with you here.
This Upper Body and Cardio Workout with Warm Up routine, targets all the muscle groups with no equipment other than bodyweight exercises. A well-proportioned upper body workout without any equipment is quite hard to create. It’s all about accessibility, and effectivity.
The Routine Will Target the Arms (Biceps and Triceps), Shoulders, Chest, And Upper and Lower Back.
Throughout the workout, the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and oblique’s) will also be working throughout this routine.
Aside from performing whole-body movements that can elevate your heart rate, the intense exercise will help burn more fat and calories.
The routine will come in handy if you want to cut down weight at the same time. Remember that the routine moves quickly, so you will accomplish more in less time.
If you find it hard to spare extra time in a day for your workout or if you simply need a low impact workout, you can make the necessary modifications as and when needed.
So, here goes:
The Flow of The Workout
After performing a quick cardio warm-up, we will proceed to the extensive, burnout style of bodyweight exercises that target the upper part of the body.
Most of these exercises can be quite tricky since they require you to focus while some need you to work against your strength.
If you feel that the workout is easy, you are doing it incorrectly, and we suggest refocusing on contracting your muscles and pushing yourself to get the most out of the workout.
Although it can be uncomfortable, it will serve as a challenge. As mentioned earlier, the intervals can be lengthy, so do not feel frustrated if you must stop and take a break.
Once you are okay, continue with the exercise. We also included cool-down stretches to conclude the routine.
Warm-Up Exercises
The warm-up is vital before proceeding to the main workout. Here’s a 4-minute cardio warm-up below. Perform the exercises at 25 seconds each.
- Shoulder rolls
- Boxer shuffle
- Arm circles – forward and back
- Windmill arms
- Chest stretch + Reach
- Walk down
- Curl overhead press
- Chest opener and steps
- Bow and arrow twists
- Warrior lunges stretch
- Jumping jacks
No Equipment Upper Body and Cardio Workout with Warm-Up Workout
Now that you are done with the warm-up, let’s proceed to the main workout. We recommend performing each exercise properly to get most of the benefits.
Remember to perform each exercise for 50 seconds each.
- Push Up + pulses
- Bicep curl pulses
- Deadlift + close row and triceps extension
- Triceps dips
- Reach + pulldown
- Walk down + opposite toe tap
- Jumping jack step back (or lunge)
- Water break
- Tall plank + 3-point reach
- Press extensions
- Bicep curl + high knee
- Arm circles (forward and back)
- Bird dog + triceps push up
- Back bow pulls
- Side push-up (on wall or floor) – left and right
- Reverse fly + pulses
- Overhead triceps extension
- Single pulldowns + step back
- Bent over the wide row to fly – left and right
- Knee pull punch & switch
There you have it – you just completed an upper body and cardio workout without any equipment. Well done on your first step in improving your fitness for the better.
Don’t forget to conclude the workout routine by cooling down and stretching to help your body normalize.
Benefits Of Upper Body Workouts
Having a strong upper body is an advantage. While having a well-chiselled core and rock-solid legs are something worth dreaming of, they are only a component of a good fitness balance.
With a comprehensive workout, it requires targeting the arms, shoulders, chest, and back. Remember that getting a strong upper body is vital to your overall fitness and can provide lasting effects beyond the weight machines.
Why You Should Focus on Those Upper Muscles.
- Better posture. Having a strong back is vital to good posture. Training the muscles will prevent you from slouching.
- Lowers the risk for injuries.We suggest considering your chest, shoulder, arm, and back muscles as your upper body armor against pain. Working out your upper body will minimize the risk of musculoskeletal injuries or lessen their severity.
- Improving your workouts. By focusing on your upper body, you will be surprised how easily you can tackle other exercises. Strengthening your body can provide an extra boost to most of your workouts.
Importance Of Warm-Up and Cool-Down Exercises
The warmup and cool down component of your exercise routine involves activities at a lower intensity and slower pace to improve your athletic performance, limit injuries, and aids with recovery from exercise.
Warming up before an exercise routine prepares your cardiovascular system for physical activity by increasing blood flow to the muscles and increasing the body temperature.
It also lowers the risk of getting injured as well as muscle soreness.
Cooling down exercises helps bring your heart rate and blood pressure to the average level gradually. It also helps regulate your blood flow.
Benefits Of Warm-Up
- Better performance by improving the blood flow throughout the body, oxygen efficiency, and faster muscular contraction/relaxation.
- Prevention of injuries. With proper warm-up, it prevents injuries by loosening your joints and improving blood flow to the muscles. Stretching also helps in preparing your muscles for the physical activities you are going to engage in.
- Mental preparation. Another benefit of warming up is that your brain will focus on the body and your activity as you go through the process.
Benefits Of Cool-Down
- Recovery. After engaging in intense activity, lactic acid builds up within your body, and it takes time for the body to clear it out.
- By cooling down, it can aid this process of releasing and eliminating lactic acid, assisting in speeding up the recovery of your body after a workout.
- Minimizing DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Although muscle soreness is likely after exercise, DOMS can be quite uncomfortable and can prevent you from exercising in the future.
Cooling down after activity can reduce excessive muscle soreness and allow your body to bounce back before your next workout.
Final Thoughts
With most of us staying at home through the Coronavirus pandemic, some people might be wondering how to stay fit. Maybe you’re eager to start afresh with a fitness routine to improve your fitness level. Perhaps you want to lose some excess weight. Both are possible with the upper body and cardio workout.
Luckily, you don’t need any equipment to keep your body active.
This No Equipment Upper Body and Cardio Workout with Warm-up routine will help you maintain your fitness level and improve your overall upper body strength in no time.
Ann Roberts
