Springs almost over and Summer is just around the corner. Many of you may have decided that now is finally the time to get in shape. A few months into the year you’re ready, willing, and able, but you have one problem: you don’t have a gym membership. If this applies to you, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with some of the best arm exercises you can do even without weights.
Push-Ups
This is old faithful, the tried and true: it’s the one exercise you’ve probably been doing since elementary school. However, there is a reason you’ve been told to do push-ups for so long. It’s because they work. If done correctly, push-ups work your chest, biceps, delts, abs, and triceps, all in one motion. Think of it like this: if the U.S army uses this to get their soldiers in shape, you might also want to try it.
Dips
This is another great exercise, and while most people do it using bars at the gym, it can really be done anywhere. Just find a corner where your counters connect and start going to work. If you aren’t able to do dips with bodyweight, chair dips are also an option, but you will want to eventually move to body weight because it is better for shoulders. This exercise is great for isolating your lower chest and triceps to get a more sculpted look.
Towel/Grocery Bag Exercises
For these exercises, you need a partner and either a towel or a grocery bag. The exercises you will do are bicep curls, tricep extensions, and rows. To do this, your partner holds the towel or grocery bag in a way that makes it tight with no slack. You then grab the towel/grocery bag and attempt to do the exercise like you would if it was a weight. Your partner should add enough resistance so that you struggle a little but can get 10 reps done. This exercise is great for two reasons. First, it adds more time under tension for your muscles. Second, it’s a dynamic exercise and your partner changes the amount of resistance that is being applied. It was made popular by former convict turned bodybuilder Kali Muscle who did this while he was in prison to try and maintain muscle without access to weights.
