Decline push ups on a Mirafit Hybrid Plyo Box

Bodyweight exercises are one of the easiest ways of training at home. You don’t need lots of equipment and you can get a great workout in, without the hassle of heading out to the gym. 

You don’t need loads of space and you can do them inside, out in the garden or down at your local park. 

And they’re not just a backup either. In fact, there are lots of benefits to be had from doing bodyweight exercises: 

Muscle building – Bodyweight exercises are great for building strength and muscle. And once you’ve got to grips with the basics, you can up the difficulty to make sure you keep on progressing.  

Cardio – there aren’t many people who enjoy burpees, but they're still a great exercise. The point being, when you put in the effort, you can really get a lot out of your bodyweight training. Doing things like plyometric exercises will also really help get your heart rate up.

Prevent injury – lifting weights at the gym has lots of benefits in itself. However, it’s really good to balance your training out with bodyweight work to help you avoid straining your muscles.  

Functional – bodyweight exercises can help you with everyday lifting. They also help you to keep things varied so you can keep on challenging yourself. 

Convenient – Bodyweight exercises can be done almost anywhere. When you’re short on time, they’re something you can jump straight in with. And you don’t need a complete home gym set up to get started. 

How can I train my upper body at home? 

These exercises focus your chest, arms, shoulders, back and core, for a complete upper body workout. 

For this workout, we’re keeping it really simple and are just using a Mirafit Small Wooden Plyo Box and a PVC Exercise Mat. These will help to add variety to your training. The plyo box, in particular, will help add an extra challenge to your bodyweight exercises. And the mat will help to cushion your joints when doing planks and sit up variations. 

Push ups  

Plank shoulder taps

Side planks - with one raised leg if preferred

Dynamic planks - forearm to straight arm planks

Walkouts 

V-sits 

Incline push ups 

Tricep dips 

Bicycle sit ups 

Decline push ups 

Burpees 

Tricep side push up 

Three-point sit ups 

Supermans 

Toe taps 

Jack knives 

Lying flyes - on your front, arms out, squeeze your shoulders together

One-arm box push up - one arm on the plyo box, one off

Plyo box climbs - push up position up, place one hand onto the plyo box, then the other, then bring back down one at a time 

Shoulder push ups - feet on plyo box, weight directly over your shoulders in a supported handstand position

How many reps should I do of each exercise? 

Depending on your current level of fitness, we’d recommend the following: 

Level 1: 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest 

Level 2: 45 seconds on, 20 seconds rest 

Level 3: 1 minute on, 10 seconds rest 

Level 1 is suitable for beginners, level 2 for intermediates and level 3 for veterans.  

And if you’re looking for a real challenge, cycle these approaches into a full conditioning circuit.  

Start off with level 3, then after you have completed all the exercises, start again at level 2. And then finish off with level 1. 

How To Build muscle with bodyweight exercises

If you’re just starting out, you’ll find it easy to build muscle with these types of exercises. For those who are more experienced, it can be trickier to build muscle by using just bodyweight. However, there are lots of ways you can increase the difficulty of these exercises to ensure that you keep on progressing.  

For example, you can turn a push up into a one-arm push up or a handstand push up. And even adding in some small weights can really help you make your workouts more challenging. These Ankle and Wrist Weights go up to 5kg. They’re also easy to store away when not in use.  

And if you’re looking to build muscle but have reached a bit of a plateau, you can read more about why you’re not getting stronger.  

Bodyweight back exercises 

Dynamic plank in a Mirafit gym

Bodyweight back exercises are the perfect way to help you get rid of back pain, as well as strengthen your back muscles.  

The workout above includes a good range of exercises to work your back. And they’re ideal if you have a weak back or are sat down all day hunched over a desk.  They’ll really help with your posture too.  

The best back exercises include: 

• Supermans 

• Lying flyes 

• Plank shoulder taps 

• Side planks 

• Dynamic planks 

Planks work your core, but this includes your lower back so remember to include them in your workout. 

Chest exercises 

Pecs are large, fan-shaped muscles. And to train them fully, you need to make sure you work your chest at different angles to target your upper, middle and lower chest. Flat bench pressing will mostly work your middle chest. So, to work your whole chest, you need to be doing exercises such as: 

• Push ups 

• Incline push ups 

• Decline push ups 

• Box climbs 

• Box push ups 

Ab exercises 

Shoulder taps in a Mirafit Gym

Ab exercises are perfect for home workouts. And to help you get the most out of your strength training, we’ve included a full range of core exercises in the above workout. And not just sit ups either. Combine the following ab exercises to fully work your core: 

• Plank shoulder taps 

• Side planks 

• Dynamic planks 

• V-sits 

• Bicycle sit ups 

• Three-point sit ups 

• Toe taps 

• Jack knives 

• Plyo box climbs  

You can also include cardio exercises such as toe taps and high knees in your training to get your heart rate up while working your core. 

Arm exercises 

Many of the bodyweight back exercises also work your arms. So, if you’re looking to target your biceps and triceps, do the following exercises: 

• Push ups 

• Incline push ups 

• Decline push ups 

• Box climbs 

• Box push ups 

• Tricep side push ups 

• One arm box push ups 

• Plyo box climbs  

• Shoulder push ups 

As you can see, you can get a full, upper body workout using just your bodyweight. And if you want to work your lower body too, check out our 20 best bodyweight exercises for lower body, here. 

For more content, follow us on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and on our official Mirafit Facebook page.

Enter your email to signup to our newsletter

Tags: Equipment > Plyo Jump Box ; Exercise Type > Cardio ; Exercise Type > Conditioning ; Target Area > Chest