Forget pull-ups – a Pilates expert shares a 7-move workout to strengthen your upper body at home

You don’t have to be able to bust out endless pull-ups or even use heavy weights and machines if you’re looking to sculpt a more defined upper body. Pilates takes a more gentle approach, yet studies have shown it’s effective at building upper body strength. Want to give it a go? Pilates teacher, Lotty Campbell Bird, Founder of The Collective Fitness Studio shares a simple, seven-move routine that’ll leave your muscles on fire.

“These beginner-friendly arm exercises will help strengthen and tone your biceps in the front of your upper arms, your triceps in the back of your arms and the muscles in your back and shoulders,” explains Lotty. “A strong upper body can improve your posture which can help keep you mobile and reduce pain in the back and neck.”

For this workout you can either simply use your bodyweight or a light pair of dumbbells. “If you don’t have small dumbbells, you can use similar household objects such as food cans or water bottles to provide an added challenge,” says Lotty. Get creative, see what you’ve got lying about and give this workout a go!

All 4s Tricep extensions

Focus area: Triceps and core

How to:

• Begin on all 4s with hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keep your spine and pelvis neutral and your core muscles engaged.
• Squeeze one elbow up towards the ceiling and then extend the bottom half of your arm so it extends straight behind you before folding it back in. Focus on not letting the body twist and stabilising through your opposite arm.
• Complete the reps on one side, then repeat on the other.

Reps/sets: complete two to three sets of 10 reps

90-degree chest press and extension

Focus area: Chest and back

How to:

• Start with your arms raised at a 90-degree angle with your elbows in line with your shoulders, forearms raised towards the ceiling and palms facing forward.
• Movement: Start by bringing both your forearms in towards the midline of your body and then open back out to your starting position. Then reach your arms overhead until fully extended and squeeze back down to your starting position.

Reps/sets: complete two to three sets of 8-10 reps

Bicep curls

Focus area: Biceps

How to:

• Start with your arms by your sides and your palms facing forwards.
• Movement: Bend at the elbow, lifting your forearms so that your hands slowly raise towards your shoulders. Squeeze for a second at the top, before slowly lowering back down to your starting position with arms fully extended.

Reps/sets: complete two to three sets of 10-12 reps

Back extensor pulldowns

Focus area: Chest and back

How to:

• Lie on your front with your arms at a 90-degree angle with your elbows in line with your shoulders, palms facing towards the floor and your legs extended behind you in parallel with feet hip distance apart.
• Movement: Raise your upper back, chest and arms at a 90-degree angle from the ground with a focus on extending forwards through the crown of your head so your spine stays long and your eye line down. Then, whilst staying raised, squeeze your elbows down towards the side of your body in a pulse action.

Reps/sets: perform 8-10 squeezes before resetting the body down and repeating two more times

Arm circles

Area: Biceps and triceps

How to:

• Start with your arms extended fully by your sides in line with your shoulders and palms facing forwards.
• Movement: Start to draw small, controlled circles with your arms creating circles with your fingertips the size of a tennis ball. Focus on keeping your arms long and extended.
• Do this forwards for set reps, and then backwards

Reps/sets: perform 20 circles, then 20 circles backwards, repeat three times

Long arm presses

Area: Biceps and triceps

How to:

• Begin with your arms raised and fully extended in line with your shoulders. Make sure your palms are facing forwards.
• Movement: Bend your elbows in towards your ribs (like you're trying to create a 'W' shape) and then reach your arms back to the starting position so they're fully extended.

Reps/sets: complete two to three rounds of 15-20 reps

Extended arm pulses

Focus area: Biceps and back

How to:

• Begin with your arms raised and fully extended in line with your shoulders and your palms facing towards the ceiling.
• Movement: Start to pulse your palms up towards the ceiling (this should be a small controlled movement) and hold for one-second at the top of the pulse. Think about drawing your shoulder blades together and your shoulders away from your ears.

Reps/sets: complete two to three sets of 20-30 pulses

If you enjoyed this workout and are looking for more beginner-friendly Pilates sessions, we've got more from Lotty! Try her three-move beginner core workout if you want to focus on your mid-section, or her full-body routine for those days you're a little tight on time.