Fitness
7 Blogilates Weightless Arm Workouts That Bring The Burn
Stream 'em and sweat.
The Blogilates YouTube channel, run by certified Pilates and fitness instructor Cassey Ho, features workouts that light up all your muscles — from your arms to your thighs and everything in between. Ho’s 7 million subscribers tune in for her 7-day ab challenges and tough booty exercises. But they also love her world-famous weightless arm workouts.
If you’re used to doing bicep curls or like to put in reps on weight machines at the gym, then the idea of doing a Blogilates weightless arm workout might seem a little too easy. But Ho promises that these arm exercises truly do bring the burn while effectively strengthening your entire upper body. And if you don’t like the idea of traditional arm workouts or don’t have access to weights, then a “weightless” option — aka calisthenics — might be music to your ears.
Ho’s weightless arm workouts feature small, Pilates-inspired movements that you might recognize from any other Pilates class, like arm circles and pulses. She does, however, have a tendency to create her own moves, like the “walnut crusher” or the “golf ball”. (Confused? Just watch one of her videos and you’ll see what I mean.)
Not only is this style of exercise a nice break from the norm — or a good entry point, if you’re new to working out — but the videos are also fun. Ho is super high energy and always pairs her arm exercises to upbeat music so you feel inspired to keep going, even when your muscles are on fire. Get started with one of these weightless arm workouts below.
7-Minute Workout
This seven-minute arm workout includes classic exercises Ho turns to time and time again on her channel, like the “chest press-aways” or the “palm press triceps”, as well as a new one she created called the “united bicep”. You’ll be doing seven different arm exercises for one minute each, with no breaks in between. Push through and you’ll be sore (in a good way!) by the end.
15-Minute Arm Burn
This video is a compilation of Ho’s favorite weightless arm exercises. “Just you and your body weight,” she says. You’ll spend the 15 minutes working your traps, triceps, and chest muscles with a series of 10 moves, including the one Ho calls “golf balls” where you repeatedly lift your arms up and roll your shoulders back. So simple, yet so effective.
20-Minute No Equipment
In this video, you’ll do the most micro moves ever — like tiny bicep pushes and mini arm circles — to target all the muscles of your arms and upper body. Do these arm exercises while standing or sitting, and remember to breathe throughout. By the end, you’ll wonder why you ever hated your dumbbells.
30-Minute Routine
For an extra long workout, go for this 30-minute option that features 20 different moves. You’ll start with a “double doors” exercise that involves opening and closing your arms. Since it starts off slow you might think it’s easy, but just wait until the pace picks up with the beat of Ho’s playlist.
After the double doors, you’ll do a quick series of diamond pull-downs, tricep dips, half cobra push-ups, and a move Ho calls the “walnut crusher.” For that one, you squeeze your arms back while imagining a walnut crushing between your shoulder blades.
7-Minute Functional Fitness
Ho says this seven-minute workout is perfect if you’re looking for functional fitness. Do her weightless arm exercises on the regular and she says you’ll eventually notice that everyday life becomes easier, and that you move with more assuredness thanks to the newfound muscles.
If you happen to find the workout too easy, Ho suggests focusing on your form and really giving it your all. While you can kind of “cheat” your way through weightless arm workouts, putting in a little extra effort will give you the burn you’re looking for.
15-Minute Arm Strengthening
Here’s another 15-minute option, this time featuring moves like roof raises, goal post punchers, and traveling shuffles. Ho explains how to do each move as she goes, so trust you’ll be able to catch on.
7-Minute Quick Burn
In this video, Ho continues her ongoing joke that she “refuses to be seen” making more than one trip from her car to her house when carrying in groceries. If that resonates, then follow along with this series of arm-strengthening moves, like shoulder pulses and inverted arm circles, so that you get extra strong. A bonus? You can do the entire workout sitting down.
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