Two Moves Strip a Calisthenics Upper Body Workout Bare

A minimalist calisthenics upper body workout can be built around just chin-ups and dips, if you can perform them safely and progress them with clean form.

That’s the claim from sports scientist, researcher, and coach Pak Androulakis-Korakakis, known as Dr Pak, who told Tom's Guide that these two bodyweight moves cover the main upper-body work without a rack, bench, barbell, or dumbbells.

“These two exercises are like the squat and deadlift for your upper body,” says Dr. Pak.

One correction before the plan: the verified source names chin-ups and dips, not push-ups and pull-ups. Push-ups are useful, but they’re not the pair Dr Pak selected for this stripped-down routine.

Build your upper body around chin-ups and dips, not a crowded exercise list

The logic is simple. A strong upper body needs a hard vertical pull and a hard vertical press. Chin-ups cover the pull. Dips cover the press.

Together, they hit the muscles most people train with a long list of gym exercises:

This is not a shortcut. It’s a filter. The point is to remove low-value clutter and put your effort into two compound moves that demand real work from large muscle groups.

XOOMAR analysis: Dr Pak’s argument is strongest for people who already tolerate bodyweight pulling and dipping. If either movement irritates your shoulders, elbows, wrists, or back, the plan needs scaling or professional input.

Check whether this two-move plan fits your body first

Before starting this calisthenics upper body workout, check the basics.

You’ll need:

• A secure chin-up bar: It must hold your body weight without shifting.
• Parallel bars for dips: These can be fixed dip bars or stable parallel handles.
• Optional resistance band: Tom’s Guide notes that a long resistance band can help if you struggle with chin-ups.

Watch out if you’re training through an injury, are a complete beginner, or are pregnant or postpartum. The source explicitly says these exercises might not be the best fit in those cases and recommends checking with a qualified professional before trying something new.

That caveat matters. Chin-ups and dips both load the shoulders and elbows heavily. If you can’t control the bottom position, don’t force full reps just because the plan looks simple.

Step 1: Use chin-ups as your main upper-body pull

For a chin-up, your palms face you. That supinated grip is the main difference from a pull-up, and Tom’s Guide notes it makes the biceps work harder than they would during a traditional pull-up or dumbbell curl.

How to do a chin-up:

1. Grip: Grab the bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
2. Brace: Keep your body in a straight line and engage your core.
3. Pull: Raise yourself until your chin is above the bar.
4. Pause: Hold briefly at the top.
5. Lower: Return to the starting position under control.

Watch out for rushed reps. If you drop from the top, you’re skipping half the exercise and giving up the control that makes the movement productive.

If full chin-ups aren’t there yet, use the source-backed regression: loop a long resistance band around the bar and place your knees in the band so it helps pull you up.

Step 2: Use dips as your main upper-body press

A dip asks you to move your full body weight vertically on parallel bars. According to Tom’s Guide, leaning slightly forward recruits the pecs, which makes dips useful for people who don’t want to rely on a standard bench press for chest work.

How to do dips:

1. Start tall: Raise yourself onto two dip bars with straight arms.
2. Lower: Bend at the elbows and move toward the ground.
3. Go only as low as you can comfortably go: Dr Pak recommends depth, but not forced depth.
4. Keep elbows close: Don’t let them flare wildly.
5. Lean slightly forward: This keeps the movement aligned with the source’s chest-focused cue.
6. Press back up: Push into the bars until your arms are straight again.

Watch out for shoulder discomfort at the bottom. “As low as you can comfortably go” is the key phrase. Comfort and control beat chasing depth.

Step 3: Pair chin-ups and dips in Dr Pak’s superset

The source gives a specific way to turn these two movements into a session. A superset means doing two exercises back-to-back with little or no rest between them.

Here is Dr Pak’s upper-body superset, as reported by Tom’s Guide:

1. Do a set of chin-ups to failure
2. Rest for 10-20 seconds
3. Do a set of dips to failure
4. Rest for a couple of minutes
5. Repeat four times, twice a week

That is the whole core plan.

XOOMAR analysis: The order matters. Chin-ups first means your pulling work happens before dips fatigue your shoulders and triceps. The short rest between exercises keeps the session dense, while the longer rest after dips gives you a better shot at repeating quality sets.

Step 4: Scale the plan without replacing the plan

The cleanest beginner modification in the verified source is band-assisted chin-ups. Use enough band help to complete controlled reps, then reduce assistance over time.

For dips, the source does not provide a formal regression ladder. That means you should be conservative. If full parallel-bar dips feel unstable or painful, don’t grind through them. Get coaching, reduce range, or choose a safer entry point with a qualified professional.

This is where minimalist training can backfire. Two exercises only works if those two exercises fit your current strength and joints.

Use this decision rule:

• Clean reps: Continue the plan.
• Loss of control: Stop the set.
• Sharp pain: End the movement and seek advice.
• Band helps enough to control chin-ups: Use it.
• Dips feel uncomfortable at depth: Shorten the range or pause the exercise.

Step 5: Add lateral raises only if you want the fuller version

Dr Pak’s minimalist plan is built on chin-ups and dips, but Tom’s Guide also reports that he recommends doing these two exercises followed by a few sets of lateral raises to work the entire upper body.

That’s an important detail. Dips train shoulders, especially with pressing demand, but lateral raises give extra attention to the side delts.

If you want the most source-faithful version, use this structure:

• Main pull: Chin-ups
• Main press: Dips
• Optional shoulder finisher: A few sets of lateral raises

Don’t turn the finisher into a new hour-long routine. The whole appeal of this calisthenics upper body workout is that the main work stays focused.

Quick recap: the chin-up and dip formula for a stronger upper body

Use chin-ups for biceps, lats, upper back, and core. Use dips for chest, triceps, and shoulders. Pair them as a superset: chin-ups to failure, rest 10-20 seconds, dips to failure, rest a couple of minutes, repeat four times, and do it twice a week.

The next action is simple: test whether you can perform both movements safely and cleanly. If chin-ups are the sticking point, use a resistance band. If dips cause discomfort, scale back and get qualified help before making them a twice-weekly staple.

Key Takeaways

• The routine offers a simple way to train the upper body without a full gym setup.
• Chin-ups and dips target major pulling and pressing muscles through compound bodyweight movement.
• The plan depends on safe form and may need scaling for people with shoulder, elbow, wrist, or back issues.