Bodyweight Biceps Exercises at Home to Bigger Arm

If you want to build muscles and get stronger biceps at home using your body weight, this set of bodyweight biceps exercises is perfect for you! Larger and stronger biceps are fantastic to look at, but more than that, they are also important in doing workouts that strengthen the back and improve posture.

You can incorporate all the following exercises into your workout regimen.

It’s a myth that men and women need to perform different workouts for bicep gains.

All the bodyweight biceps exercises below can be performed by both men and women for huge gains and strength.

How to Build Bigger Biceps at Home Without Equipment

Building biceps at home is possible! With this guide, you can get the strong and toned arms you want without needing to head to the gym.

Discover how to use simple, everyday equipment or bodyweight to build your strength and achieve bigger biceps.

1. Understand the Muscles You Are Training

Before you start any bicep exercises, it’s important to understand the muscles you are training.

Your biceps consist of two main muscles, short head and long head bicep.

The biceps is one of four muscles alongside the brachialis, brachioradialis, and coracobrachialis muscles that make up the upper arm.

To effectively target these muscle groups, consider adding a variety of exercises that work each one separately into your routine.

2. Know the Right Exercises

To effectively target your biceps muscles, incorporate exercises like bodyweight rows, and chin-ups into your routine.

Bodyweight rows and curls are great for building the bicep brachii and brachialis muscle.

Chin-ups focus more on your brachioradialis while also working the other muscles.

Make sure to perform each exercise with proper form to avoid injury.

3. Achieve Balanced Strength Development

For balanced strength development, incorporate exercises for both sides of the arm.

While biceps curls primarily target the biceps muscles, triceps work is essential to maintain balance in your training—and results.

Diamond push ups are great for targeting your triceps.

Read More: 15 Bodyweight Triceps Exercises: Beginner To Advanced

4. Train Using Slow Tempo and Control Reps and Sets

Slower reps allow you to use more control throughout the rep and build overall muscle strength while increasing the demand on your muscles. This can help you target and shape your biceps more effectively.

When performing bicep curls, chin up and rows, focus on making each rep as slow and controlled as possible.

Aim for 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps to reach your desired muscle fatigue, and then completely rest before attempting any more sets.

5. Utilize Progressive Overload for Maximum Gains

To maximize bicep strength and muscle growth, you should progressively increase the resistance you are lifting each time you exercise.

As your muscles become stronger, add more resistance to your bicep exercises so that your body will continue to challenge itself and grow.

Start with a lighter weight and slowly work your way up, aiming for 3–4 sets of 10–12 reps each time.

This method of progressive overload will help ensure maximum gains in muscle growth, strength, and size.

Benefit of Bodyweight Biceps Workout

Several advantages come from incorporating bodyweight biceps exercises at home into your biceps workouts plan.

• Bodyweight biceps exercises allow for greater joint safety and stabilization.
• It affords a greater level of variety, which prevents physical and mental burnout.
• It’s to allow unilateral training (training one limb at a time), increase core stability for athletes, and improve any muscular imbalances.
• Bodyweight biceps exercises allow the joints to move naturally within their range of motion by creating more joint stability.
• Bodyweight biceps workouts are perfect for the at-home exerciser with the limited space.

10 best bodyweight biceps exercises that you can do at home

Building strength in your biceps doesn’t require expensive gym equipment. With some simple bodyweight exercises you can do at home, you’ll be able to work on toning and strengthening your arms without breaking the bank.

Here are 10 exercises you can try to build strong and lean biceps from the comfort of your own home.

You can use these as part of a regular workout or as a standalone circuit.

1. Inverted Row

Inverted rows, also known as bodyweight rows, are a great exercise to not only target your bicep muscles, but also build strength in other areas such as your middle back and core

It’s putting your body in a horizontal position, making it easier to perform.

In the gym, most people do this exercise on the smith machine.

But, At home, you can also perform the inverted row by lying under a chair, holding the chair’s sides, and pulling yourself up.

How To Do Bodyweight Rows

1. Adjust the height of the chair and bar so that it’s a little higher than arm’s length from the floor.
2. Lie under the bar with your legs and body straight. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip that’s a little wider than shoulder width.
3. Keeping your legs and body straight, exhale as you pull your chest up to the bar. Hold for a count of two and squeeze your back muscles.
4. Inhale as you lower your body until your arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat.

Tips

• Do not allow your butt to sag. Flex your tummy, squeeze your butt cheeks, and keep your body stiff from your head to your toe.
• Grab the bar with your hands slightly closer together and keeping your elbows at an angle to your body, similar to doing a bench-press.
• Make sure you go down completely.

2. Chin Up

One of the best bodyweight exercises for your biceps is the chin up.

It is a bodyweight exercise that can induce serious muscle growth of the back and biceps.

In this exercise, the palms are faced towards the body. Since the lifter is pulling their own bodyweight, the biceps are usually exposed to loads heavier than what one can lift with a barbell.

How To Do Chin Up

1. Grasp a pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower.
2. Straighten your arms, keep your knees bent and cross your lower legs.
3. Retract your shoulder blades and pull your body until your chin becomes aligned with the bar.
4. Pause for one to two seconds at the top, with the biceps under maximum tension.
5. Slowly lower to the start position.

Tips

• Don’t get in the habit of doing half reps and chasing numbers.
• Lower to almost full extension of the elbow, but avoid locking out completely.

3. Pull Up

The pull-up is an upper-body strength movement that targets your back, chest, shoulders, and biceps.

Performing a pull-up is often a challenge for beginners and even experienced athletes.

How To Do Pull Up

1. Using an overhand grip, grab on to a pull-up bar with your hands spaced wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your chest high, while exaggerating the arch in your lower back.
3. Pull yourself up by squeezing your shoulder blades together and contracting your lats until your chin passes the bar.
4. Hold the contraction at the top for a second before slowly lowering yourself back to the starting position.

Tips

• To decrease bicep involvement, use a thumbless grip.
• Go full range of motion and keep form correct. Avoid jerky movements and keep them controlled.

5. Bicep Leg Curl

The bicep leg curl is a very effective bodyweight isolation exercise for building muscle and strength.

Sometimes we just don’t have access to equipment, but that’s not an issue with the bicep leg curl, as you only need your arms and legs.

How To Do Bicep Leg Curl

1. Begin by sitting on a chair as close to the edge as possible. Then, place your right hand under your left thigh at the crease between your hamstrings and calves.
2. Slowly curl your right up as high as you can. Exhale during this portion of the exercise.
3. Hold for a couple of seconds. Then, slowly lower your leg back down, so your foot is just above the ground. Inhale during this portion of the exercise.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps. Repeat the exercise with your left arm.

Tips

• Try to get as much range of motion as possible.
• You can perform a variation of the bicep leg curl lying down.

6. Towel bicep curls

You can perform this exercise by standing with your back against the wall and grabbing both ends of a towel while putting one foot on a sling.

How To Do Towel bicep curls

1. Stand with your knees slightly bent, and your abs tucked in, your non-dominant arm down at your side with your palm facing forward. Put your opposite palm over your wrist.
2. Make a fist with your working hand and execute a biceps curl with that arm while resisting it with the other.
3. Shift the resistance on the way, so your palm pushes the working arm down. Return to the starting position.
4. Finish your set, then repeat, with the other arm doing the work.

Tips

• Keep your core tight and your shoulders down while doing this exercise.

7. Incline Push-Ups

Push-ups are a great multi-functional exercise because they work the entire upper body. It can be a real challenge if done from various angles.

Performing push-ups at an incline angle will put more focus on the lower chest, triceps and also train biceps.

How To Do Incline Push-Ups

1. Stand in front of the bench. Place the hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the bench.
2. Adopt an incline plank position by extending the legs backward until the legs and back form a straight line.
3. Slowly bend the arms to lower the chest toward the bench. Remember to keep the elbows and arms close to the body.
4. Slowly push the body away from the bench, extending the arms but maintaining a slight bend in the elbow.

Tips

• Exhale while you exert.
• Stand at a comfortable distance from the bench.

8. Isometric Chin-ups

The Isometric means there is no lengthening or shortening of the musculature, simply striving to maintain one shape.

Isometric holds for biceps, you can think of holding bags of groceries in your hands and your elbows are bent at 90-degrees. In this position, your biceps are fully flexed and holding the bags statically in place.

How To Do Isometric Chin-ups

1. Grab the pull-up bar with your palms facing you and your hands about shoulder width apart.
2. Pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. If you are unable to do a chin-up, you can still do this exercise by using a chair or step to jump.
3. Make sure your chin is above the bar. Hold for 5 seconds then lower down to 90 degrees and hold for 5 then lower down again to just before the bottom.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Tips

• Keep the scapula retracted

9. Archer Pull Ups

This challenging variation of the classic pull up will work your biceps and core muscle.

This is an advanced move that you will have to work on. Keep your body rigid and squeeze your biceps when your hand meets your chin.

How To Do Archer Pull Ups

• Begin by positioning yourself into a partial pull up position on an elevated surface, with one arm wide and the other narrow.
• Keep your core engaged throughout the exercise, and slowly draw each arm towards either side of your body.
• Focus on keeping your elbows close to your body and repeat for desired number of repetitions.

10. Lateral Plank Walk

The Lateral Plank Walk is a full-body exercise that mainly targets your core, shoulder, and biceps. Take a walk on the wild side as well, as wild as a plank can get.

This move intensely engages your core like a classic plank, but the side-to-side motion works your arms and delts, too. Plus, it’ll challenge your balance and stability.

How To Do Lateral Plank Walk

1. Start in a high plank position.
2. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
3. Take a step to the right starting with your right hand and right foot and following with your left hand and foot, maintaining a plank position as you move.
4. Do a set number of reps in one direction, and then repeat the same number of reps moving in the opposite direction.

11. Reverse Grip Push-Ups

The reverse grip push-up is a fun and great variation of the standard push-up. The exercise is done with your fingers facing your feet (your palms outward). It’s considered the “bicep push-up” by many because of the hand position, it emphasizes a little more on your biceps than the standard push-up.

For easier variation, you can do the Reverse Grip Push-Ups on knee or on incline surface.

How To Do Reverse Grip Push-Ups

1. Start in a standard push-up position and place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders with your palms flat on the floor and your fingers pointing towards your feet.
2. Inhale and slowly start to bend your elbows. Do not let your elbows move outwards (away from your body).
3. Lower yourself until you are about an inch from the floor. Pause the movement when you are at the bottom for a second. 
4. Exhale and start pushing your body back up. Push through your palms like you would try to push the floor away from yourself.
5. Finish the exercise by extending your arms completely out. Repeat this for however many repetitions you wish to perform. 

Tips

• Always make sure to do a proper warm up, especially focusing on warming up and stretching your wrists! 
• Keep your body in a straight line for the entire exercise.

12. Archer Push-Up

In Archer push up, the arms are kept wider than the normal push up position and as you lower your body, you transfer the majority of your weight to one of your hands and incline towards that hand while the other hand is kept straight.

Simultaneously move your body to both sides. You have to maintain a tight, steady, and controlled body to perform archer push-ups. 

How To Do Archer Push-Ups

1. Start in a standard push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and elbows completely locked out.
2. Maintain a strong core position and shift your upper body toward your right side. Pull your right chest toward your right hand as you bend your right elbow.
3. As you lower toward the right side, allow your left arm to straighten. Your left arm should be fully extended, forming a straight line from your shoulder to your hand.
4. . Repeat for your desired number of repetitions, switch sides.

Tips

• Don’t let your hips raise.
• Make sure your body is in the straight line from head to the feet

13. Chaturanga

Slightly more advanced than the others, chaturanga dandasana (or “Four-limbed Staff Pose”) is an isometric exercise that will test your grip strength and stamina, and give you great results in terms of toning those arms.

How To Do Chaturanga

• Preparation for this pose includes lying shoulder-width apart on your stomach, with your toes pointed behind you.
• As you inhale, press up onto your hands and hold the position as long as possible before lowering back down.

14. Dive-bomber push-up

The dive-bomber push-up is a powerful exercise to strengthen your arms quickly and effectively.

It is a complete exercise that gives the body a compounded effect. It also provides better flexibility and posture to the body.

How To Do Dive-bomber push-up

• Get in the standard push up position.
• Push your torso backward and raise your butt up in the air.
• Keep your arms, back, and legs in a straight position In this position, your body will form an inverted V (downward dog)
• Bend your elbows to lower your upper chest close to the ground while still keeping the butt up.
• While your chest closes towards the floor, scoop your head upwards, while arching the upper and lower back.
• Straighten your arms and push your chest in the upward direction, forming an Upward-Facing Dog Position in yoga.
• Return to the starting position, and repeat the desired number of reps.

15. Towel hammer curl

A great exercise to isolate your biceps and build definition is the towel hammer curl.

How To Do Towel hammer curl

1. Hold the ends of the towel with both hands so that your arms are fully extended in front of you.
2. Keeping your elbows close to your body, slowly curl your arms up and inward so that you bring the towel closer to your chest.
3. Make sure to keep tension on the fabric throughout and hold for 2–3 seconds at the top of each rep before slowly returning to start position.
4. This is one of the best no-equipment exercises for toning your arms!

Bodyweight Bicep Workout Routine

The key to building bigger arms is consistency and intensity. Make sure to mix up your workouts, varying the number of sets and reps you do for each exercise, so your muscles are constantly being challenged.

Additionally, it’s important to use proper form when doing these no-equipment exercises in order to prevent injury and make sure that you’re targeting the correct muscles group.

Finally, make sure that you’re sticking to a regular schedule—aim for three arm workout days a week, with at least one rest day in between sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

How often should we work on our biceps?

A. Biceps workout can be done at least 2 days a week with a minimum of 48–72 hours rest in between.

Is it normal for my arms to pain after the workout?

It’s not normal to have pain in your arms after a workout. What you should be feeling is a mild soreness and not pain.

How to combine bicep exercises into a great home workout:

• Choose three of the exercises and do 8–12 repetitions.
• Do three sets of each exercise, with 90–120 seconds of rest between sets.
• During isometric exercises, try to hold the position as long as possible. Repeat this three times with 90–120 seconds of rest between sets.

Can you train biceps with bodyweight?

You can build your biceps with bodyweight exercises. There are many ways to work out your biceps at home without weight:

1. Inverted Row
2. Chin Up
3. Bicep Leg Curl
4. Towel Bicep Curls
5. Archer Pull Ups
6. Reverse Grip Push-Ups
7. Chaturanga
8. Dive-Bomber Push-Up
9. Towel Hammer Curl
10. Pull Ups

Can you get big arms with bodyweight exercises?

Two things you need to build muscle are resistance and time under tension. Both of these can be achieved with bodyweight.

All of this can be done without any equipment, in the comfort of your own home.

How can I build my biceps without weights?

Yes, it is possible to build biceps without weight. Here are some bodyweight exercises that can help you build your biceps without weights:

1. Inverted Row
2. Chin Up
3. Bicep Leg Curl
4. Towel Bicep Curls
5. Archer Pull Ups
6. Reverse Grip Push-Ups
7. Chaturanga
8. Dive-Bomber Push-Up
9. Towel Hammer Curl
10. Pull Ups

It’s important to vary your workouts and use a variety of exercises to target different muscle groups. This will help you build overall strength and muscle mass.

How can i build my bicep at home

Building biceps at home is possible without any equipment. You can use basic bodyweight exercises to target your biceps and help build strength.

The most common exercises for targeting the bicep muscles include bodyweight curls, chin-ups, push ups and pull ups.

With a consistent workout routine that incorporates these exercises, you can build strong, toned biceps in the comfort of your own home.

Takeaways

Strengthening your biceps doesn’t have to involve money or space for expensive equipment.

All you need is yourself and a little bit of know-how to give those arms the workout they deserve, with these six bodyweight exercises you can do right at home!

Other Bodyweight Exercises:

• Bodyweight Chest Exercises
• Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises
•  Best Bodyweight Back Workout
• Bodyweight Triceps Exercises
• Best Bodyweight Leg Exercises

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