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For some reason, I find a lot of people (mostly guys, not really gals) work out their biceps more than anything else. I wish they knew that getting bigger biceps requires more than just curls – you’ve got to focus on the triceps, back and shoulders, too. It all adds up! Not to mention, having big triceps naturally makes your biceps look bigger since the triceps are a bigger muscle group anyway. So while this post will really appeal to “those guys” whose goals are to look like Popeye, I want everyone to see this post in the context that you must work out your entire body, and not just focus on one muscle area. These bodyweight bicep exercises are intended to focus on this specific muscle group, and you will definitely feel the burn when you do them! At the same time, there are also secondary muscle groups that they hit, like the back and shoulders.
1. Close-Grip Chin-Up (Beginner-Intermediate)
Required Equipment: Pull-Up Bar
The regular chin-up hits the biceps hard, but the close-grip chin-up zeroes in on this muscle group almost exclusively.
To Perform: Grip the bar with your hands very close together (six inches or less) and your palms facing towards you. From a dead hang, slowly pull your body up so your chin reaches over the bar. Hold that position for a second or two, and then slowly lower yourself back down. Repeat the reps until failure. Add a weighted vest for a great challenge.
For Beginners: Can’t do the full chin-up yet? Stand on a stool and start your rep with your chin already above the bar, and slowly lower your body down from there. Complete 5-10 reps of this.
2. Chin-Up Headbangers (Intermediate)
Required Equipment: Pull-Up Bar
This is an intense move that is great for explosive bicep strength.
To Perform: Grip the bar with your palms facing towards you. Pull yourself up so your chin is over the bar. Forcefully and quickly extend your arms to move your body backwards, and then forcefully and quickly pull your arms back in to return your chin to be above the bar. This is an explosive move that you want to perform with speed. Do as many reps of this as you can until failure.
3. 90-Degree Chin-Up Walks (Intermediate-Advanced)
Required Equipment: Pull-Up Bar
This move is a crazy combination of a static hold and movement. I am still working on this one. It is tough!
To Perform: Grip one end the bar with your palms facing toward you. If your bar is short then you may need to have a closer grip position. Pull yourself up so your chin is over the bar and your arms are at a 90-degree angle. Continue to grip the bar, but slowly “walk” your hands, one hand at a time, a couple inches over until you reach the other end of the bar. You will briefly let go of the bar with each hand’s “step” to the side. Once you hit one end of the bar, “walk” to the other end. Complete at least one full back-and-forth rep.
For Beginners: If you have access to a parallel bar, you can do this “walk” exercise with your feet on the ground and your legs at an angle. It is still tough, but your bodyweight is supported by the ground.
4. Inverted Rows on Dip Bars (Beginner-Intermediate)
Required Equipment: Dip bars or parallel bars
To Perform: Grip the dip bars and hang down with your legs extended and feet on the floor. Slowly pull yourself up as high as you can go, hold, and lower yourself back down slowly. Do as many reps as you can until failure. Add a weighted vest for a greater challenge.
If you can’t tell, having a pull-up bar is essential to working out your biceps with calisthenics. I hope that these bodyweight bicep exercises help you get an idea of just how many ways you can work your biceps and get them strong! There are many more options for bodyweight bicep moves and I plan on posting more, so stay tuned!
