Who wouldn’t want Massive Biceps that look amazing with a tank top and have the strength to wield Captain America’s shield or wield Thor’s hammer? Frequent bodyweight exercises will build muscle in your biceps, increasing your potential to be the next Avenger. You don’t have to strive for the same level of buffness as Jason Momoa or Teyana Taylor. (However, that’s fantastic if you do.) There are movements out there that are perfect for you, regardless of your goals—neither dumbbells nor barbells are needed.
Plus, it’s safer and simpler to use your own body weight instead of heavy equipment. You don’t have to risk dumping a 100-pound weight on your toe (ouch), and you can perform these exercises without ever leaving your house.
Plank: A Bodyweight Exercise for When You Want to Take It Slow
Planks strengthen your biceps in addition to working your core.
Instructions: Lie on your back with your elbows 90 degrees under your shoulders and your hands flat on the floor. Maintain your spine parallel to the floor by tucking your chin in. Pull in your abdominal button and push your biceps through. As long as you can, hold. Repeat.
Side Board
In this stance, your biceps may exert more effort than your shoulders.
Directions: Lie on your right side to begin. Place your right hand on the floor and raise your arm so that it is straight from the shoulder to the ankle. As long as you can, hold. Continue on the opposite side. Too rigid? Instead of putting your hand on the floor, change the stance by placing your forearm there.
Chaturanga
Nowadays, yoga poses aren’t limited to studio use. This traditional exercise will strengthen your core and biceps even if you’re not a yogi.
Guidelines: Begin in the typical plank/prone posture, with your elbows 90 degrees under your shoulders and your hands on the floor. Bring your elbows up to the level of your sides by lowering yourself. Elbows, shoulders, upper arms, and chest should all line up. Reposition to the plank position. Repeat.
Dive-Bomber Push-Up
Dive-bombers will make your biceps truly pop—forget about doing standard push-ups.
Guidelines: Begin in Upward Dog with your feet shoulder-width apart, your hips in the air, and your pelvis on the floor. Arch your back and slowly lower your head. Act as though you are lowering yourself beneath a fictitious bar. To get back to where you were before, reverse the motion.
Curl Towel
To complete this technique, all you need is a chair and an ordinary bath towel. No fancy equipment is required.
Directions: Twist the cloth many times to create the appearance of long noodles. Position the middle of the towel beneath one foot while seated in the chair with your feet flat on the ground. Gently draw the cloth nearer your face while holding one end in each hand. Apply resistance with your foot. As long as you can, hold. Repeat.
Bodyweight Exercises to Take Your Fitness to the Next Level: Inverted Row
For people who aren’t quite ready to perform a standard pull-up, this is ideal. To perform this technique, you’ll need a bar or rings that are about waist height.
Directions: Place yourself faceup on the floor beneath the bar. With your palms pointing away and your hands somewhat wider than shoulder-width apart, grab the bar. Maintain a straight body by contracting your butt and abs. Raise yourself till your chest makes contact with the bar. Return to your lower position slowly. Repeat. Do you want to make things more difficult? Your biceps will get more tense as you lower the bar.
Put down your gun
Chin-ups put a lot of strain on your lats, triceps, and biceps. Make sure you have a strong bar high enough to hang from while extending your arms and keeping your feet off the ground in order to complete a proper chin-up.
Instructions: Lift yourself up until your chin clears the bar by grasping the bar with your palms facing you. With control and slowness, lower yourself.
An isometric chin-up
Similar to a standard chin-up, but with an emphasis on isometry, which is the process of applying tension to a muscle without actually stretching or shortening it. In essence, the muscle flexes without contracting or expanding.
Guidelines: Commence with a standard chin-up: Hands shoulder-width apart, palms facing you, grab the chin-up bar. Raise your chin till it touches the bar. Hold it for as long as you can, though, rather than bouncing up and down. Not quite able to execute a chin-up? A modified isometric chin-up is still possible. To jump into position and retain it, use a chair or step. Do you want to add more difficulty? Once your arms are positioned at a 90-degree angle, hold it.
Resistance Band Curl Biceps
With your knees bent under you, take a seat on the floor with your favorite resistance band. Maintain a straight spine.
The resistance band should be slid beneath your right knee. With your right hand, grasp it and bring it up to your right shoulder. Keep your upper arm in its proper position. Let go and carry on. Next, move to the opposite side.
Reduce Push-Up
Similar to a push-up but with a little extra fierceness.
Instructions: To perform this technique, you’ll need a strong bench or couch. Regular push-ups strengthen your core, shoulders, and chest all at once. By distributing the work to your front body, these push-ups provide your biceps a more challenging exercise. Place your feet atop the bench and perform push-ups in your typical manner.
Exercises Using Only Your Bodyweight That Will Definitely Bust Your Biceps: Headbanger
To do some headbangers, you don’t even need to listen to punk rock. With your hands shoulder-width apart and your palms facing you, begin by gripping your chin-up bar.
Directions: Hold your arms nearly straight (not locked). Ascend until your arms form a 90-degree angle. Now, make sudden, forceful movements with your body, almost as if you wanted to headbutt the bar. Hold for as long as it seems comfortable to you, around one minute. Take a moment to relax. Repeat.
Towel Relaxation
With a towel, instead of a chin-up. Additionally, work your scapulae and biceps twice as hard.
Directions: Wrap a towel around the chin-up bar and place your hands on either side. Do some chin-ups now.
Plank Walk Lateral
This one sounds harmless enough, but it will quickly have your core, triceps, and biceps screaming.
Start in the traditional plank position, with your hands on the floor, elbows tucked under your shoulders at a 90-degree angle, and your spine straight. Put your chin in a tuck. It’s time to move on now. Stretch your right arm and leg outward by about a foot. Proceed with your left arm and leg. Continue moving, but take care not to bump into your coffee table.
Chin-Up Commando
You can actually wear your undies for this one, despite the title.
Instructions: Place your hands, thumbs facing you, tightly around the chin-up bar to begin. You should have about straight arms. Head on the left side of the bar, raise yourself up. Try to put your right shoulder in contact with the bar. Reduce your height gradually. Continue on the opposite side.
Chin-Up, Inchworm
Approach some swole biceps by chin-up and inchworming yourself. This one will undoubtedly burn your forearms and biceps.
Guidelines: With your hands facing you, begin in the normal chin-up posture and raise yourself until your chin clears the bar. Now get down on a lower plane—it’s time to start itching. Raise the right hand back up after moving it about an inch to the right. Move your left hand one inch to the right as you lower yourself. Continue in this manner, going back and forth along the bar.
