Bicep Workouts Without Weights

Why bicep workouts without weights work

If you want stronger arms but do not have access to dumbbells or machines, bicep workouts without weights can still build noticeable strength and definition. With a mix of bodyweight exercises, resistance bands and a few smart household substitutions, you can challenge your biceps effectively at home.

Bodyweight and band-based training puts less stress on your joints than heavy lifting, which can reduce injury risk and create a solid foundation before you move on to more traditional weight training, according to guidance from Peloton experts as of August 2024. These bicep exercises without weights are especially useful if you are a beginner or coming back from a break.

Benefits of training biceps without weights

You might assume that no-equipment bicep workouts are second best, but they offer some real advantages.

Easy access at home

• You do not need a gym membership or a full rack of weights.
• You can use your own bodyweight, a sturdy table, a door frame, or basic bands.
• Short sessions fit easily into your day, which helps you stay consistent.

Lower joint stress and injury risk

Peloton guidance in August 2024 notes that bodyweight biceps workouts tend to place less stress on your joints and muscles compared to heavy barbells or dumbbells. This can help you:

• Build a strength base before adding heavy external loads
• Practice good form with more control
• Reduce the likelihood of overuse injuries early on

Full body engagement

Many bicep workouts without weights do more than isolate your arms. Movements like pull ups, planks and inverted rows challenge your back, shoulders and core at the same time. You build:

• Overall upper body strength
• Better posture
• Coordination and stability

A starting point for muscle growth

Bodyweight biceps exercises will not match the resistance of heavy lifting, and Peloton experts note that traditional weight training is still superior if your primary goal is maximum muscle growth. That said, if you are a beginner or training at home, these exercises can:

• Help you make early strength gains
• Improve muscle endurance
• Prepare your tendons and joints for heavier loads later

How to structure your no weights bicep workout

Think of your bicep routine as a mini program instead of random moves. A simple structure helps you progress instead of just getting tired.

Choose your training frequency

Peloton instructor Erik Jäger recommends doing bodyweight biceps exercises 2 to 3 times per week for focused arm work. For most people this looks like:

• 2 days per week if you are a beginner or very busy
• 3 days per week if you recover quickly and want faster progress

Leave at least one rest day between sessions so your muscles can recover.

Work to (safe) muscle fatigue

Since you are not using heavy weights, intensity comes from how close you get to failure. Research in the August 2024 guidance suggests:

• Perform each bicep exercise close to failure
• Start with 2 sets per move
• Over time progress to 3 sets per move

When you can perform far more reps than usual without real effort, it is time to make the exercise harder.

Progress your difficulty

To keep seeing results, you need to gradually increase the challenge. You can do that by:

• Slowing the lowering phase of each rep
• Moving your feet or body to a harder angle
• Adding a pause at the hardest part of the movement
• Using resistance bands or makeshift weights for more load

Bodyweight bicep exercises you can do anywhere

The best bicep workouts without weights combine pulling movements, bodyweight curls and smart push up variations. The exercises below are supported by Peloton experts as of August 2024.

1. Chin ups

Chin ups are one of the most effective bodyweight bicep builders because they place your arms in a supinated position, palms facing you, which heavily recruits the biceps.

How to do it

1. Grip a bar with your palms facing you, hands shoulder width apart.
2. Start from a dead hang with straight arms.
3. Pull your chest toward the bar by driving your elbows down and in.
4. Pause briefly at the top.
5. Lower with control until your arms are fully extended.

Make it easier

• Use a resistance band looped over the bar and under one knee for assistance.
• Jump to the top position and focus only on lowering slowly.

Make it harder

• Add a pause halfway up and halfway down.
• Slow the lowering phase to 3 to 5 seconds per rep.

2. Pull ups

Pull ups use a pronated grip, palms facing away, and target your back muscles along with your biceps. They remain a powerful choice in bicep workouts without weights because they create high overall pulling strength.

How to do it

1. Grip the bar with palms facing away, slightly wider than shoulder width.
2. Hang with straight arms and engage your core.
3. Pull your chest up toward the bar, leading with your elbows.
4. Pause at the top.
5. Lower slowly to the starting position.

Tips

• Think of driving your elbows down to your ribs, not just bending your arms.
• Keep your neck neutral and avoid craning your head forward.

3. Inverted rows

Inverted rows can be done under a sturdy table or with a rope or bedsheet secured behind a closed door. They simulate suspension strap training and effectively target your biceps, lats and core.

How to do it with a table

1. Lie under a stable table with your chest beneath the edge.
2. Grab the table edge with an overhand or underhand grip.
3. Straighten your body from head to heels, heels on the floor.
4. Pull your chest toward the table until it touches or almost touches.
5. Lower slowly back down.

Adjust the difficulty

• Bend your knees and keep feet flat to make it easier.
• Walk your feet farther away so your body is more horizontal to make it harder.

4. Plank variations

You might not think of planks as a bicep exercise, but they are included in Peloton’s list of effective bodyweight moves for the arms because they require isometric engagement of the biceps along with your shoulders and core.

Standard forearm plank

1. Place your forearms on the floor, elbows under shoulders.
2. Extend your legs behind you, feet hip width apart.
3. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core.
4. Hold your body in a straight line, no sagging or piking.

To emphasize the arms more

• Gently pull your elbows back against the floor without moving them, as if you are trying to drag yourself forward. This engages your biceps isometrically.

5. Inchworms

Inchworms combine a dynamic plank and a walkout that challenges your shoulders, core and arms, including the biceps.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with feet hip width apart.
2. Hinge forward and place your hands on the floor.
3. Walk your hands out into a high plank position.
4. Hold briefly, then walk your feet toward your hands.
5. Stand back up and repeat.

Focus on controlled hand movements and stable shoulders so your arms and biceps stay engaged throughout.

6. Biceps push ups

The biceps push up is a twist on the classic push up. By turning your hands around, you shift more work to the biceps instead of the chest and triceps. It may feel a bit awkward at first, but it is one of the most effective push up variations for no equipment bicep workouts.

How to do it

1. Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders.
2. Rotate your hands so your fingers point toward your feet.
3. Keep elbows close to your body as you lower your chest toward the floor.
4. Stop just before your chest touches, then push back up.

Safety notes

• Move slowly, especially in the lowering phase.
• If your wrists feel strained, try the variation on your knees to reduce load.

Using household items as “weights” for curls

If you do not have any gym equipment, you can still mimic classic bicep curls with items around your home. This turns a simple bodyweight routine into a more complete bicep workout without traditional weights.

Smart makeshift weight options

• Gallon jugs filled with water or sand
• Milk jugs with handles
• Loaded backpacks or tote bags
• Heavy purses with books inside

Always check that your improvised weight is secure before lifting so nothing shifts suddenly or breaks.

Focus on the lowering phase

Research summarized in the guide notes that the eccentric phase, the lowering part of the curl, yields the greatest strength and hypertrophy gains. To take advantage of this:

1. Curl the weight up in 1 to 2 seconds.
2. Lower it back down in 3 to 5 seconds.
3. Do not let momentum swing the weight.
4. Pause briefly at the bottom to remove bounce.

You can do both standard curls, palms up, and hammer curls, palms facing each other, with these improvised weights to hit the biceps and nearby muscles from different angles.

Resistance band bicep workouts without weights

Resistance bands are not traditional “weights,” but they can be just as effective for training your biceps at home. As of June 2023, guidance notes that bands provide a unique stimulus compared with free weights or cables and can trigger real muscle growth.

Bands also tend to reduce joint strain, and when combined with gymnastics rings they expand your exercise options even more.

Why bands work so well

• Bands change resistance through the movement as they stretch.
• They are easy on your joints while still challenging your muscles.
• You can train at many angles and grips in a small space.
• You can quickly adjust difficulty by changing stance or hand position.

Key resistance band bicep moves

A June 2023 guide outlines nine useful resistance band exercises for your biceps. You can mix and match them based on what feels best for your arms.

Some highlights:

• Standing band curls for a classic curl pattern
• Wide grip curls to alter tension and target different fibers
• Hammer curls to hit the brachialis and brachioradialis
• Reverse grip curls to emphasize forearms and supporting muscles
• Bayesian curls that keep tension in the stretch position
• Band drag curls that keep your elbows behind your body for a strong bicep squeeze
• Band crucifix curls with arms out to the sides for a unique angle
• Close grip curls to change leverage and difficulty
• Band assisted chin ups as a powerful combination of band and bodyweight

Simple resistance band bicep routine

The June 2023 guidance offers an example of how to structure a band focused session:

• 3 to 4 sets to failure of band assisted chin ups
• 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps of band hammer curls
• 3 sets of 15 to 25 reps of wide grip band curls
• 60 to 180 seconds of rest between sets

You can use this template or adapt it based on your current level. Take your last few reps seriously, they should feel challenging but still controlled.

How to adjust band resistance

You do not need a whole set of different strength bands to make progress. Small changes in setup quickly increase or decrease the load.

Try:

• Stepping your feet wider apart on the band to create more stretch
• Crossing the band into an “X” to increase tension
• Choking up on the band by gripping it closer to your feet
• Using a lighter band for higher rep sets and a heavier one for lower reps

Advanced bodyweight bicep options

Once you build a base of strength, you may want more demanding bicep workouts without weights. Some advanced bodyweight moves require good mobility and patience, but they reward you with serious arm strength.

Narrow grip chin ups

Narrow grip chin ups emphasize your biceps even more than standard chin ups because they provide high load and continuous tension through the movement. They are especially effective when done on gymnastics rings.

How to do it

1. Set the rings or bar so you can hang freely.
2. Grip with your hands closer than shoulder width, palms facing you.
3. Pull your chest to the rings or bar, keeping your elbows close.
4. Lower under control, do not drop.

Rings allow your wrists and elbows to rotate naturally, which can reduce joint strain while keeping the biceps under constant tension.

Pelican curls, reverse bodyweight curls

Pelican curls, sometimes called reverse bodyweight curls, provide a deep stretch and hit the biceps at a unique angle. They focus on elbow flexion at the bottom of the rep when the biceps are fully extended.

Because they stress your tendons and require good mobility, they are considered an advanced move. It is important to build strength gradually before attempting them.

How they work

• You lean back on rings or a bar with straight arms.
• Your body is at a steep angle relative to the floor.
• You bend your elbows to pull yourself up, then extend them back to the deep stretch position.

The guidance notes that adding bands at the hip can help improve resistance at the top of the movement. Do not rush into high intensity pelican curls. Start with partial range and higher body positions until your tendons adapt.

Bodyweight curls and preacher style variations

Several bodyweight curl variations mimic classic dumbbell curls and preacher curls using your own body and simple tools like rings and bands.

Bodyweight curls

These can be done in both hammer and standard grips and provide a large range of motion.

• Use rings or a secure bar.
• Lean back with your body straight, arms extended.
• Curl your body toward the anchor by bending your elbows.
• Lower slowly, keeping your core and glutes tight.

You can make them harder by:

• Stepping your feet farther forward
• Wearing a weight vest
• Adding a resistance band at the hip

Single arm variations allow you to train each side independently and also challenge shoulder stability.

Bodyweight preacher curl, curl row

The bodyweight preacher curl, often called the curl row, targets elbow flexion and some shoulder flexion. It is most effective when done with resistance bands and rings placed close together, narrower than shoulder width, to increase tension.

Using a neutral hammer grip is recommended to maximize bicep engagement while keeping stress on your wrists manageable.

Sample beginner friendly no weights bicep workout

Use this as a starting point for your own routine when you want bicep workouts without weights. Perform it 2 to 3 times per week with at least one rest day between sessions.

1. Warm up, 5 to 8 minutes

• Arm circles, both directions
• Gentle shoulder rolls
• Light band pull aparts or door frame stretches

1. Main workout

• Chin ups or band assisted chin ups

  • 2 to 3 sets to near failure

• Inverted rows under a table or with ropes/sheets behind a door

  • 2 sets of 10 to 15 controlled reps

• Biceps push ups on knees or toes

  • 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps

• Standing band curls or household item curls

  • 2 sets of 12 to 20 slow reps, focus on the lowering phase

1. Finisher, optional

• 30 to 45 seconds of “time under tension” holds
  • For example, hold halfway up in a curl position with bands or a backpack

1. Cool down, 3 to 5 minutes

• Gentle bicep and forearm stretches
• Shoulder and chest stretches against a wall or door frame

As this becomes easier, increase to 3 sets per exercise, then explore more advanced movements like narrow grip chin ups and bodyweight curls.

Tips for safe and effective progress

To get the most from your bicep workouts without weights and stay safe:

• Prioritize smooth, controlled movements over fast reps.
• Stop each set when you are a rep or two away from losing form.
• Progress gradually by adjusting angles, tempos and band tension.
• Give your muscles and joints time to adapt, especially with advanced moves like pelican curls.

With consistent practice, smart progression and attention to form, you can build stronger, more defined biceps at home without relying on traditional weights.

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