Topic: Bodyweight Biceps

[Matt_C]

Can someone give me a list of bicep exercises? For a lot of the exercises I do, I don't feel it in my biceps, just triceps. I don't have access to a gym so bodyweight exercises would be much better.

[FastGuppy]

What are you doing right now, what's your diet like and what are your goals?

[Joe Brock]

One arm chins (supinated grip).  They should be a goal for anyone who does bodyweight work, and targets the lats and biceps primarily.

[Steve Low]

Pullups and rows baby

And muscle ups

And all of their variations

[Chris Salvato]

Question - why do you care at all if your biceps are being worked?

[Matt_C]

Question - why do you care at all if your biceps are being worked?

Why not? 
haha but its just that basically every exercise i do is geared more towards triceps so i feel like my biceps are way underworked

[Joe Brock]

haha but its just that basically every exercise i do is geared more towards triceps so i feel like my biceps are way underworked

Allow me to translate:


CURLZ=GURRLZ (or other dudes, if you're into that kind of thing.)

[Chris Salvato]

Why not? 
haha but its just that basically every exercise i do is geared more towards triceps so i feel like my biceps are way underworked

If you are concerned about working specific parts of the body then you are in one of three situations:

• You are an advanced bodybuilder who wants to target their biceps for growth, since they are disproportionally smaller than the rest of your physique
• You have recently suffered from an injury, and are looking to rehabilitate it; or have identified it as a weak point that needs strengthening to avoid injury.
• You have no idea what you are doing and need to feel that your biceps are working, because thats what MensFitness says.

I don't mean to sound rude, but it sounds like you fall into #3.  You don't need to target your biceps - you need to get better at the movement itself.

In other words, stop caring about your biceps and get to work on doing 10 consecutive muscle ups.

[michaelb87]

actually i find that knowing which muscle groups are involved helps immensely with learning movements.  and for the OP rows and chin up/ pull up variations muscle ups climb ups and rope climbs are all i can think of right now.

[Chris Salvato]

actually i find that knowing which muscle groups are involved helps immensely with learning movements.  and for the OP rows and chin up/ pull up variations muscle ups climb ups and rope climbs are all i can think of right now.

Thats not the question Michael.  The question is "what are bodyweight biceps exercises" not "what muscles are involved in the muscle up".  Learning biomechanics will always be helpful.  Arbitrarily isolating muscles will not.

[Roberto Espinoza Jr.]

I don't mean to sound rude, but it sounds like you fall into #3.  You don't need to target your biceps - you need to get better at the movement itself.

In other words, stop caring about your biceps and get to work on doing 10 consecutive muscle ups.

Maybe he wants to work on his biceps cause he can't yet do 10 consecutive muscle ups. Maybe he can't do 1. We should all know here that everything is a progression and the OP is asking for exercises to be able to progress to that level of "10 consecutive muscle ups".

We all gotta start somewhere huh?

[Steve Low]

Maybe he wants to work on his biceps cause he can't yet do 10 consecutive muscle ups. Maybe he can't do 1. We should all know here that everything is a progression and the OP is asking for exercises to be able to progress to that level of "10 consecutive muscle ups".

We all gotta start somewhere huh?

If you're at the point where you can't do a muscle up, isolating muscles is not going to help you significantly get stronger to do it.

You need to be doing full range of motion compound exercises like pullups and rows. Maybe add in some bicepszzzzzzz work at the end but it's just supplemental to main movements.

[Chris Salvato]

Maybe he wants to work on his biceps cause he can't yet do 10 consecutive muscle ups. Maybe he can't do 1. We should all know here that everything is a progression and the OP is asking for exercises to be able to progress to that level of "10 consecutive muscle ups".

We all gotta start somewhere huh?

If you want to obtain X skill you should be doing the progression for X skill.  For example, if you want to obtain X skill, you should be doing the muscle up progression.

Doing "BICEPZ WORK BRAH" is not going to get you anywhere, except looking stupid.

[FastGuppy]

You won't look stupid at the gym doing bicep work. You'll just be stupid.

[Roberto Espinoza Jr.]

If you want to obtain X skill you should be doing the progression for X skill.  For example, if you want to obtain X skill, you should be doing the muscle up progression.

Doing "BICEPZ WORK BRAH" is not going to get you anywhere, except looking stupid.

If you're at the point where you can't do a muscle up, isolating muscles is not going to help you significantly get stronger to do it.

You need to be doing full range of motion compound exercises like pullups and rows. Maybe add in some bicepszzzzzzz work at the end but it's just supplemental to main movements.

That's what I mean. Maybe Matt is asking for progressions.

To Matt,
I'll try and give you advice on what worked for me.

If you can't do pull-ups yet:

Do chin-ups, ya know find a bar or a tree branch that's high enough, and pull yourself all the way up once, a jump to assist you is fine. To me the difference between pull-ups and chin-ups is that chin-ups only go halfway down. These are easier because your muscles need to apply more force to pull you up if your arms are extended.

Also, I started off with an underhand grip, ya know palms facing your face. These were just easier for me I don't know why; but I soon learned that overhand, palms facing away from you, is better, because you're never going to do an underhanded climb-up. Even though these might be a bit harder, you should try and do these as soon as possible.

Um.....once you've got a good enough number of chin-ups down start pull-ups (overhand as well).

I try and do pull-ups as explosively as possible. I don't mean pull-up real fast, drop down real fast, and then use some of that momentum to pull yourself back up. I mean pull yourself up as quickly as possible, but using only your arms, none of that kicking your legs to get yourself up crap. Then go down normally.

My reason for doing this, and this is just a hunch, I have no proof of this but my own logic, is this: a lot of movements in parkour need explosive force to be quick right? Including climb-ups. So I'm guessing exercising the same way should help you more.


Like I said before, I'm no expert in exercise, far from it. But that's what has worked for me and I could do about 5 muscle ups, just gotta work out more and I'm on my road to ten.

[Joe Brock]

My reason for doing this, and this is just a hunch, I have no proof of this but my own logic, is this: a lot of movements in parkour need explosive force to be quick right? Including climb-ups. So I'm guessing exercising the same way should help you more.

Your theory is misguided, but your conclusion is correct.  You will achieve more intramuscular recruitment from ATTEMPTING to be as explosive as possible...even if your actual speed is very slow.

As a fun fact:  A highly skilled strength athlete has no more than 3.5 (and generally closer to 3.2) seconds to achieve maximum muscular contraction potential.  (Simmons, WSBB Book of Methods c. 2007)

[Roberto Espinoza Jr.]

Your theory is misguided, but your conclusion is correct.  You will achieve more intramuscular recruitment from ATTEMPTING to be as explosive as possible...even if your actual speed is very slow.

Hmm that's interesting. Glad to hear that I was right...sorta haha! Ya know you're real smart Brock?

[Chris Salvato]

That's what I mean. Maybe Matt is asking for progressions.

To Matt,
I'll try and give you advice on what worked for me.

If you can't do pull-ups yet:

Do chin-ups, ya know find a bar or a tree branch that's high enough, and pull yourself all the way up once, a jump to assist you is fine. To me the difference between pull-ups and chin-ups is that chin-ups only go halfway down. These are easier because your muscles need to apply more force to pull you up if your arms are extended.

Also, I started off with an underhand grip, ya know palms facing your face. These were just easier for me I don't know why; but I soon learned that overhand, palms facing away from you, is better, because you're never going to do an underhanded climb-up. Even though these might be a bit harder, you should try and do these as soon as possible.

Um.....once you've got a good enough number of chin-ups down start pull-ups (overhand as well).

I try and do pull-ups as explosively as possible. I don't mean pull-up real fast, drop down real fast, and then use some of that momentum to pull yourself back up. I mean pull yourself up as quickly as possible, but using only your arms, none of that kicking your legs to get yourself up crap. Then go down normally.

My reason for doing this, and this is just a hunch, I have no proof of this but my own logic, is this: a lot of movements in parkour need explosive force to be quick right? Including climb-ups. So I'm guessing exercising the same way should help you more.


Like I said before, I'm no expert in exercise, far from it. But that's what has worked for me and I could do about 5 muscle ups, just gotta work out more and I'm on my road to ten.

Why are you giving him advice on muscle ups?  He didn't ask for muscle up advice - he asked for biceps advice.  My quote about muscle ups was an example.  This guy has no goal that he stated, except to work his biceps, which is silliness.

[Roberto Espinoza Jr.]

Why are you giving him advice on muscle ups?  He didn't ask for muscle up advice - he asked for biceps advice.  My quote about muscle ups was an example.  This guy has no goal that he stated, except to work his biceps, which is silliness.

Don't you use biceps to doa muscle up?

[Nick Fernandez]

I think you guys should stop coming to different conclusions and arguing about them, since Matt_C hasn't even replied to this thread recently and this is the last thing he said:

Why not? 
haha but its just that basically every exercise i do is geared more towards triceps so i feel like my biceps are way underworked

He never said he was a bodybuilder, he never SAID he wanted bigger biceps, he never said he felt like he was doing too many "pushing" exercises and not enough "pulling" exercises, nor did he ever ask for help on how to do muscle-ups or pull-ups.