If you want to grow meaty biceps but do not have a gym membership, do not worry. In this article, we will share how you can build big biceps by working out at home.
The biceps are the smallest muscle in the arms and do not need heavy weights to grow. You also do not need fancy exercises to increase the size of your biceps, so they can be easily trained at home. Do not make any more excuses; start grinding for those big arms.
Before discussing the exercises, you need to know how the biceps function. There are 3 primary things that biceps do:
- Elbow Flexion: One of the functions of the biceps is to bend the elbows.
- Forearm Supination: The ability to provide outward rotation of the forearms.
- Shoulder Flexion: The ability to raise arms in front of the body.
You can cross-check this by breaking down any biceps exercise. When you curl, your elbow bends, causing elbow flexion; your forearms rotate, causing forearm supination; and the hand moves in front of the body, causing shoulder flexion.
Let’s discuss the top 5 best biceps workouts you can do at home without boring you with any more scientific breakdowns.
Dumbbell/Resistance Band Curls
If you have a pair of dumbbells or a set of resistance bands, you can perform almost all the necessary biceps exercises at home.
Good old dumbbell curls are one of the key exercises that can help you grow bigger biceps. You can perform this curling movement with resistance bands also. Some resistance bands have a D-handle attachment, which is the best choice for curling.
How to perform: Performing dumbbell or resistance band curls is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Grab your pair of dumbbells. If you are using a resistance band, choose one that provides appropriate resistance which will challenge your biceps.
- Put your back against a wall so that you can maintain proper form.
- Start curling and hold for a second at the top to feel the squeeze.
- Slowly lower your arms; take at least 2/3 seconds to do that. Do not rush.
- Perform 10 to 12 reps for 4 sets.
Concentration Curls
It does not matter whether you are in the gym or anywhere else; to perform this exercise, you just need a pair of dumbbells and your body’s assistance.
Concentration curls are a significantly important variation of biceps exercise because they train each arm separately, which helps to fix any muscle imbalances. You can see the whole movement from top to bottom, which also helps to build the mind-muscle connection.
How to perform: Follow the steps to perform concentration curls perfectly:
- Grab a dumbbell.
- Lean on one side and fix your elbow on the side of your leg.
- Curl from that position. Hold for a second on the top position and slowly control the weight on the way down.
- Always train the weaker hand first.
- Perform 8 to 12 reps for 3 sets for each hand.
Resistance Band Bayesian Curls
Resistance band Bayesian curls are one of the best exercises you can do at home. They emphasize the long head of the bicep, which helps you develop the peak of the bicep.
Training the long head at home can sometimes be difficult because you need specific equipment. However, this variation solves the problem. You will need nothing to perform this exercise except one resistance band.
How to perform: Performing this exercise is easy. Just follow the steps:
- Choose a resistance band 4 to 5 feet long that provides moderate resistance.
- Tuck it in at a place within your waist height, or you can tuck it somewhere at your leg level.
- Take two or more steps forward and face away from the band. Do one hand at a time.
- Lock or tuck your elbow behind your shoulder.
- Curl the weight from that position until your hand reaches 90 degrees. Hold the weight at 90 degrees for a second.
- Slowly lower the weight and stretch as much as possible in the bottom position without breaking the form.
- For this exercise, go for higher reps, 15 to 20, for 4 sets for each arm.
Bodyweight Curls
You do not need additional weights for this exercise; your body weight will provide all the resistance you need. The more you weigh, the more challenging it will be, and vice versa.
You can perform it in many ways. If you have any barbells, you can fix them somewhere and perform. You can also do it using a suspension trainer or, in the most convenient way, just by using a long towel.
How to perform: As everyone will have a long towel at their home, we will break down how you can perform it by using towels:
- Grab a long dry towel with enough strength to handle your body weight. Otherwise, it might tear, and you might get hurt.
- Wrap the towel someplace that is higher than your forehead.
- Grab both ends of the towel nicely.
- Lean back and fix your body at a 60-degree angle.
- Curl from that position and slowly lower your body.
- Perform 10 to 12 reps for 3 sets.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls
Do not forget to train your brachialis muscle. Without a pair of dumbbells, you will not need anything to perform this exercise at home.
It is a great exercise that helps to grow the brachialis muscle.
How to perform: Follow the steps to perform dumbbell hammer curls perfectly:
- Grab your pair of dumbbells.
- Hold the dumbbells on each side of the waist with a neutral grip (Palms facing each other)
- Curl the weight from that position and thoroughly squeeze at the top.
- Slowly descend the weight. Do not rush.
- Perform 10 to 15 reps for 3/4 sets.
You can optimally grow your biceps by performing the mentioned exercises at home. They will target the short head, long head, and brachialis muscles, which will help you develop a bigger arm even by working out at home.
Tell us about your favorite biceps exercise that you love to do at home.
Want to know the best bicep exercises you can perform in the gym? Then, read the following article: Best exercises for biceps