Refuse classic push-ups, pike, or with different openings: There are seemingly endless variations of pushing exercises that can train your chest and triceps muscles without having to go to the gym. But what about your biceps?
Although training your biceps without gym equipment requires some creativity, these movements will work. When you need to give your biceps some love, do this five-workout routine.
Bicep workout at home
Your biceps brachii is the muscle at the front of your upper arm. It is a powerful player in almost any pulling movement you perform, but it also helps with forearm supination (turning your palm forward if your elbow is straight, or turning your palm up if your elbow is bent) and helps when flexing the shoulder forward or in front of your body.
But the main job of your biceps is pulling, and that's why you need some kind of object to work it. Since we need something to draw from, it is much more difficult to do an exercise at home than it would be to do a triceps or chest exercise.
Although dumbbells are definitely the easiest tool to use, with just a towel and chair you can also do a daring routine. As you feel like progressing through this routine, keep the exercises slow to get the most muscle contraction.
Towel bicep curl
- Start by standing with a small towel in your hands.
- Keep your shoulders away from your ears and your back flat.
- Grab one end of the towel with each hand. Create tension on the towel by separating your hands in an underhand grip.
- Keeping your elbows at your sides, squeeze the towel and bend your hands toward your shoulders.
- Then put your hands down.
- Reps: 4 sets of 12
The more tension you create, the more the muscle will be activated and the more you will get from exercise.
TRX Inspired Towel Curl
- Begin by placing two long towels on the top of a door, letting them hang below the door.
- Close and latch the door, securing the towels in place.
- Hold a towel in each hand and sit on the floor with your feet propped against the door.
- Use your biceps to lift your body, turning your fists from a neutral grip to a low grip as you rise.
- Get up as high as you can and then return to the ground with control.
- Reps: 4 sets of 10
Biceps Hammer Curl Towel
- Begin by standing with a towel in your hands.
- Keep your back flat and your shoulders away from your ears.
- Grab the towel with a neutral grip. Create tension in the towel by separating your hands.
- With your elbows close to your ribs, squeeze the towel and bend your hands toward your shoulders.
- With control, put your hands down.
- Reps: 4 sets of 12
Inverted body row
- Sit under a table or chair, looking out through an opening between your legs.
- Reach out and grab the edge of the table with an underhand grip. Use this to support your body as you walk with your legs in front of you until your body is straight from head to heels.
- Lift your chest toward the bottom of the table.
- Lower yourself back down in a smooth, controlled motion. This completes one rep.
- Reps: 4 sets of 12 reps
Can't you do an inverted row? Try to keep your feet flat on the ground and only walk with them far enough so that your body is straight from head to knees. Your torso and thighs will be horizontal, giving you room to row without hitting your head, but having your feet a little closer will reduce the amount of weight you are lifting a bit.
TRX-inspired towel pull-ups
- Place two long towels on top of a door, letting them hang.
- Take one handle of each towel in each hand with a supine grip.
- Place your feet against the door.
- As you exhale, activate your biceps and lats and stand up with the towels.
- Pull until your chest is in line with your fists, maintaining an overhead grip.
- Then return to the ground in control.
- Reps: 4 sets of 10
If a pull-up feels too challenging, put your feet on the ground and help yourself a bit on the pull-up.
