No Gym? No Problem: Best Calisthenics Biceps Workout For Home 

Do you want to have massive guns that pop even when you are not flexing? 

Then let’s dive right in. In this article, I will show you the simple yet highly effective calisthenics biceps workouts you can start doing today at home and take your arms to the next level FAST.

We will cover focused bodyweight biceps exercises perfect for any fitness level. 

Let’s dive into the most powerful bodyweight biceps exercises and workouts committed to delivering bigger biceps!

What Calisthenics Movements Work The Biceps?

Most upper-body pull exercises will build your biceps in some way.

Pull exercises are a category of strength training movements where the primary muscle action is pulling.

When it comes to calisthenics, some of the best bodyweight bicep exercises that will help you build biceps include:

• Pull-ups: Gripping a bar (palm facing away from you) and pulling your body up targets the biceps and some of the back muscles.
• Chin-ups: Using an underhand grip (palms facing you) on the pull-up bar shifts more effort to the biceps. 
• Rows: Suspending your body below a bar and rowing upwards works the biceps and other back muscles.
• Bodyweight curls: Holding bars or gymnastic rings and curling upwards isolates the biceps for peak contraction.

Calisthenics Bicep Workout For Beginners

Here is a list of the best bodyweight exercises that can easily replace dumbbell bicep curls.

Chin-Ups

Chin-ups are one of the best calisthenics exercises. They engage more than one muscle group, including your back, biceps, and core. 

The underhand grip targets the biceps peak while pulling your entire bodyweight up demands incredible arm strength. 

How to do it:

1. Grab a chin-up bar with palms facing you and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. 
2. Hang from the bar with arms fully extended. Engage your core by bracing your abdominals.
3. Initiate the move by pulling your shoulder blades down and back while rowing your body upwards. 
4. Drive biceps through their full range of motion until your chin clears the bar. Ensure your biceps pull you up. Squeeze the biceps hard at the top.
5. Control the eccentric lowering half of the move for 3 seconds. Descend until arms are straight.
6. Repeat for the desired number of reps without swinging the lower body for momentum.

For added resistance, use a weighted vest or backpack. Follow with curls and hammer curls for a complete biceps workout!

Horizontal Bodyweight Ring Curls

Horizontal ring curls hit your biceps and challenge stabilizer muscles more than a fixed bar.  

How to do it:

1. Adjust ring straps to mid-chest level and grasp rings with an underhand grip at shoulder width.
2. Keeping arms straight in front of you, walk back until your body is parallel with the floor in an inverted plank position.
3. Initiate the curl by retracting your shoulders and using your biceps to pull your body up.
4. Squeeze your biceps hard for a second in the fully contracted position.
5. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position in a slow, controlled motion.
6. Repeat for desired reps, ensuring perfect form on each curl rather than using momentum or swinging.

Inverted Row With Supinated Grip (AKA Bicep Rows)

The inverted row targets the biceps and also builds upper back strength. 

How to do it:

1. Set up a barbell in a power rack at hip height. Grasp it shoulder-width apart with an underhand grip.
2. Walk backward until your body is parallel to the floor in a straight line. Engage your core.
3. Initiate the row by driving elbows back and pulling the chest towards the bar while keeping the body rigid.
4. Squeeze the biceps hard as you pull yourself up to the bar.
5. Slowly lower your body back up to the starting position with control.
6. Repeat for desired reps without letting hips sag or swinging the lower body.

Curls With Bands

This exercise works your bicep muscles and allows you to perform cheat-proof strict form biceps isolation. Bands may provide increasing resistance levels depending on the band resistance, helping you build stronger arms. 

How to do it:

1. Loop one end of the band around a sturdy post or rack, then grip the other handle in one hand.
2. Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding the band in front of thighs with palms facing up and elbows tight to sides.
3. Initiate the curl by engaging the biceps to lift hands towards the shoulders in an arc motion, keeping upper arms locked.
4. Squeeze biceps hard at the top contracted position before controlling the descent for 3 seconds back down.
5. Slowly straighten your arms to pre-stretch the band without locking elbows. 

Calisthenics Biceps Exercise For Intermediates

Pull-Ups

Pull-ups are one of the best back and biceps exercises because they involve lifting your body weight.

This overhead pulling action heavily engages the biceps, lats, and other upper body muscles.

How to do it:

1. Grip the pull-up bar shoulder-width apart using an overhand grip where the palm faces away from you. Hang with arms fully extended.
2. Pull your shoulder blades down and back while engaging your core.
3. Initiate the movement by driving your elbows down as you pull your chest towards the bar.
4. Pull until your chin clears the bar, then squeeze the biceps hard at the top.
5. Pause briefly before controlling your descent for 3+ seconds.
6. Repeat for as many quality reps as possible without using momentum or swinging legs.

Frenchies

Frenchies isolate the long head of the biceps with max time under tension from fatiguing static holds combined with partial range peak contractions. 

How to do it:

1. Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand shoulder-width grip. Hang with arms fully extended.
2. Initiate the move by pulling yourself upwards about 20-30% of the way.
3. Keep your biceps flexed as you hold this partially curled position for 5 seconds (or as long as possible).
4. After the static hold, slowly lower yourself to a hang position while keeping constant tension.
5. Quickly pull back up for about 60-70% of the way and hold again for another 5 seconds (or as long as you can).
6. Repete to complete 5-10 supersets this way with no rest.

You can help yourself using a resistance band; one end will be wrapped around the bar, and the other will be for your feet.

Pull-up Iso Hold

The pull-up iso hold trains muscular endurance and forces the biceps to work hard in the fully contracted position. 

How to do it:

1. Use an overhand wide grip to take hold of the pull-up bar.
2. Pull yourself upward until your chin clears the bar and you achieve full bicep contraction.
3. Hold this top “pulled up” position while keeping tension for 5 seconds (or as long as you can). Engage your core.
4. Concentrate on squeezing the biceps as hard as possible throughout the static hold.
5. After the time hold is done, slowly lower yourself down, controlling the eccentric.
6. Take only a brief break before going back up into the iso hold.

One Arm Chin Up Negatives

One arm chin-up negatives overload the biceps with higher intensity eccentric loading.

Controlling bodyweight down challenges stability muscles while placing maximal tension directly on the biceps.

How to do it:

1. Use one arm to grip a pull-up bar with an underhand grip. The assisting arm can lightly hold the wrist for support.
2. Use your arm and back muscles to pull yourself upwards until your chin clears the bar. Squeeze the bicep hard.
3. Slowly lower your body down, focusing on resisting gravity’s pull. Maintain arm and core tension.
4. Repeat for the desired number of reps before switching sides to keep unilateral arm development even.

Close Grip Pull-Up Isometrics

Close grip pull-up isometrics works the biceps by isolating the contracted position. 

How to do it:

1. Use a shoulder-width underhand grip to hold the pull-up bar. Engage your core.
2. Pull your chest upwards until your biceps are fully flexed in front of your face, elbows pointing inward.
3. Hold and continue contracting the biceps maximally during this cramped sustained position for time.
4. Breathe deeply and keep perfect form for 20-60 seconds before controlling the descent.

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Bodyweight Bicep Exercise For The Advanced 

Archer Pull-Ups

Archer pull-ups are an advanced calisthenics variation, placing a heavier load directly on one bicep at a time.

How to do it:

1. Grip the bar on one side with one hand using an overhand grip. The other arm extends straight overhead for counterbalance.
2. Pull yourself upward by engaging your lats and core, focusing on driving the elbow of your gripping arm downwards.
3. Lead with the engaged side contracting harder until your chin clears the bar. Squeeze this bicep.
4. Slowly lower your body back down in a controlled manner for 3+ seconds.
5. Repeat for the desired number of quality reps before switching sides to train both arms unilaterally.

Headbangers

Headbangers is an advanced, extremely difficult exercise requiring great wrist strength.

How to do it:

1. Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand (palms facing away from you) shoulder-width grip. 
2. With straight arms, swing your entire upper body back, then explosively swing forward.
3. Allow momentum to carry you upwards into a bicep curl at the top. Flex as hard as possible before the backswing.
4. Repeatedly swing back and forth, curling forcefully on the upswing for as many reps as possible.

Commando Pull-ups

Commando pull-ups target the biceps using a neutral underhand grip. 

How to do it:

1. Take hold of the pull-up bar with a hip-width underhand grip, palms facing each other.
2. Hang from the bar while engaging your core muscles to stabilize.
3. Initiate the movement by driving your elbows downwards as you pull your chest to the bar. The right shoulder should touch the bar. 
4. Keep squeezing your biceps as you fully curl your wrists towards your shoulders at the top.
5. Pause briefly before controlling descent for 2-3 seconds back to a dead hang.
6. Initiate the movement by driving your elbows downwards as you pull your chest to the bar. Now, the left shoulder should touch the bar. 
7. Alternate between right and left shoulder.
8. Repeat for as many quality reps as possible without using leg momentum to swing.

Dangerous Exercise Warning!

NOT BICEPS EXERCISES

During my research, I found this exercise classified as a biceps exercise. In my opinion, these exercises focus on the triceps, not the biceps. 

• Pseudo Planche Push-Ups 
• Korean Dips
• Korean Ring Dip (AKA The Bicep Dip)

FAQ

How Many Times A Week Should I Work Out My Biceps?

The ideal frequency to train biceps each week depends on your training split and recovery abilities, but here are some general guidelines:

• For most beginner and intermediate trainees, hitting biceps 1-2 times weekly is optimal. 
• More advanced lifters or bodybuilders can handle higher biceps training of 3-4 times per week thanks to conditioned work capacity. This higher frequency may produce more growth.
• When training biceps more than 2x a week, vary your rep ranges and exercises used each session to prevent over-training fatigue.
• Listen to your body and allow for needed rest days if experiencing soreness or plateaus. Signs of overtraining mean it’s best to cut back on biceps sessions.

Can You Obtain Big Biceps Only With Calisthenics Workouts?

Yes. When combined with a proper diet and recovery, Calisthenics can help you get big biceps. 

Bodyweight training can stimulate muscle growth effectively, especially when you increase the intensity and volume over time.

The study The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength and body composition states: <quote>  “Calisthenics is an effective physical activity for the improvement of postural sway, strength-endurance and has a positive effect on body composition, significantly reducing body fat mass”.

What Are Some Bodyweight Bicep Exercises I Can Do Without Any Equipment?

You can perform several bicep calisthenics exercises without equipment, such as pull-ups, chin-ups, body rows, and closed-grip push-ups. 

These exercises will train your biceps and provide a good workout.

For an extensive list of calisthenics exercises, have a look at my article: The Ultimate Calisthenics Exercise List I Wish I Had (Beginner to Advanced)

Is Handstand Pushup Good For Bicep Calisthenics Workout?

The handstand push-up primarily targets the shoulders and triceps, but it can indirectly help your bicep calisthenics workout as it requires total upper body strength and control.

Can Calisthenics Target Your Biceps And Triceps Effectively As Compared To Weightlifting?

Although weightlifting allows for isolated targeting of muscle groups, calisthenics can also provide a comprehensive workout for your biceps and triceps. 

What Are Some Of The Best Calisthenics Bicep Exercises That Also Benefit The Forearms?

Pull-ups, push-ups, and chin-ups are some of the best calisthenics bicep exercises that significantly benefit your forearms because they require significant grip strength.

Including these exercises in your routine can help develop your biceps and forearms together.

Conclusion

This article outlined the most effective calisthenics exercises for sculpting bigger, stronger biceps without weights.

Chin-ups, inverted rows, commando pull-ups, and even creative variations like headbangers or single arm negatives all work the biceps and induce muscle hypertrophy (bigger biceps).

Working your core muscles will also help you with other exercises, including the exercises you need to do to grow your biceps. Before you go, have a look at this article: The Best Bodyweight Calisthenics Abs Workout: A Comprehensive List For A Killer Core.