Advocates of home and minimalist workouts often say that exercises like push-ups and air squats are all you need to do to get in shape. And while those simple movements are very effective, they’re also very limiting.
For starters, none of them work your biceps!
When it comes to building bigger, more muscular arms, curls are the king, and no self-respecting bodybuilder wants to skip their biceps workout.
That begs the question: how do you train your biceps when you don’t have access to weights or machines?
The good news is that there are actually numerous ways to work your biceps, even if some of them require a little out-of-the-box thinking!
In this article, we reveal the best biceps exercises without weights and equipment.
13 Top Biceps Exercises Without Weights or Equipment
No gym? No problem! Use these exercises to build your biceps at home, on vacation, or any other time that you don’t have access to traditional weights or training equipment.
1. Chin-ups
No, you haven’t accidentally stumbled onto an article about back training! While chin-ups ARE a great lat exercise, they’re also a very effective biceps exercise.
When you do pull-ups, you curl your chin up to an overhead beam or bar instead of curling a barbell or dumbbells up to your chin. So, if you can find somewhere suitable to hang from, the chin-up is an excellent home biceps exercise.
How to do it:
- Hold an overhead bar or beam with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. You could also hang from a tree branch, a playground climbing frame, or a ladder leaning against a wall.
- Without swinging or kicking with your legs, bend your arms and pull your chin up and over the bar.
- Lower yourself down smoothly and slowly, and repeat.
2. Underhand inverted rows
Not quite strong enough to do chin-ups? Or maybe you want to do a higher rep workout? Either way, you can work your biceps by doing underhand inverted rows. Also known as Australian pull-ups, this is another back exercise that also gives your biceps a great workout.
How to do it:
- Find yourself a waist-high barrier. Alternatively, you can do this exercise between two tall-backed chairs using a strong broomstick for your handle.
- Sit below the barrier and hold it with an underhand, shoulder-width grip.
- Lean back, straighten your arms, and lift your hips off the floor, so your weight is supported by your hands and feet only.
- Keeping your body straight, bend your arms and pull your chest up to the bar.
- Extend your arms and repeat.
- Make this exercise harder by raising the level of your feet or easier by raising your hands or bending your knees.
3. Resistance band curls
A set of resistance bands is all you need to train your entire body without weights. Resistance bands are light, portable, and cheap. They’re ideal for home use and perfect for traveling, too.
Resistance band exercises are also very joint-friendly, as there is no initial inertia to overcome at the start of each rep. Instead, the tension comes on gradually. Resistance band curls are a very effective biceps exercise that you can do anywhere and anytime.
How to do it:
- Stand on the center of your resistance band and hold one end in each hand. The wider your feet, the shorter the band will be, and the more tension on your biceps. Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your abs.
- Bend your elbows and curl your hands up to your shoulders.
- Extend your arms and repeat.
4. Suspension trainer curls
There are very few strength training exercises that you can’t replicate with a suspension trainer, such as a TRX or similar. For example, you can use a suspension trainer to mimic freeweight and machine exercises and add an extra dimension to bodyweight training, too. Suspension curls feel a lot like cable preacher curls and are a very effective bodyweight biceps exercise.
How to do it:
- Attach your suspension trainer to a high anchor point and take a handle in each hand. Then, lean back and extend your arms. This is your starting position.
- Keeping your body straight, bend your arms and curl your body forward and your chin up to your hands.
- Straighten your arms and repeat. The longer the straps and the more you lean back, the harder this exercise becomes.
5. Suitcase/backpack curls
Are you going on vacation? Maybe traveling for work? Then the chances are that you’ll have a suitcase or backpack for your clothes, etc. You can use your luggage as a make-shift barbell for biceps training.
How to do it:
- Pack your bag with a few of your belongings and hold it as best you can in front of you. Brace your abs and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Bend your elbows and curl the weight up to your shoulders.
- Lower it and repeat.
6. Shopping bag curls
Dumbbells are perfect for biceps training but don’t worry if you don’t have any, as you can do dumbbell-type curls with a shopping bag. The handles are ideal for unilateral training so that you can work one arm at a time.
How to do it:
- Load a strong shopping bag with canned food, books, water bottles, etc.
- Hold the handle with an underhand grip and stand up straight, arm by your side.
- Bend your elbow and curl the weight up to your shoulder.
- Extend your arms, lower the bag, and repeat.
- You can also do this exercise with both arms at the same time, i.e., a bag in each hand.
7. Isometric towel curls
Most biceps exercises involve movement of the elbow joint. This one is different because your muscles will be working isometrically or statically. That means your muscles produce force but no movement. Surprisingly, isometric exercises are good for building muscle size and strength and are very joint-friendly. Plus, all you need to do them is a long towel.
How to do it:
- Kneel on the middle of your towel with your knees together. Hold one end of the towel in each hand.
- Bend your elbows and attempt to curl your hands upward. Of course, they won’t move. Still, you should try as hard as you can to bend your arms.
- Keep flexing until your biceps begin to fatigue. The harder you contract your arms, the sooner you’ll need to stop.
- Do not hold your breath during this exercise, as doing so may elevate your blood pressure.
8. Dynamic tension curls
Dynamic tension is a form of training popularized by old-school strongman Charles Atlas that was also used by martial arts legend Bruce Lee. Dynamic tension is a form of isometrics but, unlike that method, is not completely stationary and involves slow, deliberate movements.
How to do it:
- Stand With your arms by your sides. Clench your fists and contract your biceps as hard as you can.
- Keeping your muscles tense, bend your elbows and curl your empty hands up to your shoulders. Imagine you are trying to lift a heavy weight and tense your muscles as hard as possible.
- Keeping your muscles tense, extend your arms and repeat.
- As with isometric curls, take care not to hold your breath, as doing so could elevate your blood pressure.
9. Self-resisted curls
With this exercise, you are going to use the triceps of one arm to overload the biceps of the other. That means, once you’ve done both sides, you’ll have worked your biceps and your triceps in just a few minutes.
How to do it:
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With your left arm by your side, reach across your body with your right arm and clasp your hands together.
- Pushing down with your right arm, bend your left elbow and curl your hands up toward your shoulder.
- Use your right arm to push your left hand back down and repeat.
- Swap sides to work the biceps of your opposite arm.
10. Water jug curls
Water is pretty heavy stuff, and one pint weighs about a pound. You can use a water jug as a make-shift weight for biceps curls and should have no problem adjusting the load to match your current level of strength. Water jugs with handles are perfect for biceps training. But, if you don’t have that type, you may need to find an alternative way to hold your jug, e.g., in both hands.
How to do it:
- Hold your water jug by its handle, arm down by your side. Brace your abs and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Bend your elbow and curl your hand up toward your shoulder.
- Extend your arm, lower the water jug, and repeat.
- You can also do this exercise with two water jugs and train both arms simultaneously.
11. Rock curls
Stone lifting is a traditional form of strength training that often features in strongman competitions. It has a long and storied history, and many countries have famous lifting stones, some of which are centuries old.
If you’ve got access to a rock, stone, or even some bricks, you’ve got the perfect tool for training your biceps. Just watch your toes!
How to do it:
- Hold your rock in both hands, preferably with the weight distributed evenly between both hands. Stand with your feet apart and your shoulders down and back. Brace your abs.
- Bend your elbows and curl the rock up to your shoulders, taking care not to let it fall against your chest.
- Extend your arms and repeat.
12. Log curls
A lot of gyms have thick or fat grip barbells. Thicker than the average barbell, these bars are perfect for biceps training. They’re also helpful for building a stronger grip and more muscular forearms. You can use a thick tree branch or log for the same purpose. Look out for splinters, though, as getting one in your hand or under a nail can be VERY painful.
How to do it:
- Pick up and hold your log with an underhand grip. You may not be able to fully grasp it, particularly if it’s very thick. Just get the best grip you can.
- Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Brace your abs and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Bend your arms and curl the log up to your shoulders, taking care not to let it roll out of your hands.
- Lower it and repeat.
13. Paint pot/bucket curls
Paint pots and buckets with handles are great substitutes for dumbbells. The handles can be a little thin, which could make for an uncomfortable grip, so place a sponge or folded washcloth between your hand and the handle for comfort. Alternatively, wear a pair of work gloves to protect your hands.
How to do it:
- Using one or two pain pots or buckets, hold the handle with an underhand grip and stand with your arms by your sides. Brace your abs and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Bend your arm(s) and curl the weights up to your shoulders.
- Extend your arms, lower the weights back down, and repeat.
Tips for Building Your Biceps Without Weights or Equipment
Get more from your biceps workouts with these tried and tested training tips!
1. Be consistent
One workout a month won’t do much for the size of your biceps. Instead, train your arms a couple of times a week on non-consecutive days, e.g., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, or Monday and Thursday. Choose 2-3 exercises and do a couple of sets of each.
The more workouts you miss, the slower your progress will be!
2. Make your workouts progressive
You are only as strong as your last workout, and if you want to build strength and muscle, your workouts need to get progressively more demanding. You can lift more weight, do more reps, take shorter rests between sets, do more sets, or more exercises to keep challenging your muscles to grow.
Doing the same workout with the same exercises, sets, reps, and rests will bring your progress to a shuddering halt. Progressive workouts are essential!
3. Train to failure – or close to it
Training without weights or equipment means you may struggle to overload your muscles enough to trigger growth. Get around this problem by repping out to failure or very close to it. That means you do as many reps as it takes to fatigue your muscles fully.
Stopping your set before your muscles are tired will make your workouts less productive, so do as many reps as you can, be that 5, 15, or 50!
4. Don’t forget your triceps
As crucial as biceps training is, you must not neglect your triceps. The triceps are the most prominent upper arm muscle, so if you want “big guns,” you need to train your biceps and triceps pretty evenly.
Good low-tech bodyweight triceps exercises include:
So, for every biceps exercise you do, make sure you do one for your triceps, too.
5. Eat well for better gains
While it’s beyond the scope of this article to give you a muscle-building diet to follow, it’s important to stress that if you want to build bigger, more muscular arms, you need to eat right.
Intense training takes a lot out of you, and for muscle repair and growth to happen, you need to provide your body with the energy and nutrients it needs.
Make sure your diet supports and doesn’t hinder muscle growth by:
- Consuming one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight
- Eating healthy carbs for energy
- Consuming lots of nutritious vegetables
- Eating adequate healthy fats for hormone production and balance
- Drinking sufficient water – at least half a gallon
- Avoiding too much junk food
- Cutting down on sugar and refined sugars
Related: The 21 Best Bodyweight Exercises for Muscle Size and Strength
Wrapping Up
While there is no denying that weights and equipment can add a lot to your biceps workouts, the truth is that you can build great-looking arms without them. There are bodyweight biceps exercises to beef up your arms and numerous everyday objects that you can use instead of weights or equipment.
Ultimately, your muscles cannot differentiate between a state-of-the-art biceps curl machine and lifting a heavy rock; they only know work and tension. So long as you push yourself and train with intensity, your muscles will respond by growing and getting stronger.
Use the exercises in this article to build arms you can be proud of, even if you don’t have access to weights or workout equipment.
