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Being a hardcore calisthenics junkie. I sometimes get asked how to create an effective calisthenics bicep workout that gets the same (if not better) results than repeatedly hitting the iron.
And while I’m more than willing to dive deep into the specifics of how to do this, let me just start by saying that I’m not a personal trainer.
In fact, I’m just a regular guy who (over the years) has done a lot of experimentation with calisthenics.
However, it’s safe to say that in this time, I’ve learned a thing or two about what does and doesn’t work when it comes to building the blazing guns more commonly known as the biceps.
Now, I’m not gonna lie and tell you that you can build arms like Schwarzenegger using only calisthenics.
That would be like telling you that ice cream and pizza is good for you.
But what I can promise is that if you both read and implement what I’m about to reveal, then you’ll be well on your way to carving out a decent set of biceps sooner rather than later.
So sit down, grab a pen, and start taking notes until your eyeballs bleed.
Because today, I’m bringing the thunder…
WATCH VIDEO: How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity
(Video Will Open In A New Window)
Table of Contents
The Basics Of Working Your Biceps With Calisthenics
So to target your biceps, there are only two calisthenics exercises you need to be concerned with…
- Pullups/Chinups
- Inverted Rows
There are a few other ways you can get a little bicep stimulation (which I’ll talk about a little later), but for now, I want to focus purely on these two moves.
Anyway…
If you don’t already know, a pullup is a vertical pulling exercise that primarily targets the back and biceps.
However, the inverted row (while still targeting the same muscles) is performed from a horizontal position.
Here’s the thing though…
Even though both of these exercises target the biceps. There are actually multiple ways you can further increase the demand for these muscles.
One of these ways is to simply change your grip.
Take the pullup, for example…
Now, a regular pullup is usually performed by grabbing the bar with your palms facing forward, and your hand’s roughly shoulder-width apart.
But to specifically target your biceps, it’s actually more beneficial to perform a close grip chinup with your palms facing towards you and your hands close together.
Like this…
Don’t get me wrong, the wide pullups are still great at targeting specific areas of the bicep. And they’re also essential for giving your back that wide V-tapered look.
But when it comes to hitting the peak of the bicep and really making it pop. The close grip chinup will always reign supreme.
So if you only remember one thing from this post, let it be this…
Keep your grip close and your palms facing towards you, and you won’t go too far wrong.
How To Up The Intensity Of Your Bicep Workout
As you continue to progress, you’ll eventually get to a point where you can smash out at least 12-15 solid reps of both close grip chinups and inverted rows.
However, the problem is that when people hit this limit, they usually can’t figure out what to do next to continue seeing progress.
With weight training, it’s pretty straightforward because the only thing you have to do is add weight to the bar.
But when it comes to calisthenics, you’ll need to start thinking outside the box if you want to continue to get stronger.
There are two ways you can do this…
Weighted Calisthenics
Firstly, you could simply add weighted calisthenics into your routine.
Obviously, you’ll need a few training tools like a weighted vest and a dip belt. But I can tell you from personal experience that adding weight to your body is one of the best ways to increase total body strength.
Why?
Because not only does it increase the load on your target muscles. It also requires massive amounts of core strength and stability to pull it off successfully.
In fact, I put together a blog post a while back, revealing how I managed to significantly increase my upper body strength using weighted calisthenics.
If this is something you’d be interested in, here’s the link to take a quick look:
Related Post: Weighted Calisthenics – My 6 Week Journey To Getting Semi Jacked
Using Leverage And Weight Distribution
The other way you can increase the loading on your biceps is to use leverage.
And when I say leverage, I’m specifically talking about positioning your body in a way that places more stress on a specific muscle.
See, working your body this way is what allows you to learn advanced calisthenics skills like the front lever, muscle-up, and even the one-arm pullup. If you dare to dream big.
But other than this, it’s also a great way to strengthen your joints and ligaments.
Provided you don’t push yourself to quickly, that is.
To give you an example of how this works, I’ll again refer back to the pullup bar.
So, imagine you were to grab the bar as if you were about to perform a close grip chinup.
Only now, you’re going to squeeze the bar tightly with your left hand, while slightly easing up your grip with the right.
Like this…
When you do, you’ll notice a portion of your weight distributes itself over to the left side of your body.
Now, the great thing about this is that you can play around with the loading on each arm.
You can start slow, for instance, placing around 60% of your weight on your left-hand side.
But as you get stronger, you can up the ante to 70%, 80%, even 90% of your total weight on one particular side.
Then it’s merely a case of performing a set of close grip chinups with the majority of your weight on one bicep.
It sounds stupidly simple, I know, and it’s easier said than done. But this is another great way to develop ridiculously strong biceps without having to add any weight.
And just to add to this, it works equally as well with inverted rows.
WATCH VIDEO: How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity
(Video Will Open In A New Window)
Advanced Calisthenics Exercises That Target Your Biceps
Pseudo Pushups
If you don’t know what a pseudo pushup is. It’s basically an advanced pushups variation where your hands are positioned further towards your waist.
It’s a progression that helps towards learning the planche and isn’t something that you should take lightly.
Especially if you’re a beginners
Anyway, here’s what it looks like…
Now, even though this exercise is heavily reliant on the shoulder. There’s actually a very clever way to work your biceps by making one small change to this move.
All you have to do is change your hand position so that your fingers are pointing toward your feet, and the pits of your elbows are facing forward.
This changes the bulk of your weight from your triceps, directly over to your biceps, making it a kick-ass way to specifically train this muscle.
I won’t lie, this pushup variation isn’t for newbies. So if your pushing strength isn’t where it needs to be, then it’s something you’ll need to work up to.
But if you’ve got the strength to execute this exercise with damn near perfect form. Then I recommend making it a regular part of your workout.
Pelican Pushups
I’ll be honest, I never even heard of the pelican pushup until recently. And the first time I attempted it (unsuccessfully I might add), I nearly burst a blood vessel.
It’s an advanced version of ring flyes that targets your biceps rather than your chest.
It does this by increasing the range of motion until your chest is lower than your hands. And then followed up by flexing your arms to utilize the bicep muscles rather than the chest.
Sounds complicated, I know, but this video should make it a little clearer…
Again, this is a very advanced calisthenics exercise, so you should proceed with extreme caution if you decide to take on this beast of a move.
Headbanger Pullup
The headbanger pullup is another heavy-duty bicep blaster that should be treated with respect.
Basically, it involves holding your chin above the bar and then moving backward by extending your arms.
Here’s what it looks like for your viewing pleasure…
If you pay close attention to the video, you’ll quickly notice how the legs kick up as the arms extend.
This is to counterbalance his bodyweight and make sure he doesn’t overload specific muscles.
Now, if you do decide to take this one on, I highly recommend you’re able to perform at least 10 strict pullups before giving it a go.
I’d also recommend starting slow and using a very small range of motion until you’ve built up the strength to further extend your arms.
Trust me, this isn’t an exercise that’s mastered in a few days. It can take weeks or even months of consistent training before you get anywhere near the level you want.
Taking Your Calisthenics Bicep Workout To The Next Level
Depending on how you like to structure your workouts, there are a few ways you can go about setting up your routine.
You could opt for a full-body workout (Hammer every single muscle group in one go)…
…Perform a push-pull split routine (Alternating pushing days with pulling days)
Or you could even do a training split that targets specific muscle groups every session. (For instance, chest and triceps, back and biceps, legs and abs, etc…)
Now, I’m personally a big fan of full-body workouts because I like to maintain a little flexibility.
And performing workouts like a body part split or push and pull session kind of makes me feel bound to a weekly workout schedule. Which I’d rather not have to deal with.
But since you’re looking for a workout that specifically targets the biceps. This is something I think you’ll find massively helpful for building the ultimate calisthenics body.
It’s called Bar Brothers The System
And it’s by far, one of the best calisthenics training programs I’ve used in recent years for getting results.
Now, I’m not gonna lie and tell you that this program is easy. Because if it was, most people would already have the body of a finely tuned athlete.
But what I will say is this…
If you listen, learn, and, more importantly, implement what’s taught in this one of a kind program. Then I predict you’ll be well on your way to building the strength and size you’ve been looking for sooner rather than later.
Anyway, the video below will do a better job of explaining what the program involves. So if you want in, go ahead and hit the video link below…
WATCH VIDEO: How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity
(Video Will Open In A New Window)
Oh, and one last thing…
To sweeten the deal, and make this offer a complete no brainer, I’ll also personally throw in over $100 worth of extra training material if you buy the program via any of the links on this page.
This includes…
- HIIT To Fit
- Functional Strength
- And Kettlebell Transformation
Here’s what each one looks like…
As you can see, each one of these eBooks sells for between $27-$47.
But there you’re free when you Join The Bar Brothers Program.
If you want them, all you have to do is send me proof (screenshot, receipt, etc…) that you brought the program via the contact form on my website…
…Or, by emailing me directly at Dan@Un-Ripped.Com
And I’ll send all three eBooks to your email address within the next 48 hours.
Anyway, if you have anything to add about what you’ve just read. Or you have a few of your own bicep exercises that haven’t been mentioned. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below…
