What makes a hunk a hunk? Well, I normally walk like a winner, my middle name is confidence,
and, let’s admit it, big biceps are definitely important. If you look at yours and think
“I’ve got confidence, I guess” – no worries. Here’s a set of exercises that
can help you bulk up your biceps as you work out at home!
Anyone who wants to have bulky arms must not only treat the biceps well, but also show
the triceps some love. Your triceps muscles have three heads: the long head, the lateral
head and the medial head. When your triceps muscles are too tight, it limits your strength,
power and mobility. As you exercise, you should give all those muscles a good stretch. So
let’s start with that.
Diamond push-up
Any pushup is good for your triceps, but the diamond close-grip pushup variation is particularly
challenging and effective.
Start by putting your hands on the mat under your chest just like in any pushup exercise.
One major difference here is that you have to put your hands in a diamond shape. For
that, spread your fingers and touch your thumbs and index fingers. With some imagination,
it should look like a diamond between your hands. As for your legs, you can either keep
them straight in a plank to make things harder, or keep your knees on the floor to make it
somewhat easier. Keep your back flat, your hips up, and your arms tucked in close to
the sides as you lower your body to the floor. The goal is to touch the floor with your chin
or chest. It sounds hard, but you’ll get there with practice. Once you get down, press
back up with your hands to repeat the exercise. Do a total of 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions
and a 45-second rest between sets.
This exercise helps you naturally extend your arms while straightening your elbows. When
you keep your elbows to the sides, you make your triceps muscles the primary movers instead
of your shoulders and chest.
Kickbacks
If you managed diamond push-ups, kickbacks are going to seem like a piece of cake. Even
though they’re easier, they also work all three heads of the triceps.
Start by setting your right foot on a step or a platform, and rest your right forearm
on the thigh. This will help you support your back. Take a weight with your left hand and
pull the elbow up. Stop at torso level and extend the arm behind you. This is when you’ll
feel the triceps contractions. Put your forearm down at 90 degrees. One set of this exercise
consists of 12 repetitions, and you should do 1 to 3 sets for an effective workout. It’s
important that you keep the upper arm immobile during the exercise to get the full effect
of the extension. If it seems too hard not to strain your elbow, try a lighter weight.
Chair dips Chair dips are an easier alternative to the
regular dips you do at the gym. As you can see from the name, all the equipment you need
for these is a chair. Dips let you work out targeted muscle groups, and as you lean on
the chair, you put all the tension on the arms.
Sit on a chair with your hands outside of the hips. Lift your body using your hand power,
and then lower down, bending the elbows until they’re at 90 degrees. Your elbows should
point behind you and your shoulders should be down, away from your ears. You can either
bend your knees to make things easier or extend them out for more of a challenge. It’s important
that you keep your hips close to the chair so you don’t strain your shoulders. Do 12
repetitions and 1 to 3 sets depending on how you feel. If your shoulders start aching,
stop immediately.
Close grip bench press The close grip bench press is a pretty unique
exercise because it helps you build both muscle bulk and strength at the same time.
Take a barbell and lie down on a bench or step holding it with your hands shoulder-width
apart. Bend the elbows and hold the barbell over the ribcage. Your goal is to press the
barbell straight up, feeling the triceps contractions. After 12 repetitions, take a rest for 45 seconds,
then do 2 more sets. It’s important to give yourself a good break
between exercises when you’re trying to increase muscular strength. But as you’re
working to increase arm size, don’t rest too much. An interval of 45 seconds is what
you need to drive more blood into your muscles. Okay now, enough for your triceps, let’s
give your biceps some attention. These muscles have two heads, one short and one long. The
long head is more on the outside and the short head is located on the inside. To make your
arms bulkier, you gotta figure out which of the heads is more developed in your case and
work on improving the other one. Another muscle you shouldn’t ignore is the brachialis.
You can find it under the long head of the biceps, and when you give it some attention,
it can push up the biceps and make your arm look wider. Here are some exercises that target
both the biceps and the brachialis.
Inverted row
You can do this exercise pretty much anywhere, all you need is something to grab onto. Lie
flat on the ground, and get a grip on a sturdy chair, a coffee table, or some other object
within your reach. As you grab onto its edge with your hands, try to lift the upper part
of your body off the ground. Hold on like that for a few seconds and then lower back
to the floor. Since you aren’t using weights for this exercise, make it effective with
multiple repetitions. If you’re doing everything correctly, you’ll feel your biceps working.
Do 3 sets of 12 repetitions or more, if you can, with short breaks in between.
Arm rotations
This might sound too simple and basically useless, but that’s wrong! Making circles
with your arms, first small, then bigger every time, is a good way to build your biceps,
triceps, and shoulders. Just like with the inverted row, the secret here is repetition.
You’ll start feeling some serious strain in your muscles after two to three minutes
of making circles in each direction. And, if you want to make things even harder, add
a resistance band! Towel bicep curls
As the name suggests, you’ll need a towel for this exercise, and also a heavy bag, so
you can do it at home, work, or in a hotel room while traveling. Get a towel and slip
it through the top of your bag or backpack. Grab it with your hands on both ends and lift
it. When you get to the top, rotate your arms away from the body and hold it like that for
a couple seconds. Stuff your bag or backpack with something heavy for extra resistance.
Concentration Curls with a Jug
Most biceps exercises involve lifting weights. However, if you don’t have any dumbbells
at home, no worries! You can use canned goods, bags of rice, water bottles or heavy books
for weights. 100-ounce (3 litres) laundry detergent jugs have handles and secure lids
so that might be your best bet.
So, get yourself a jug and sit on a chair or sofa. Set your feet apart. The fact that
you’re sitting down during this exercise means you’re putting all the pressure on
your biceps muscle, and that’s just what you need, right? So, hold the jug in your
right hand, and touch the inside of your right thigh with your right elbow. Keep your arm
and wrist straight as they’re facing downward. When it’s all set, start lifting the jug
from your ankle level and up to your chest while exhaling. Once you lift the jug, hold
it like that for a few seconds to flex the biceps and then let it down and exhale. Meanwhile,
your left hand can rest on your left knee. Switch hands after 8 to 12 repetitions and
perform three sets with each hand. It’s important that only your forearm is moving
during this exercise, and the rest of your body stays still so that all the strain goes
righto your biceps. And because this exercise gives your muscles a really hard time, it’s
a great one to finish the workout with.
Do you know any other effective biceps and triceps exercises? Let me know down in the
comments! If you learned something new today, then give this video a like and share it with
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