Just because you train at home and don’t have access to all the fancy machines at the gym it doesn’t mean you can’t get the results you want when it comes to building solid muscle mass and getting in great shape and getting a good bicep workout is no exception. The arms are the first part of the body people look at when trying to decide if someone is in good shape or not and the arms can be a great indicator of whether someone has a great physique under their clothes or are just a flabby wreck with a fat back!

Let your Arms do the Talking

If you want people to instantly be able to tell that you have a fit, toned and healthy looking body under those clothes then you need to enhance your arms to let them know you mean business. The arms are made up of two main muscles groups which are of course the biceps and the triceps. Most people refer to arms size in terms of the development of the biceps but it is actually the triceps which is the bigger muscle group and therefore they are just as important when it comes to increasing the size of your arms. So while this article is focussed on getting a great home bicep workout don’t forget to give your triceps an equal amount of attention when you are training.

Home Bicep Workout with Minimal Equipment

If you are training at home when you can’t make it to the gym or are doing all your workouts at home and don’t have a gym membership then there is some equipment we really recommend you should have. You don’t to go out and buy a power rack or anything like that but some weights are needed as body weight exercises at home can only get you so far.

So whether you have opted for kettlebells or dumbbells it doesn’t really matter as both can be used to perform a myriad of exercises that can work out the whole body and are especially great for bicep exercises to boost your arm size.

If you really want to go to town on your arms and get them pumped up then we recommend you devote a whole day to training just your arms and really burn those bicep muscles. We don’t recommend you do this over a long period of time but one day a week for a few months can really help jump start the development of your biceps or shock complacent muscles out of their slumber.

So here is our home bicep workout to give your arms a pre-summer boost to let people know exactly what you are packing under that t-shirt.

Rep Range: if you are training for size (hypertrophy) then we suggest you stick to a rep range between eight and 12. Strength trainers tend to do three reps for set and the five or six mark is good for a combination of both strength and size but for this workout we are looking to build muscle mass so around the 10 mark is best and 12 if you can manage it.

Number of Sets: we advocate one warm up set using your chosen rep range with a light weight and then three full sets using a weight that you can just about finish the last rep with. If you can’t make that last rep of each set then the weight is too heavy and if you feel you could do another few reps then the weight it too light.

Speed: doing the movements correctly is more important than how much weight you lift. You might want to show off to your friends at the gym or at home with how much you can lift but correct form is much more important. You need to decide what your priorities are: looking strong at the gym or building decent muscle mass by training correctly.  The speed you perform the reps at should be slow and controlled. If you need to jerk the weight or use its momentum to finish a rep then the weight is too heavy. Try using the 2-1-2 method which is a two second movement as you lower the weight with a one second pause and then a two second moment as your raise the weight. This really gives you that burn and ensures you are using your muscles rather than the movement of the weight or gravity to help you out.

Ok, let’s start with the workout:

Standing Bicep Curl: this is a classic bicep exercise and the one we will be starting with. It can be performed with a dumbbell or a kettlebell or pretty much any heavy object so is great for the home trainer with little to no equipment.

• Stand with the weight in one hand an position your feet so they are shoulder width apart
• Bend your knees ever so slightly and keep your back straight
• The starting position is with your arm by your side with your palm facing outwards
• Keeping your elbow close to your body and your upper arm still lift the weight from the elbow
• Keep your palm facing out as you raise your arm
• When your arm is fully bent at the elbow your palm should now be facing your body
• Keep your bicep tensed and hold this position for one second
• Slowly lower your arm until it reaches the starting position
• You have just completed one rep of this bicep exercise

Keeping going for 11 more and then change arms.  As mentioned earlier this is a tried and tested exercise and should be at the core of all good bicep workouts.

Hammer Curls: similar to the standard curl but work the bicep from a different angle.

Use the same weight as before whether that is a dumbbell or a kettlebell and get in the same starting position only this time hold the weight like you would a hammer with your palms facing inwards. Complete the reps as above and don’t forget to follow the 2-1-2 method for a slow burn!

These are just a couple of the great bicep exercises you can do as part of your home workout or even at the gym. If you want to start training your arm muscles at home have a look at our article on adjustable dumbbells to see if they meet your requirements.