5 Biceps Exercises that DON'T include weights

If you're at the gym, chances are you're going to be doing some sort of biceps exercises. You might be curling, doing reverse curls, or even doing a few different types of curls.

However, what about when it's time for that last-minute arm pump? Well, we have some good news: You don't have to use weights at all. Check out the following biceps exercises that don't involve any weight — and they will still get those arms looking great in no time flat.

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Best Bicep Exercises without Weights

Here's a look at five such exercises:

#1 Negative chin-up

Negative chin-ups are a great exercise for the biceps, but they require a bit of technique. Here’s what you need to know:

• Grab the bar with an overhand grip, and hang from it with arms completely straight.
• Pull yourself up till your chin clears the bar, and lower back down extremely slowly till you can’t go any further without bending at your elbows (this is called 'going past parallel').
• Repeat for reps; when performing negatives; each rep counts as one count downward.

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#2 Chin-up

Chin-ups and pull-ups are two similar exercises that work the biceps. The main difference between them is where the palms are placed: chin-ups have palms facing towards you, while pull-ups have palms facing away from.

Both variations can be done with an underhand or overhand grip. However, if you want to do a true chin-up (meaning the bar is at chest level), it has to be done with an underhand grip so that your hands meet in front of you.

The chin-up is performed using an underhand grip (palms facing you) and pulling yourself up till the bar comes to chest level. A variation of this exercise is called a close grip chin-up, which involves holding onto the bar with both hands less than shoulder width apart and using an overhand grip (palms facing away from you).

This exercise can be done with bodyweight or added weight once you've mastered it without any added load. If you have trouble doing either that without weights, try scaling back to inverted rows — just make sure to keep your elbows flared out instead of touching them together.

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#3 Inverted row

The inverted row works the upper back, biceps, and core. It can be done at home or in any gym with a bar.

To dothis exercise:

• Grab a barbell with an overhand grip (palms facing you) or underhand grip (palms facing away from you).
• Place yourself under the bar, and lean back.
• Keeping your body straight, pull yourself up till your chest touches the bar.
• Pause for two seconds at the top of each rep before slowly lowering yourself back down under control till your arms are straight again.

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#4 Pull-up

Pull-ups are a great exercise to do, whether you're looking to build strength or just get in better shape. They can be performed with a bar or rope using an assisted pull-up machine or with a resistance band.

When doing pull-ups with a bar, take hold of the bar with a wide overhand grip, and lift yourself up till your chin passes over it, and lower yourself back down again.

Make sure that your shoulders remain above your hands at all times so that they don't get torn off by gravity. The key here is to keep practicing tillyou can do ten reps easily before moving on to the next exercise.

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#5 Towel curl

The towel curl is a great workout for beginners, as it's easy to do but also challenging enough to keep you from getting bored.

To dothe towel curl:

• Hold a towel in each hand, and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Curl your arms up by bending at the elbow till they're fully contracted, and slowly lower them back down to full extension.
• Repeat till or just before failure (if you can still maintain proper form).

That can be done with either dumbbells or barbells, if desired, although we recommend using an EZ bar because of its comfortability while performing the movement.

You can also do this move on all fours with knees bent and feet placed flat on the floor, if needed.

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Takeaway

If you’re looking for biceps workouts that don’t require weights, there are plenty of ways to get the job done. Many of them will also help strengthen your back and shoulders, which can be beneficial for overall strength and stability. So start adding some of them into your workout routine.