If you'd like bulging biceps but don't have access to a fitness center, free weights, home gym or dumbbells, you can still build arm muscle size and strength using alternative methods. Body weight exercises and resistance bands provide the resistance necessary to create hypertrophy, or muscle building through resistance stress. You can create and use a regular workout routine in the privacy of your home without any weights or special equipment.
Step 1
Begin your workout with a warm up. Coordinating muscular and cardio functions helps produce better muscle contractions, according to UK Athletics national coach Brian Mac. Use arm swings, jumping jacks, punches and other arm movements to stretch, warm and increase blood flow to your muscles.
Step 2
Perform body weight exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups and chair dips. Perform repetitions of each exercise to fatigue, repeating the exercises in three to four sets per workout. Vary your hand placement during each exercise to use your muscles differently.
Step 3
Work out with resistance bands. Use enough resistance so that you are at or near your maximum ability to move the cords. You may fatigue after only three to five reps. Perform biceps curls, triceps extensions, triceps kickbacks, flyes, arm raises and chest presses. Repeat each set five times.
Step 4
Perform all three types of muscle contractions. When you contract your muscles, such as the uplift during a biceps curl or chin-up, or the downward movement during a push-up or chair dip, you use concentric muscle contractions. When you lengthen a muscle, such as when you lower your arm during a biceps curl or raise yourself during a push-up, you use eccentric muscle contractions. Holding your muscle still while it's being resisted creates an isometric contraction.
Step 5
Perform all contractions using your muscles, not gravity or your body's weight. For example, after you lift the weight during a biceps curl, don't let the weight drop down--manually lower it with your muscles to take advantage of the contraction. After you reach the bar during a chin-up, don't let your body drop--lower yourself using your arms.
Step 6
Rest between workouts to let your damaged muscles repair, recover and grow larger. Take at least 24 hours between workouts. If you are working on the your lower body and core, as well, alternate areas on different days to rest the area you've just worked.
Step 7
Cool down and stretch after each workout. Use your warm-up exercises. Cooling down helps prevent blood from pooling in joints and later muscle soreness, while stretching improves flexibility, according to Mac.
Things You'll Need
- Resistance bands
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