Can Pull Ups Get Your Biceps Bigger?

Pullups work your back, the back of your shoulders, your grip and your biceps. The type of pullup you perform will affect the development of your biceps, as well as the range of motion. Pullups, done properly, work your biceps through a large range of motion and focus a great deal of stress on your biceps. Consult a health care practitioner before beginning any strength-training program.

Biceps

Your biceps, or biceps brachii, are muscles located on your upper arms which are primarily responsible for flexing your elbow. Every time you bend your arm up, bringing your forearm closer to your upper arm, you are using your biceps. Your biceps also function to rotate your hand outward, so every time you turn your hand so your palm faces up, you are using your biceps.

Pullups

Pullups primarily work your latissimus dorsi, or the widest muscles of your back. These are the largest muscles of your upper body, and they pull your upper arm back and down, either from overhead or directly in front of you. Rowing exercises also work these muscles. The back of your shoulder muscle, or posterior deltoids, work to stabilize your shoulder and assist in bringing your arm back and down from overhead. You work your grip by simply hanging onto the bar.

Pullups and Biceps

Your biceps function during any type of pullup or chinup. From a fully-extended position, your biceps muscles contract heavily to bend your arm, placing it under direct strain during a pullup. This allows you to train your biceps through a large range of motion, but the type of pullup plays a role. Gripping the bar with your palms facing away does not work your biceps as much as a palms-up grip, according to a 2010 study published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research."

Optimal Training

There is no optimal number of sets and repetitions of pullups you should perform to train your biceps. Train with good form through a full range of motion, and never bounce or kick your way out of the bottom. If you get to the point where you can perform more than 20 pullups, you may wish to add weight. You can do this by holding a dumbbell between your feet, attaching a weight plate to your belt or wearing a weighted vest.