Arm Workout Without Weights: Biceps and Triceps Circuit
Summary
Jeff Cavaliere of ATHLEAN-X demonstrates a bodyweight arm circuit targeting both biceps and triceps without any traditional gym equipment. The workout leverages isometric holds and eccentric overload to create the muscle-damaging stimulus needed for growth. The circuit uses a pullup bar and a low horizontal bar (or household substitute) to apply significant resistance through bodyweight alone.
Key Points
- Bodyweight can outload what you’d typically curl — your full body mass applied correctly creates more resistance than most people lift with dumbbells
- Eccentric overload is the key mechanism — as muscles lengthen under load during isometric holds, the resulting micro-damage drives muscle hypertrophy
- The workout is structured as a descending ladder: 45 seconds → 30 seconds → 20 seconds at each station, alternating between two positions per muscle group
- Both the stretched and contracted positions are trained — critical for full muscle fiber recruitment across the range of motion
- The longhead of the tricep is specifically targeted by training in the elongated position, which is often undertrained in standard pressing movements
- No gym required — a broomstick across two chairs or the underside of a counter can substitute for a low bar
- The circuit covers both arms completely — biceps and triceps are each hit with two distinct exercises using the same structural approach
Exercise Details
1. Static Chin Curl (Isometric Bicep Hold)
- Target muscles: Biceps brachii
- Setup: Hang from a pullup bar, push slightly away so the elbow is near 90 degrees
- Form cues:
- Hold the curled position statically
- Fight the descent as the bicep begins to lengthen under load
- Maintain tension throughout the entire hold
- Common mistakes: Letting go of tension too early; not pushing the body away from the bar to establish the correct angle
- Duration: 45s → 30s → 20s (descending ladder)
2. Inverted Chin Curl (Bodyweight Bicep Curl)
- Target muscles: Biceps brachii
- Setup: Lie beneath a low horizontal bar with feet flat on the floor, slide body out to increase difficulty
- Form cues:
- Pull body upward by curling with the biceps
- Hold the contracted position as long as possible
- Resist the descent — do not let gravity win easily
- Common mistakes: Sliding feet too close to the bar (reduces difficulty); breaking at the hips
- Duration: 45s → 30s → 20s (descending ladder)
3. Bodyweight Tricep Extension (Isometric Hold)
- Target muscles: Triceps, with emphasis on the long head
- Setup: Hands on low bar, body extended behind, lowered into a stretched tricep position
- Form cues:
- Hold the elongated position with bodyweight pulling you deeper into the stretch
- Resist the movement — the goal is to fight extension, not complete it
- Keep the long head under tension in the stretched state
- Common mistakes: Not extending the body far enough behind the bar; collapsing too quickly
- Duration: 45s → 30s → 20s (descending ladder)
4. L-Sit or Modified L-Sit (Tricep Contracted Position)
- Target muscles: Triceps (contracted/shortened position)
- Setup: Seated on the floor, hands pressed flat beside the hips, press down to lift or partially lift the body
- Form cues:
- Press through the palms to activate the triceps in the shortened range
- Heels may lightly touch the ground in the modified version
- Maintain consistent downward pressure throughout
- Common mistakes: Fully resting heels on the ground, removing the challenge entirely
- Duration: 45s → 30s → 20s (descending ladder)