To build big biceps at home, you have to start by doing the right exercises. Doing things like the biceps pushup is not going to help you in your pursuit of bigger biceps. In this video, I show you exactly why by breaking down the movement and showcasing the lack of true biceps function in the increasingly popular calisthenics exercise.
To begin with, it is imperative to understand that a muscle is built through overloaded tension and resistance. In the case of the biceps pushup, this is sorely lacking. As a matter of fact, the only muscle group getting the necessary applied tension and overload is the one on the opposite side of the joint – the triceps.
If you break down any pushup movement you will see that the work is being done to overcome the flexed elbow position to get your elbow into an extended or straightened position. This is crucial to understand. Overcoming a resistance to elbow extension is a accomplished by the triceps not the biceps. It doesn’t matter that your elbow is in a flexed position at the bottom of the home exercise. That is happening for free. The downward force of gravity is going to drive your body down flat to the ground without any extra help from your muscles.
So it helps to break down the real function of the biceps to better understand what is happening here. First, and most important, the biceps muscle has the ability to flex or bend the elbow (bring the hand closer to the shoulder by bending the elbow joint). As mentioned, while this bent position is achieved at the bottom of the biceps pushup you are not actively working to get into this position. Your body is simply dropping to the floor and giving into the force of gravity to get here, diminishing any work being done by the biceps.
Second, the biceps has the ability to supinate the forearm. Once again, while the forearm is in a position of supination (facing forward) at the bottom of the exercise it doesn’t mean that it was actively contracted to get into that position. As a matter of fact, you are actually locking your forearm into this forward facing position by placing your hands on the ground, further negating any active contraction of the biceps to keep you there.
Third, the biceps are capable of weak shoulder flexion. This is the only element of the three that might even remotely be taking place in this biceps home exercise variation. That said, even here however you are not flexing the shoulder to shoulder level at all but simply taking it from a position of great extension behind the body to one in less extension (thereby flexing it somewhat to get to the finish position). Nonetheless, the amount of biceps contraction that contributes to this is minimal at best.
The only thing the biceps can contribute, however minimally, is to the stability of the body during this home exercise. If you think about it, the tendency would be for the body to lose balance and tilt forward at either the top or bottom of the movement. This is because the hands are placed back towards the hips, shifting the center of gravity backwards and creating the tendency to be off balance to the front.
What the biceps would do here is simply try and contract to pull your body backwards and rebalance the center of mass. The problem again however is that the biceps cannot do this since the hands are unable to move or slide on the ground, meaning that there is no active shortening of the elbow. Once again this minimizes any real significance of the muscle.
If you are trying to build big biceps at home you need to look elsewhere. The first place you can look is to other bodyweight exercises for biceps if you lack any equipment. There are a few to pick from. The key element to all of them however is that they resist elbow flexion not extension. Realize that all of these, while options, are decent but inferior to things you can do with a pull-up bar.
With a pull-up bar, things like chinups, weighted chinups, eccentric chins, biceps chin curls and even one armed chinups are exercises that can be done to build big biceps without ever needing to step foot in a gym. The key is understanding what it is you are trying to accomplish with the home exercises that you are using and that is when all new arm gains and big biceps can be achieved.
If you are looking for a complete program that requires no equipment at all and uses just your own bodyweight for the resistance, head to athleanx.com and check out the ATHLEAN XERO program. You can see first hand just how quickly you can build muscle at home with home workouts by training like an athlete for just 6 weeks. Visit the link below to check it out.
For more home biceps exercises videos and home workouts for biceps, be sure to subscribe to our channel here on youtube via the link below and do not forget to turn on your notifications so you never miss a video when published.
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*NEW “FAST ACTION” Q&A* – Leave your most burning question about this video or any other training, PT or nutrition question within the first 2 hours of this video’s release (AS A SEPARATE COMMENT!!) and I will pick 8 to get a detailed reply from me right here in the comments. Answers will be posted within the first 24-48 hours of you leaving the question. Good luck!
Love your videos and I’m a women, do you cater more to men???
Did anyone actually think this was a bicep exercise.
Link to the home pull up bar?
Great #CoreFitLab
Make video on exercises for pectus carinatum!!
This man knows what he’s talking about
I repeat This man knows what he’s talking about
Jaspreet singh And just in case you missed the above, this man knows what he’s talking about.
Affirmative
I mean, Jeff is like the chuck norris of fitness
Progressive Transformation Jeff? Oh I thought we were talking about Jessie. Guess I better stop doing Bicep Pushups.
I really appreciate Jeff and Jesse’s “She’s All That” type of big brother relationship.
For real, with Jeff’s advice i can see Jesse becoming like Jeff physique wise in a couple of years. Lowkey he as been making good progress!
Fun fact, this video is a lowkey “answer” to a dude whose name wont be referenced in this comment. Its so that people learn that his advice is utterly useless. (besides the fact you can get injured ofc tho!)
Jeff makes a never do this video.
Me: What did V Shred do this time?
Actually, I saw this “biceps pushup” thing on a chalistenics channel FitnessFAQ quite some time ago…And sissy squats. Needless to say, I stopped following him.
Lol I went immediately to his channel. He hasn’t posted in 7 months lol
Some accurate comments being dropped right here!
Amitpal Bains exactly what I immediately thought
Me: *Follows every tip that Jeff gives*
Jeff: “This is KILLING your gains!!!”
Me: 😐
Next episode: “Your Gains are KILLING Your Gains!”
Any specific thing?
Nice new and original meme…
You never know enough, this lifestyle is about learning for life!
I love Jeff’s information, but honestly at this point I just want my bicep curls back
M. Yeah it works the same muscle groups and thus helps out a bit. But I still find the balance factor to be different and also your a bit more limited in how much you can load in it since you still have to balance the weight on your back.
We are almost there brother, each day that passes, is a day I am closer to wrecking myself in the gym
Thats the one exercise you miss? Are you fucking kidding me. You can do a biceps curl with pretty everything.
curl a bucket of water or shopping bags
Jeff be the kinda guy who gets Dom Mazzetti to hit legs ON a Vernal Equinox
Quarantine isn’t a problem for Jeff
He lives inside a Gym
Hence, ppl need to go inside Jeff to workout
@CIBLO Channel deep inside!
@M.yunus Varu remember that Anatomy Park in Rick and Morty, Jeff has an Anatomy Gym inside him
Me: breathing
Jeff: no you’re doing it wrong. Here’s why
Funny thing is, you might be
you probably are because most are breathing wrong. Look up breathing right in you tube for maximum benefits.
He did a video for that, BTW.
The truth might surprise you lol
More like why breathing wrong is killing your gains
*0:58*
*Jeff: It would fall all the way……*
*Me: UPPPPP!*
*Jeff: Down*
*Days without corona-*
Jeff: Let me finish the careers of all the gym dudes.
*Corona days-*
Jeff: Let me finish the careers of calisthenics dudes.
@Martino doni thenx are still pro in calisthenics. Just their channel isns’t as good as others
Most calisthenic guys on YT are no better than fitness YTers. They look good, they are impressive at executing advanced movements, but when it comes to talking about anatomy and which movement works which body part, I’ve seen some terrible misinformation from them.
@Martino doni I’m pretty sure calisthenics movement said this push up works biceps too
Thenx may not have the best information, but they sure have the best motivation.
Even calisthenics movement and fitness faqs recommended this pushup for bicep gains, and also towards planche gains as well. I guess its only bad for a lot of people becauss they execute it improperly.
6:50 “Gravity is doing the work for you” flat earthers left the chat.
Shut up you sheeple… gravity doesn’t exist and jeff is a paid actor and is paid by nasa to tell that
Wait, do flat earthers believe there is no gravity? I am confused!
@Progressive Transformation “gRaViTy iS oNlY aN iLlUsIoN” -A flat earther
Doctor: *pulls Jeff out of the womb*
Doctor: Congrats! it’s a boy
Jeff’s dad: Let’s name him Oscar
Jeff’s mom: Oscar Cavalier it is
Jeff: What’s up guys, it’s jeff Cavalier,
AthleanX.com
In an alternative universe:
“What’s up guys Jesse athlean-x *DOT COM* Jeff Cavaliere here is doing this exercise wrong”
Even in an infinite amount of universes I don’t think that’s possible
Well, in this universe at least, we have Seal Jeff 2:57
@Ezekiel Jones lmao
I want them make a video like that
Coronavirus: I’ve infected over two mill–
Jeff: You’re doing it wrong.
Motoko Kusanagi looool
If you had face pulls in your routine it would have been alteast four million……
Hol hek lol
More like:
Coronavirus: I’ve infected over two mill-
Jeff: But does it target any of your muscles though? Don’t worry, I won’t leave you hanging. Here’s what you can do INSTEAD to build muscle WHILE infecting people. Be sure to implement this in your training routine. If you wanna learn more on how to put science back to strength, go to Athlean X dot com and……..
Looooooool
Basically every calisthenics youtuber: How To Train Biceps At Home!
Jeff: I’m gonna end these men whole career…
2:54 that’s a paid actor not real Jeff
Real Jeff would have destroyed the floor
I just know that it is a paid actor because “Jeff” didn’t say Face pulls a single time during this video!!!
00:03 acting level: porn
*Coronavirus:* i’ve been inte-
*Jeff:* WHAT
*Coronavirus:* ntionally attacking people’s lungs.
*Jeff:* Phew… almost thought you internally rotated their shoulders
Lol