5 Best Bicep Exercises with Pull-up Bar for Men

Best bicep exercises for men with a pull-up bar. (Photo via Edgar Chaparro/Unsplash)
Best bicep exercises for men with pull-up bar (Photo via Unsplash/Edgar Chaparro)

Bicep exercises for men can be done using various types of weights, such as bodyweight, free weight, equipment, machines, etc. Here, we will discuss bicep exercises for men that can be done using your bodyweight.

While you can do push-ups anywhere for triceps, you need to do pull-ups to focus on the biceps. To do pull-ups for biceps, you need to have a pull-up bar.

Usually, every fitness establishment has a pull-up bar, but you can find certain bars or handles installed atop cable pulley machines or squat racks. You can use these bars for bicep exercises just the way you would use a pull-up bar.

Before understanding the various pull-up bar bicep exercises available, you need to understand muscle-mind connection. Usually, the notion used for a pull-up for biceps is the same as that used for the lats.

So from the outset, you need to build a strong muscle-mind connection that will ensure that your lats or rear delts do not take over when you focus on the biceps.


Best Bicep Exercises Using Pull-up Bar

The following five bicep exercises for men can be done using a pull-up bar. The overall principles behind each exercise remain the same.

The idea is to keep the palms close together when doing pull-ups for the biceps to ensure that the stress remains on the biceps instead of spreading out to the lats. Let's get started:


1) Chin-up

This is the most basic bicep exercise using a pull-up bar. To do it, hold the pull-ups with both palms, and keep them close together.

Engage your core muscles so that the body does not sway back and forth, stabilizing yourself. Once you’ve focused on the starting position, proceed to do pull-ups.

To do them, keep a strong muscle-mind connection, and use your biceps to pull yourself up. The entire stress must be on the biceps. Try to do at least 5-6 reps before relaxing. As you become stronger, add more reps to your sets.

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2) Negative Chin-up

Negative chin-up is an excellent bicep exercise. It focuses on pumping the muscles and exerting more pressure even if you’re using your bodyweight.

To do negative chin-ups, pull yourself up normally, but control the motion, and lower yourself steadily and slowly. The controlled motion while coming back down is known as 'controlling the negative'.

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3) Head Banger

To do head bangers, lift yourself using the chin-up motion. Once you’ve reached a point where your forehead is parallel to the pull-up bar, hold the position.

Finally, move your upper body back and forth with a controlled motion using only your biceps. Therefore, your arms will stretch slightly and curl again. The name 'head banger' originates from how the exercise looks, as it seems you’re banging your head against the pull-up bar.

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4) Chin-up Hold

Chin-up holds are used to 'finish' the biceps, forcing the fibers to grow thicker and stronger. This is a bicep exercise that can be used as a finisher for various bicep routines.

To do a chin-up hold, pull yourself up with a chin-,up and hold the position as long as you can. Push yourself beyond the point where your muscles start to burn for the ultimate tension on the biceps.

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5) Commando Chin-up

Commando chin-ups use the same principle as a traditional chin-up. However, instead of facing the pull-up bar, you will face either towards your right or left during the exercise.

Grab the bar with the palms facing in opposite directions, and pull yourself upwards. When you pull yourself, the shoulders should go up to the bar while the head remains parallel to it.

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Bottom Line

Bicep exercises using a pull-up bar can be used in every bicep workout routine. Usually, chin-ups are used as a warm-up exercise, but it’s a good muscle blaster for beginners.

It’s important to add variations for optimal growth, and you shouldn’t avoid chin-ups if you have access to a pull-bar.

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