One of the biggest advantages of calisthenics is that most of the exercises we do are compound movements, meaning they engage multiple muscle groups while doing them.
However, when we want to isolate and train particular muscle groups, for example, your biceps or triceps, it can become a bit challenging.
But don’t despair, there are plenty of calisthenics exercises that can help you isolate those biceps and triceps.
In this guide, I will show you the best bodyweight exercises for your biceps and triceps, as well as provide a flexible workout plan for you to do at home. We will be utilising both compound and isolation exercises.
Table of Contents
Recommended Equipment
Let’s talk about equipment. In this workout plan, I will provide examples of exercises both with and without equipment. However, if you want to obtain the best results some basic equipment will come in handy:
This equipment will help you immensely to perform both compound and isolation movements when training your arms.
The main element we will be using when isolating the biceps and triceps are the resistance bands, so don’t worry if you don’t have access to gymnastic rings or dip bars.
Calisthenic Biceps Exercises and Workout
The biceps are among the most important muscles in our body and are responsible for the flexion of the elbow and shoulder joints.
Unfortunately, they are among the most difficult muscle groups to work without equipment.
Nevertheless, here some great compound and isolation exercises which we will be incorporating into our workout plan with some helpful explainer videos.
Compound Exercises
With equipment:
Without equipment:
Isolation Exercises
With equipment:
Without equipment:
During our workout, we will be using what is called a superset. A superset is when you perform one exercise and then immediately switch to another after that. Usually, we superset exercises that target different muscle groups, however, in this workout, we will be supersetting exercises that target the same muscle group to achieve maximum exhaustion of the targeted muscle.
For the Biceps, the workout goes as follows:
Superset: 1 Compound Exercise with 1 Isolation Exercise
Beginner Bicep Workout:
- 5 Supersets
- Compound exercise: 30 seconds
- Isolation exercise: 1 minute
- Rest for 3 minutes between each superset
Intermediate Bicep Workout:
- 7 Supersets
- Compound exercise: 45 seconds
- Isolation exercise: 1 minute 15 seconds
- Rest for 2 minutes 30 seconds between each superset
Advanced Bicep Workout:
- 10 Supersets
- Compound exercise: 1 minute
- Isolation exercise: 1 minute 30 seconds
- Rest for 2 minutes between each superset
Make sure to include a short warm-up before the workout to reduce the risk of injury and increase performance. Something simple like side arm raises and arm and elbow rotations will do the job. Avoid static stretching as it decreases performance and increases the risk of injury in some cases.
Calisthenic Triceps Exercises and Workout
Now that we have looked at the Biceps, we can have a look at their antagonistic counterpart, the Triceps.
The Triceps muscle group is a crucial muscle group to focus on when building your arm strength as it is responsible for the extension of the elbow, as well as stabilising the biceps when doing flexion. Thankfully, the Triceps are quite easy to work on without any equipment. Here are some compound and isolation exercises for the Triceps.
Compound Exercises
With equipment:
Without equipment:
Isolation Exercises
With equipment:
Without equipment:
Just like with the biceps we will be ‘supersetting’ the exercises.
Unlike the Biceps, however, you will need to vary the exercises used in your compound movements. This is because the muscle consists of three heads which are used to different lengths during different exercises, if you want your triceps to become stronger all around you will need to vary your exercises.
Otherwise, the Triceps workout is very similar to the Biceps workout:
Superset: 1 Compound Exercise with 1 Isolation Exercise
Beginner Tricep Workout:
- 5 Supersets
- Compound exercise: 30 seconds
- Isolation exercise: 1 minute
- Rest for 3 minutes between each superset
Intermediate Tricep Workout:
- 7 Supersets
- Compound exercise: 45 seconds
- Isolation exercise: 1 minute 15 seconds
- Rest for 2 minutes 30 seconds between each superset
Advanced Tricep Workout:
- 10 Supersets
- Compound exercise: 1 minute
- Isolation exercise: 1 minute 30 seconds
- Rest for 2 minutes between each superset
Final Thoughts
In contrast to what many say, it is possible to isolate and focus on specific muscles in calisthenics. I hope the bodyweight exercises I have provided will help you achieve your desired results and build bigger Biceps and Triceps.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that you should disregard free weights entirely. Many free weight exercises will help you achieve great results if you want to focus on your Biceps and Triceps and are often easier when it comes to isolation exercises.
As always, listen to your own body and adjust accordingly. If you are just starting out, take your time to avoid injuries. And if you are a more advanced athlete, feel free to experiment and add more difficult exercises if you can perform them.
Founder of www.calisthenics-101.co.uk. Training calisthenics since 2012.
Currently working on: 30 second one-arm handstand, muscle-up 360, straddle planche.