You can build BIG arms with bodyweight training. And right now, I'm going to show you the two bodyweight exercises I used to build 18 inch arms.

First off, I'm a BIG fan of bodyweight training, especially when used strategically in conjunction with weight training.

In fact, (and this might sound crazy at first) one of the MAJOR reasons my biceps and triceps look like this (18" in the pic below) is NOT because of free weight training.

The Best Bodyweight Exercise For Building Bigger Biceps

In terms of biceps, this development came from something incredibly smart (and kind of accidental) that I did in my first year of training...a form of bodyweight isometrics.

At the end of EVERY single workout, I would do a Flexed Arm Hang, holding the top position of a chin-up, squeezing the biceps hard in an isometric contraction, until I couldn't hold myself up anymore...then I'd fight the negative all the way down, then hang until my grip gave out.

I've actually also progressed by adding some additional resistance beyond bodyweight, as in the pic below.

One set of one rep...that's it...done at the end of every single workout, no matter what muscle groups I hit in the workout. Simple and effective.

It built great mass and strength on my biceps and resulted in serious grip strength improvements. I like to compare it to what gymnasts do in terms of holding positions on the rings, etc. (only they do a whole lot more).

It worked like CRAZY for me.

In fact, nothing made my biceps grow better than this strategic bodyweight isometric technique.

The Best Bodyweight Exercise For Building Bigger Triceps

In addition, I built triceps that look like big lumps of meat by regularly doing a bodyweight exercise called "Bodyweight Tricep Extensions."

This exercise is very simply a tricep extension done with your hands set on a low bar, with your body horizontal. Then you lower your head underneath the bar, bending only at the elbows then extend back up.

Here's a view of the bottom position. I'm using the safety rail of the power rack for this one, but you can use just about any sort of low bar...Smith machine bar, bench press machine handle, a bar set on the rails in the rack, etc.

It puts an INCREDIBLE stretch on the triceps at the bottom under serious tension and resistance, which forced massive growth.

I worked very hard at this exercise and got to the point where I was doing them with my body VERTICAL, instead of horizontal... essentially doing a tricep extension in a handstand position.

There's no "secret" to this other than lots of hard work done in a smart way.

Heavy free weight training absolutely contributed greatly as well, but in analyzing it, I would say those were the two most important things I did to build seriouly BIG arms.

Get more bodyweight exercises in my book The Best Bodyweight Exercises You've Never Heard Of.

 More From Fitstep.com