Arms · Resistance Training · Training Tips ·

How To Get Bigger Arms With Resistance Band Curls

Getting in a full-body workout is important for maintaining physical fitness holistically. And while exercising is fun and satisfying, there are certain parts of the body that feel a bit better to work on than others. The arms are one of them.

Doing a killer arm day leads to some seriously satisfying soreness, but it also leads to some noticeable results. Getting bulkier biceps is one of the most visually noticeable improvements that comes with strength training, and this can keep your morale high to keep working even harder.

But you don’t need huge dumbbells or expensive curl machines to put on some muscle. All you need are some resistance bands and a Gorilla Bow to say bye-bye to tiny bi’s.

Here’s how to get bigger arms with resistance band curls:

Bicep Biology

We think it’s important to understand the anatomy and science behind bulking up your muscles before you get into it. Understanding how different movements affect your muscles can widen the scope of your workouts and give you a better insight towards achieving your goals.

Your bicep is actually composed of two muscles, not just one. In fact, the term bicep actually means “two heads,” which reference the long and short head of the muscle. However, when you use your bicep, you essentially are using the muscles at the same time to accomplish the same function.

Having strong biceps does more than just make you look ripped. They can also offer a lot of functional benefits as well, such as making it easier to lift heavier objects as well as improving your upper body strength as a whole. And since many bicep exercises work your back muscles simultaneously, you may also be able to reap dual benefits.

Don’t Resist the Resistance Bands

While traditional bicep curls using dumbbells are effective ways to bulk up or tone your muscles, they aren’t something that you continually use from home. That’s why you should ditch the dumbbells entirely in favor of resistance bands, as you can get an even better workout from anywhere.

Using resistance bands on their own is a great way to max out your bicep gains, but using the Gorilla Bow can take it to a whole new level.

Here’s how to do a resistance band bicep curl using the Gorilla Bow:

With your feet shoulder-width apart, stand on the band portion of the bow. Hold the bar, palms facing up, with your arms straight down at your sides.
Keeping your elbows against your body, curl the bar up towards your shoulders. Hold for one breath at the top.
Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.

Bicep curls isolate your entire bicep muscle, making it one of the best exercises if you’re seriously trying to put on some muscle mountains. You can take this exercise to the next level by using one hand and holding the center of the bar.

Additionally, make sure you’re using the appropriate resistance band to complete the exercise. If you’re trying to bulk up, you’ll want to go with a band that’s heavy enough so that your sixth rep becomes difficult to complete. To get toned muscles, do a lower weight that you’re able to complete up until your 12th rep.

Finally, it’s important that you take this exercise slowly. This is because returning the band to the starting position will activate your bicep muscles just as much as the engagement at the start of the move.

If you aren’t “dropping the weight” and are instead taking it nice and slow, you’re making your muscles work even harder throughout the entire movement. That means faster and better results.

Other Bicep Burners

Bicep curls aren’t the only way you can use your Gorilla Bow to make your upper arms look swole. In fact, the bow gives you more opportunities than many other pieces of equipment.

Here are a few more of our favorites:

Upright Row

Where biceps curls isolate the bicep, rowing exercises incorporate multiple muscles in one. This complex exercise will have your biceps begging for mercy, as well as your deltoids and traps.

Here’s how to do the upright row with your Gorilla Bow:

Feet shoulder-width apart, standing on the band portion of the bow. Hold the bar at your waist, palms facing down.
Bring the bar straight up to the top of your chest, bending your elbows at your sides. Hold at the top for one breath.
Slowly lower back to the starting position. Repeat for six to 12 reps; three sets.

Seated Row

Hopefully, you were on the crew team in high school because we’ve got some more rows for you to accomplish. The seated row works your biceps, but it will also work your core, latissimus dorsi (back), and shoulders. It’s a seriously killer upper body workout that you’ll want to incorporate into your routine.

Sit on the floor with a slight bend in your knees. Wrap the band securely under your feet and hold the bar straight out in front of you. Keep your back at a 30-45 degree angle to the floor.
Pull the bar towards your chest, keeping your elbows at your sides. Squeeze your shoulders blades when the bow reaches your chest.
Slowly return to the starting position.

Lat Pull Down

Lat pull downs, as the name implies, are primarily a workout for your back muscles. However, you definitely need to have some bulging biceps in order to do them effectively. And you don’t need one of those huge, clunky lat pulldown machines to do them. All you need is a Gorilla Bow.

Here’s how to do it:

Secure the band around an anchor point above your head so that the bar hangs arm’s length from the top of your head when seated or standing.
Grab the bar and slowly pull it down towards your chest. Hold for one breath.
Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat for six to 12 reps; three sets.

Bent Over Row

Just when you thought you were done rowing, we’re throwing another one your way. Rowing is just one of the most versatile bicep-focused exercises in the game, so knowing a ton of variations can turn your whole routine around. Bent over rows will test your bicep and back strength, but they’ll also challenge your hamstrings and quadriceps.

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart on the band. Bend your knees and tilt your hips toward the floor so that your back is almost parallel with the ground.
Holding the bar with palms face down, pull it towards your chest, holding for one breath.
Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat for six to 12 reps; three sets.

You can also hone in on the biceps by simply reversing your grip on the bow so that your palms are facing upwards.

One Arm Row

To round out your energizing row-focused workout, it’s time to isolate each arm to help prevent muscle imbalances. The single arm row is a challenging way to end your workout, but it will help you bulk up faster than ever.

Stagger your stance so that your legs are slightly wider than shoulder-width. Stand on the band with one foot, twisting your torso to face it.
Holding the bar with one hand, pull it towards your chest, keeping your elbow bent at your sides.
Slowly return to the starting position. Repeat six to 12 times for three sets on each leg and arm.

This is a tough exercise, so it might be a little easier to watch how it’s done right here.

Curl’s Night Out

Bicep curls are a classic exercise that anyone can do, but not everyone can master. And you don’t need to worry about lugging around dumbbells or barbells in order to do them. All you need is a Gorilla Bow.

Bicep curls are an isolating workout that targets your biceps only. However, you can still use your bow to tone your upper arms with seated, upright, and one arm rows. Plus, you can do lat pulldowns as long as you’ve got an anchor point above your head.

And there’s more where all of this came from. Ready to expand your repertoire to expand your reps? The Gorilla Bow All-Access Membership has live and on-demand classes that will help you get the most out of your bow while also teaching you daily total body workouts. It’s a personal trainer at your fingertips.

Sources:

Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Biceps Muscle | NCBI

Latissimus Dorsi: Anatomy and Function - Muscles | Very Well Health

Muscle Imbalance: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention | Healthline