Do biceps respond better to high volume?

Author: Prof. Augusta Legros IV  |  Last update: Wednesday, May 28, 2025

On average, the quads and triceps gain more muscle when you train them with more volume, yet the biceps growth rate decreased on average with higher training volumes.

Is higher volume better for biceps?

Thirdly, he suggests upping your workout volume. "There's a good chance that as long as you don't overdo it, a small increase in your weekly bicep volume will be met with faster gains," he says. "My recommendation is to use 15 sets of direct bicep training as more of an upper limit."

Do biceps respond better to higher reps?

Different muscle groups respond better to higher reps and other sto higher weights. For example, biceps respond better to lower weight and higher reps.

Which muscles respond better to high volume?

According to the results of this meta-analysis, there were no differences between moderate and high training volume responses for the quadriceps (p = 0.19) and the biceps brachii (p = 0.59). However, it appears that a high training volume is better to induce muscle mass gains in the triceps brachii (p = 0.01).

Do biceps do better with high or low reps?

The biceps and triceps should be trained using rep ranges between 5-20 reps to best maximize strength, muscle growth, and overall development of the muscles. So, in general, low reps with heavy weight tend to increase muscle mass, while high reps with light weight increase muscle endurance.

HEAVY VS LIGHT WEIGHT For Muscle Growth (THE TRUTH!)

Should you work out heavy or light biceps?

Because the bicep muscles are proportionately small, at least in relation to your chest and back, you should always use a weight that allows you to flex and release with isolation (meaning that no other muscle is involved), but heavy enough to cause fatigue at the end of the set.

How many reps is too much for biceps?

If you are training the biceps directly for strength, it is recommended that you train in the 5-10 rep range, or the 8-10 rep range to minimize overloading the tendons and ligaments of the elbow joint due to the single joint nature of most biceps isolation exercises.

Do triceps need more volume than biceps?

On average, the quads and triceps gain more muscle when you train them with more volume, yet the biceps growth rate decreased on average with higher training volumes.

Do pecs respond better to high or low reps?

The 10-20 range is productive for the chest, but many individuals report that they get their best results from something between the 5-10 and 10-20 ranges, perhaps sets of 8-12 reps and even a bit lower. This is especially true for compound presses like the barbell flat bench and incline.

Is 3 sets of 10 enough to build muscle?

This holds that regardless of whether you're trying to build muscle, strength, power, or endurance, performing three sets of 10 reps per exercise is a good place to start. The scheme mostly works, especially if you're just starting out with strength training—because everything works in the beginning.

Is 12 sets of biceps a week enough?

Bicep Weekly Training Frequency for Intermediate and Advanced level. It is recommended that intermediate lifters should do 12-20 total training sets per week. The weights used to exercise the biceps can vary, but heavy weights (less than 8 reps) should be avoided because they might cause damage.

Is fast or slow reps better for biceps?

If you are looking to enhance power, explosiveness, and endurance, incorporating fast curls is beneficial. Conversely, if your aim is to build muscle mass, strength, and stability, slow curls could be more appropriate. It's important to note that variation is key in any workout.

Can I get big arms with light weights?

One of the most common ways to build arm muscle is to lift weights, but you don't have to bench press hundreds of pounds to strengthen your upper limbs. Light weights can also do the trick, especially if you use the right strategy and have realistic expectations.

Why are biceps the hardest to grow?

The biceps muscle is a small muscle group and limited to elbow flexion only. Clients can experience issues when trying to build bigger biceps because they simply do too much. This happens as a result of adding too many isolation exercises on top of the main compound exercises of each workout.

How to hit all heads of the bicep?

How To Get Bigger Biceps: The 6 Best Exercises
  1. Concentration Curls (short head)
  2. Hammer Curls (long head)
  3. EZ Bar Curls (long / short head depending on grip)
  4. Preacher Curl (short head)
  5. Single Arm High Cable Bicep Curl (short head)
  6. Chin Ups (long / short head depending on grip)

Do biceps respond well to high reps?

High rep training is a great way to build bigger biceps.

Are pecs the hardest muscle to grow?

The upper chest is typically one of the toughest areas of the upper body to develop. There are various reasons for this, and like most things, there are ways to work around it.

Is it better to lift heavy or do more reps?

Research suggests lifting smaller weights and doing more repetitions (or, in gym parlance, “reps”) can have a role to play – but it all depends on your goals. In short: if your goal is to build serious strength and bone density, lifting heavy is an efficient way to do it.

Do biceps respond better to volume or intensity?

Howell is a fan of relatively light weight and high volume (reps in the 12 to 15 range) for biceps training, as the volume will tax both slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers over time. Incorporating a large variety of biceps exercises performed with high sets and high reps will also help you build bigger arm muscles.

Which muscles take longest to grow?

Muscle Groups That Grow Slowly:
  • Calves (Gastrocnemius and Soleus):
  • Forearms (Flexors and Extensors):
  • Abdominal Muscles (Rectus Abdominis, Obliques):
  • Lower Back Muscles (Erector Spinae):

Are triceps 75% of your arm?

That's because the triceps — which make up about two-thirds of your overall arm — are primary movers in a multitude of other compound, multi-joint exercises, including the bench press and overhead press.

Can you overtrain biceps?

Overtraining your biceps is a very easy to achieve, and a high percentage of bodybuilders are doing this every week. The biggest culprits of the misinformation that causes overtraining are body building magazines, and poor advice given out in gyms.

Is 20 sets a week for biceps too much?

Referring to a more recent systematic review, it found: The best hypertrophy results came from 30-40 sets per muscle per week. A minimum effective dose of 4 sets per muscle group per week. Somewhere around 10-20 sets per week still delivered good hypertrophy results.

Are hammer curls better than bicep curls?

So, which is better? It really depends on your goals. If you're looking to build bigger biceps, then you should focus on bicep curls a bit more than hammer curls. However, if you're just looking to tone your arms and don't really care about building bigger biceps, then either exercise will work just fine.

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