How many bicep sets should I do?

Author: Yasmeen Bins  |  Last update: Monday, January 19, 2026

Volume and Frequency Research suggests that hitting a muscle group 2-3 times per week yields the best results for muscle growth. Therefore, you should aim for 12-20 sets per week for optimal biceps development.

How many sets should I do on bicep day?

For most folks, 3 sets of bicep exercises, like curls, is a good starting point. It's like having three tries at that sack race -- not too little, not too much. But remember, quality over quantity! Make those sets count, with proper form and a weight that challenges you.

Is 3 sets of 10 enough for biceps?

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 15 sets for biceps too much?

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.

Should I do 4 sets for biceps?

So if you really want bigger biceps and triceps, make sure to do 4 sets of dumbbell or barbell rows at least twice a week, and do dumbbell bench presses at least once a week.

The 5 Rules of Bicep Training

Is 3 or 4 sets better?

Is it better to do 3 or 4 sets per exercise? According to The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), 2-3 sets of 12 to 20+ reps will help build muscular endurance, while 3-6 sets of 6-12 reps will build muscular hypertrophy and 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps will build muscular power.

Is 5 sets enough for biceps?

4 to 8 sets per muscle per week is now your minimum. If that's what you were doing as a beginner, you'll want to aim for 8 to 15 sets per muscle per week. At this point, your weekly volume will be much more manageable if you train three to five days a week, working each muscle at least twice.

Can you overtrain biceps?

The biceps are a secondary muscle in compound exercises like underhand grip rows or chin-ups, therefore they are still working. As a secondary muscle in a compound lift, the biceps encounter even more volume and muscle breakdown than during a biceps curl. Avoid overtraining the biceps after an entire workout.

What size biceps are impressive?

The average bicep size is around 13–14 inches for young adult males with big biceps measuring 15+ inches. That said, some professional bodybuilders' biceps have reached 20+ inches. Therefore, with regimented training and nutrition, 18-inch arms are achievable.

Are high reps better for biceps?

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

Will 3 sets of 15 build muscle?

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) will break this down, suggesting the following set ranges: 2-3 will help build muscular endurance (12 to 20+ reps) 3-6 build muscular hypertrophy (6 to 12 reps) 3-5 build muscular power (3 to 5 reps)

How often should I train my biceps?

When putting together a workout routine, follow these basic rules: Work your biceps up to three non-consecutive days per week. This means at least one rest day between bicep workouts. If your goal is building muscle mass, lift heavier weights and perform six to eight repetitions.

Is 20 reps for biceps too much?

For most types of biceps exercises, however, the whole 5-30 rep range is highly effective. When constructing a weekly training plan, it's probably a good idea to train the heavy ranges before the lighter ranges.

How fast do biceps grow?

Typically, it takes around 6-8 weeks for you to start noticing changes in the appearance of your arms. At around the 12 week mark, this is typically when you can expect to see more significant changes, especially if you didn't already have a large amount of muscle mass in the area!

Can I do pushups every day?

Doing push ups every day is good for building upper body muscles and even strengthening your core, back, and lower extremities. You can start with 10 push ups a day and then work up to doing 50 or 100 push ups everyday. Breaking them up into smaller sets throughout the day can make it easier to start as well.

Why won't my biceps grow?

There are two main training errors people make that keep their biceps from growing. These are overtraining the biceps (often unintentionally) and a lack of variation in training techniques. Adding additional biceps focused workouts and trying multiple biceps exercises doesn't work.

Are 20 inch arms achievable naturally?

Genetics certainly come into play, but far more people are capable of building a legitimate 20-inch arm than will ever know. In many cases, if they only did things differently, their arms would grow to their ultimate potential rather than be stalled out one to three inches shy.

Do girls find big biceps attractive?

His study found physical characteristics mattered more. Women were more physically attracted to brawny men, especially for a fling. But when it comes to finding a long-term partner, they tend to pick a regular man over a mate with huge biceps.

What weight is best for biceps?

Strong biceps help with lifting, holding, and carrying heavy objects. The old-school curl is still the best exercise for building biceps. Use a pair of light dumbbells (about 10 pounds each). You also can use soup cans, full plastic water bottles, or any other easy-to-hold item that feels like an appropriate weight.

What is the easiest muscle to grow?

Here are three specific examples of muscles considered the easiest to build.
  • Biceps and Triceps. The biceps and triceps are the main muscles in your upper arm, with the triceps being the arm's largest muscle. ...
  • Latissimus Dorsi. ...
  • Quadriceps. ...
  • Calves and Forearms. ...
  • Abdominal Muscles. ...
  • Hamstrings.

Is it bad to hit biceps everyday?

By hitting them every day you're gonna encounter 1 of 2 scenarios: You'll be forced to lower the intensity and volume per session to a considerably low amount in order to allow your body to actually train biceps every day, leading to pretty poor muscle growth.

How to quickly build biceps?

We've put together a list of the very best bicep exercises – that aren't your standard dumbbell bicep curl.
  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)

Is 4 sets too much for biceps?

There is a minimum effective dose of 4 sets per muscle group per week for hypertrophy. For increasing strength, both higher volume and frequency contribute. However, results diminish beyond 4 sets per week. There is a minimum effective dose of 1 set per week per muscle group for strength gains.

Can I train biceps 2 days in a row?

So, no, you probably shouldn't strength train the same muscle group two days in a row.

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