How many set should I do for biceps?

Author: Mathew Kovacek  |  Last update: Sunday, September 21, 2025

So, how many biceps exercises should you do? The answer lies in a balanced approach that combines various types of exercises, proper volume, intensity, and recovery. Aim for 3-4 different exercises per session, with 12-20 sets per week for optimal growth.

Is 4 sets too much for biceps?

4 sets per week is absolutely 100% enough to see consistent progression if output intensity is at max effort and recovery demands are being thoroughly met.

Is 8 sets too much for biceps?

For strength there is a guideline to stay around 1-6 repetitions and for hypertrophy (muscle growth) anything between 8-15 +. Checking out point 1, correct execution, and being under 4-6 reps for different biceps curls has, from experience, been seen as difficult.

Is 3 sets of 10 bicep curls enough?

In general, yes. If one is training strictly for strength, 10 sets of 3 is sufficient. If one is training strictly for endurance 3 sets of 15 are sufficient. Specifically, the bicep muscle can get over trained relatively easily.

Should I do 3 or 4 bicep exercises?

One should do 3 exercise for biceps and 3 exercise for triceps. More than that is not required. because biceps and triceps are smaller muscles and they also work with the major muscles of their group. So doing so many exercises for smaller muscles is the waste of time.

How Many Sets Do You Really Need to Build Muscle?

How many sets to grow biceps?

Aim for 3-4 different exercises per session, with 12-20 sets per week for optimal growth. Listen to your body, avoid common mistakes, and stay consistent with your routine. With this comprehensive guide, you're well on your way to achieving impressive biceps growth.

What exercise hits all 3 bicep heads?

The Weighted Chin Up is the best biceps exercise for hitting all three functions (elbow supination, elbow flexion and shoulder flexion) of the biceps with overload. This exercise will help you build strong arm muscles as well as build muscle mass and should be a mainstay in all your upper body workouts.

Is a 50 lb bicep curl good?

The average Dumbbell Curl weight for a male lifter is 52 lb (1RM). This makes you Intermediate on Strength Level and is a very impressive lift. What is a good Dumbbell Curl? Male beginners should aim to lift 14 lb (1RM) which is still impressive compared to the general population.

Is 5 sets too much for biceps?

2.1.

If you train three non-consecutive days in a week, you can perform 3-4 bicep workouts with at least 5 sets or a maximum number of sets you can perform easily; however, if you train five days each week, it is best to reduce the number of sets down to two.

Can I hit biceps every day?

No body part grows by beating it every day—you need to rest to let your arms recover. In the hours after a workout, your muscles lose strength and power as they heal; after 36-48 hours, the muscle actually gets stronger, which is a process called “supercompensation”. You must give yourself rest.

What is the minimum sets for biceps?

  • beginner lifter 3 to 5 heavy or moderate weight sets, 3–12 reps.
  • moderate, advanced lifter 6 to 11 heavy or moderate weight sets, 3–12 reps.
  • each lift day the biceps should be 100% percent recovered since the last bicep lift, otherwise increase days in between lift days or decrease lift sets.

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 8 sets good for biceps?

Biceps: 6–12 sets per week.

However, if you're training them directly with exercises like biceps curls, preacher curls, incline curls, and lying biceps curls, you can do well with as few as 8 sets per week.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Should I go heavy for bicep curls?

Using lighter weights and isolating your biceps are smart ways to get extra work in without damaging your body. A bench prevents swinging. Kneeling in front of it, grab a light bar on the opposite side. Rest your upper arms on the bench and isolate your biceps, slowly curling towards your forehead.

Is 20 pound dumbbells good for a 14-year-old?

A good rule of thumb is to start with a weight you can easily lift 10 times, with the last two repetitions being increasingly difficult. For some teens, this might be 1 pound to 2 pounds. If you are strong and fit, you might start at 15 pounds to 20 pounds.

Do pushups work the biceps?

Do Push Ups Work Biceps? Whilst the biceps help to stabilize the shoulder and elbow joints during the lowering phase of a push up, they don't directly work the biceps. If your goal is to build your biceps, you'd be better off focusing on bicep isolation exercises such as bicep curls, hammer curls, or chin ups.

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.

How to build biceps quickly?

The best exercise for growing the bicep muscle is any variation of the curl. Curls are best done using a barbell and weights or a set of dumbbells. If you're training in the gym, sitting at a bench or using the preacher curl machine can help to further concentrate tension on the bicep muscle, leading to bigger gains.

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