5 Big Reasons Your Biceps Aren't Growing
If bigger arms are your mission, avoid these five classic gains-robbing biceps workout mistakes. Sleeves, prepare to stretch!
Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once remarked, "If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything." He was talking hoops, but it also describes the way many lifters approach the challenge of building bigger arms: try everything, try doing more of everything, and then see what sticks.
It's understandable if you'd prefer a more time-efficient approach. That's why we recruited Toronto-based fitness coach Dylan Thomas—himself the owner of 20-inch guns—to turn up the heat on your lagging biceps development. Here's what he's secretly seen you doing in the gym, and how to fix it.
Mistake 1: Putting Too Much Weight on the Bar
It's tempting to try to move the biggest weight possible on, well, every lift. After all, the bar looks naked without a big plate on each side, right? But hitting that weight usually requires a whole lotta momentum to hoist the bar upward. Your biceps actually end up getting less work as a result.
"Biceps typically aren't a muscle group you'll need to do heavy training with to get results, like your thighs or back," Thomas says. "It's a relatively small body part by comparison, and it responds much more to a good pump than it does to sheer brute overload." A Better Way: Your biceps can get all the high-tension work they need from your back training, on moves like rows, pull-ups, and pull-downs. The rest of the time, take your pick from among the best biceps exercises and perform sets of at least 8-12 reps per set with a controlled cadence.
Mistake 2: Giving Up at Arbitrary Rep Numbers
You don't need to take every set of curls—or any other movement—to failure to grow more muscle. In fact, experts say that for beginners, it's far more important to hit your reps than hit failure. But the more experienced you are, the more likely it is that you should occasionally channel your inner CT Fletcher at least 1-2 times per workout keep repping out "until you can't do no MF more." Alternating dumbbell biceps curl A Better Way: Your biceps can get all the high-tension work they need from your back training, on moves like rows, pull-ups, and pull-downs. The rest of the time, take your pick from among the best biceps exercises and perform sets of at least 8-12 reps per set with a controlled cadence.
