How many sets total do you guys do for Biceps?

[juicy fruit]

and what about reps....?

Some of you guys that have good success with your bicep growth throw out a sample routine because no matter what I try for biceps, they dont seem to grow as fast as my delts, chest, legs, etc etc etc, always laggin behind.....my tri's are fine, but my bi's just seem weak....not strength wise, but aesthetic wise!

 

[louden_swain]

Biceps:

1 set of 10 to 12 reps.

Thats it!!!

 

[c-sharp minor]

Biceps:

1 set of 10 to 12 reps.

Thats it!!!

Yup.


I do that once a week.

 

[Optimus B]

0.

i'd rather save my energy for other lifts. plus, they get a pretty good workout when i work back.

 

[juicy fruit]

What the.

 

[Lord_Suston]

anywhere from 4-9 depending on what I want if I am bulking or not and If I am going to failure, or if they are on there own day.

4 when done with back

9 when bulking on a seperate arm day

sometimes 2 if I am boxing and don't want too much size

 

[DrBones]

I usually do 7-8 sets

5 sets of 5 straight barbell curls
2 sets close grip chin ups (hands facing face)
1 set burnout preacher curls...(LIGHT)

My arms are only around 16" tho....

Plan on trying the dogcrapp style training in September ( I know its far away.. but Im liking 5x5 right now)

 

[Y_lifter]

3 sets of 8-10 straight BB
2 sets DB
2 sets Hammer

 

[Boss101]

Alternate every week picking a different bicep exercises BB Curl/Preacher Curl/DB Curl 2 sets 8 reps.

I find weighted pullups hit my biceps harder then any curling movement.

 

[juicy fruit]

Damn, I guess im doing too many sets...my routine looks something like this, varies though....

Standing Dumbell curls, 3 sets of around 10
Standing Barbell Curl, 3 sets of around 10
Preacher curl, 3 sets of around 10
Incline alternating sitting curls, 3 sets of around 10

Then I usually throw in either Hammers or a preacher machine, sometimes one handed dumbell isolated preachers. another 3 sets....so thats around 15 sets or so

 

[Boss101]

If you're working your back hard your bi's are getting hit again. You probably are overtraining your bi's.

 

[louden_swain]

Damn, I guess im doing too many sets...my routine looks something like this, varies though....

Standing Dumbell curls, 3 sets of around 10
Standing Barbell Curl, 3 sets of around 10
Preacher curl, 3 sets of around 10
Incline alternating sitting curls, 3 sets of around 10

Then I usually throw in either Hammers or a preacher machine, sometimes one handed dumbell isolated preachers. another 3 sets....so thats around 15 sets or so

Ask yourself, have your arms increased 1/2 inch in the past year? Are you making strength gains?

If not, changes should be made immediately!

 

[TheOak84]

on back day - 12, 10, 8, 6, 4

on bicep day - 5x5 or 3x5 and hammer curls - 3x10

sometimes ill do 3 dropset with hammer curls 6 reps each drop set

it works nice

 

[rjl296]

3 sets, 6-12 reps

 

[Deepsquat]

one all out set...even before I stARTED TRAINING dc STYLE i HAVE ONLY BEEN DOING 4-6 OVER THE LAST (sorry) 5 years...they are 18 1/2 right now.

 

[JG1]

6 heavy sets to failure, alos train forearms after bi's/tri's and do 3 sets reverse curls, so I'm sure that hits the bi's a little as well.

 

[Debaser]

I do one set personally, and here is something great IronAddict wrote that many could benefit from:

Everyone wants big arms, few people have them. The best way for the Hardgainer to focus on their arms is to forget about them. What's that? Simple, we've already established that over training is the reason for lack of progress, and for best gains the minimum amount of training that can be done and still cover all body-parts will result in the fastest gains. So how to best accomplish the task? Use compound movements that hit many muscle groups at once. I assure you once you can do chins with your palms facing you with body-weight + 35-60 pounds strapped to your waist for 6-8 reps you will have biceps about as big as their going to get. Once you can dip body-weight + 75-100 pounds for 6-8 reps or do close grip bench presses with 100% of body-weight for 6-8 strict, you will indeed have big triceps. This is the way for a hardgainer to get big arms. The 12 sets for biceps 12 for triceps routines are the fast-track to failure for all but the most gifted.

 

[juicy fruit]

This is the fucked up thing about bodybuilding and reading a lot, you get mixed fucking opinions. My arms HAVE grown in the past year, A LOT....however not as much as I would like them to and the rest of my body has......I hit back hard as hell, and I hit bi's hard as hell, I think I give both enough rest before hitting them again, but who knows, you guys got me worried now......From what I have read here, compound movements such as pull ups, dips, chin ups, curls (both barbell and dumbell) should suffice to big arms and not much more is needed?

 

[Debaser]

Check out the DC sticky at the top of the page, there is a lotta good info there on how to grow in strength and size at a very fast rate.

 

[gymtime]

Two excercises, 5-7 sets total for both, 6-10 reps, once a week.

 

[louden_swain]

The fact of the matter is that too many guys are overtrained, but they refuse to cut down on volume. I must admit, I was one of these guys a couple of years ago.

When I started to cut down, my strength and size started to increase.

If you brutalize your muscle tissues, they need rest.

 

[Jxaxsxe530]

my arm size is directly related to my strength gain. they seem to get a GREAT pump when i do high volume, makes me feel like da shiiiitniz... and then two weeks later they stay the same size. Blah. i stick to one set all out, twice a week now.

 

[Cuts]

i only do about 6 work sets, but my bis are about as big as ping pong balls so u may want to do more than that

 

[Tarheel]

Back when I did arms last fall on thier own day each week I would do something like.

4 sets of DB preacher
3 to 4 sets of reverse curls
3 sets of either drag curls or hammer curls

I found I got more out of 3 to 4 sets of DB preacher (which allows you to "spot" your other hand and do forced reps) than any other bicep exercise.

With 3 to 4 sets of a tricep movement between each bicep exercise. Each set was 8-10 reps. This worked well for me, but I and my father both have naturally good bicep genetics for me, now I never work them directly (and haven't in about 3 months) and they are almost the same size as they were. Definently my best muscle group.

 

[Debaser]

i only do about 6 work sets, but my bis are about as big as ping pong balls so u may want to do more than that

Actually, you would want to do less than that. The reason they're small is because you're overtraining them. Upping the volume further would make it even worse.

 

[Cuts]

Actually, you would want to do less than that. The reason they're small is because you're overtraining them. Upping the volume further would make it even worse.

Hmmm... so you're suggesting a Mentzer type of heavy duty routine huh? Good idea... I'll have to give it a try...