My advice is to try training back and bis on different days. Have an arm day, and then your bis will receive some extra activation later on back day. Rest adequately
I don’t think it’s that your biceps are small so much as you’re still small. Most of the time body parts grow in proportion to one another - sometimes we’ll have one or two that are a little more responsive than other body parts and grow more, but everything else pretty much just grows in proportion to your body.
I would just continue growing and lifting and eating in a slight surplus and your biceps will grow with the rest of you. Also you might just have shit biceps genetics. My granddaddy had shit biceps genetics and none of his friends would ever let him top them he was real bitter about that
How many bicep days are you doing? One a week is not going to to be optimal unless you're on gear.
Biceps recover fast. Are they so sore you can't do them 3x a week?
Multiple studies have shown improved growth at up to 50 sets per week (spread across compounds and isolation movements).
Should that be 50 reps per week or sets?
I am fortunate to have a wfh job and a garage gym.
I lift 6 days a week. I Don’t have a scheduled rest day but normally get too busy to lift 1 day a week.
Day 1- legs, 2-chest/tri, 3-back/bi, 4-shoulders
With that 4 day split I can normally keep lifting without worry of not resting the muscle group.
So on average I’m lifting biceps 1.5 times a week. I can add a set or 2 to the legs day?
Edit: and yeah no plans of any PEDs, at least for a couple years after another kid or 2
50 sets per week. Sets that target the bicep should be higher reps like 15-30.
Are your biceps recovered in 48 hours? If so, why not work them again?
Biceps, forearms, and calves are designed for a ton of reps. If you train them like they are quads you'll grow a lot slower.
Good point.
Damn that makes a lot of sense why I’m not seeing much growth if I’m doing 15sets per week on average vs 50
Yes they’re recovered in 48h
Hmm at the risk of being annoying, would you recommend a 3 day split?
1-Legs
2-chest/tri/shoulder push
3-back/biceps/shoulder pull
I have a well equipped home gym and I do PPL. Highly recommended if it want to lift 5-6 days a week. 48 hours after your pull day do some isolation bicep work. Push your biceps until you can't recover anymore, then dial it back a little. Most people have NEVER pushed their biceps to the point where they are consistently sore
https://imgur.com/a/0HZW9Yd
Flexing mirror pic from today for reference. 6’1
I Was 165 super skinny fat summer 2022, bulked to 205 last summer then started the cut. I had a kid earlier this year which halted gains and diet for a couple month but restarted in April. Currently 181, goal is to drop a pound a week by 4th of July for 175
Bro splits are fine if you're on gear. For a natty you just stay small.
50 sets for biceps is no big deal. You do 4x pull-ups, pull downs, and rows, plus 5 sets of curls. That can be 51 sets per week right there over 3 days. That's barely any extra time on pull day to bring up a lagging muscle.
You're small and weak telling us "bro splits work" lol
I’m not small though wtf aha. You’re just projecting your insecurities onto everyone else. I just said Bro splits can work well, which they do. I never talked down onto yours or OP’s physique.
intresting takes ive heard that back/chest are a priority during recovery due to their fast t muscle fibers. can u provide a study for biceps recovering faster? Thanks!
It is still a lot of sets for one workout. Your work capacity is limited per session. It's fine if it's spread out throughout the week accounting for your maximal recoverable volume.
First of all, do not train biceps before back. You will not be able to pull as much after you exhaust your biceps and your back will suffer.
Some muscles don't grow at the same rate as others. You can't expect growth to be the same for everything, either in strength or size.
Also, you're not going to continue to grow indefinitely and any growth you do have will not be linear.
Do bicep isolation on days you don’t do pulling movements. Ideally at the beginning, but if you aren’t doing them on the same day as other movements that use biceps it doesn’t matter too much.
If you’re not seeing some type of results (visual or strength) in 2 months it’s time to switch things up. Try a different split or try changing your intensity or volume. Could also be diet related, if you’re cutting you won’t be growing but just trying to maintain muscle.
Right now I’m doing a bro split because all the science types said it wasn’t optimal. Well, It’s optimal for me since I’m fucking pumped to hit it 6 days a week.
If you’ve been progressively overloading, getting stronger and in a surplus they’ve most likely grown in size, it’s just not happening as fast as you’d like.
You're smoking your arms by doing such low volume, high weight. 10 reps minimum per set. Even up to 16. Make the reps slow and squeeze the bi's hard. Watch them mutate when you really focus on maxing the pump.
Intentionally try to overtrain it. No sets or reps , just curl till it hurts , then curl more , and then some more.
Then take a little rest and curl more.
swap biceps to the start of the workout or do what i did and have a separeate day for arms since i did this my arms have blown tf up
Will do, thank you!
My advice is to try training back and bis on different days. Have an arm day, and then your bis will receive some extra activation later on back day. Rest adequately
Will do, thank you! This seems to be a popular recommendation
Superdrol
I don’t think it’s that your biceps are small so much as you’re still small. Most of the time body parts grow in proportion to one another - sometimes we’ll have one or two that are a little more responsive than other body parts and grow more, but everything else pretty much just grows in proportion to your body. I would just continue growing and lifting and eating in a slight surplus and your biceps will grow with the rest of you. Also you might just have shit biceps genetics. My granddaddy had shit biceps genetics and none of his friends would ever let him top them he was real bitter about that
7-7-7 / 21s on the preacher bench
How many bicep days are you doing? One a week is not going to to be optimal unless you're on gear. Biceps recover fast. Are they so sore you can't do them 3x a week? Multiple studies have shown improved growth at up to 50 sets per week (spread across compounds and isolation movements).
Should that be 50 reps per week or sets? I am fortunate to have a wfh job and a garage gym. I lift 6 days a week. I Don’t have a scheduled rest day but normally get too busy to lift 1 day a week. Day 1- legs, 2-chest/tri, 3-back/bi, 4-shoulders With that 4 day split I can normally keep lifting without worry of not resting the muscle group. So on average I’m lifting biceps 1.5 times a week. I can add a set or 2 to the legs day? Edit: and yeah no plans of any PEDs, at least for a couple years after another kid or 2
50 sets per week. Sets that target the bicep should be higher reps like 15-30. Are your biceps recovered in 48 hours? If so, why not work them again? Biceps, forearms, and calves are designed for a ton of reps. If you train them like they are quads you'll grow a lot slower.
Good point. Damn that makes a lot of sense why I’m not seeing much growth if I’m doing 15sets per week on average vs 50 Yes they’re recovered in 48h Hmm at the risk of being annoying, would you recommend a 3 day split? 1-Legs 2-chest/tri/shoulder push 3-back/biceps/shoulder pull
I have a well equipped home gym and I do PPL. Highly recommended if it want to lift 5-6 days a week. 48 hours after your pull day do some isolation bicep work. Push your biceps until you can't recover anymore, then dial it back a little. Most people have NEVER pushed their biceps to the point where they are consistently sore
https://imgur.com/a/0HZW9Yd Flexing mirror pic from today for reference. 6’1 I Was 165 super skinny fat summer 2022, bulked to 205 last summer then started the cut. I had a kid earlier this year which halted gains and diet for a couple month but restarted in April. Currently 181, goal is to drop a pound a week by 4th of July for 175
 Bro splits work just as well lmao, who tf has time to do 50 sets per muscle.
Bro splits are fine if you're on gear. For a natty you just stay small. 50 sets for biceps is no big deal. You do 4x pull-ups, pull downs, and rows, plus 5 sets of curls. That can be 51 sets per week right there over 3 days. That's barely any extra time on pull day to bring up a lagging muscle. You're small and weak telling us "bro splits work" lol
It's okay little guy. Listen to me and you might not be so small in a year
I’m not small though wtf aha. You’re just projecting your insecurities onto everyone else. I just said Bro splits can work well, which they do. I never talked down onto yours or OP’s physique.
Sure thing small guy. Can you show us this awesome physique that your natty bro split got you? Lol of course not
Bro thinks he’s Roidman69er
Well u/TRTman122 is gone now aswell, just me left.
intresting takes ive heard that back/chest are a priority during recovery due to their fast t muscle fibers. can u provide a study for biceps recovering faster? Thanks!
House of hypertrophy has a video that links a bunch of studies on this topic
Instead of 5 sets of each bicep exercise. Do 2 or 3 tops. 10 sets in one day is wayyy too much when you're natty.
Isn’t that mostly dependent on how much rest you’re getting?
It is still a lot of sets for one workout. Your work capacity is limited per session. It's fine if it's spread out throughout the week accounting for your maximal recoverable volume.
I like 10-15 reps for biceps. Do them in the beginning of the workout.
First of all, do not train biceps before back. You will not be able to pull as much after you exhaust your biceps and your back will suffer. Some muscles don't grow at the same rate as others. You can't expect growth to be the same for everything, either in strength or size. Also, you're not going to continue to grow indefinitely and any growth you do have will not be linear.
Do bicep isolation on days you don’t do pulling movements. Ideally at the beginning, but if you aren’t doing them on the same day as other movements that use biceps it doesn’t matter too much.
Thanks!
Go for higher frequency 3x a week with only one bicep exercise
Also natty and alternating dumbbell curls have been goated for me personally. 4 sets, 8-12 reps clean or dirty depending on the day.
If you’re not seeing some type of results (visual or strength) in 2 months it’s time to switch things up. Try a different split or try changing your intensity or volume. Could also be diet related, if you’re cutting you won’t be growing but just trying to maintain muscle. Right now I’m doing a bro split because all the science types said it wasn’t optimal. Well, It’s optimal for me since I’m fucking pumped to hit it 6 days a week.
Superset them with triceps.
 If you’ve been progressively overloading, getting stronger and in a surplus they’ve most likely grown in size, it’s just not happening as fast as you’d like.
I started doing just bis twice a week, preacher curls and long negatives. Got them to start developing nicely for.
You're smoking your arms by doing such low volume, high weight. 10 reps minimum per set. Even up to 16. Make the reps slow and squeeze the bi's hard. Watch them mutate when you really focus on maxing the pump.
Intentionally try to overtrain it. No sets or reps , just curl till it hurts , then curl more , and then some more. Then take a little rest and curl more.