Why Are My Biceps Not Growing Reddit

Your Biceps Aren't Growing Because You're Training Them, Not Using Them

The real answer to 'why are my biceps not growing reddit' is that you're focusing on 25-pound curls instead of adding 50 pounds to your weighted chin-ups and rows. Your biceps are a side effect of a strong back, not the main event. You're likely stuck in a cycle of endless curl variations, chasing a temporary pump that disappears an hour after you leave the gym, while your arm measurements haven't budged in six months. It's one of the most common frustrations I see, and it's not because you're not training hard enough. It’s because you're training the wrong way.

Your bicep is a relatively small muscle group. It can only handle so much direct load. Trying to build massive arms with only bicep curls is like trying to build a massive chest with only pec deck flyes. It misses the point entirely. The majority of muscle size-around 80% of it-comes from heavy, compound movements that force the muscle to act as a stabilizer and synergist under immense load. For biceps, that means heavy pulling movements. Think of it this way: your biceps are designed to pull your body towards something or pull something towards your body. Curls isolate one tiny function of that movement. Heavy rows and chin-ups force your biceps to do their real job under loads they could never handle in isolation, and that is the signal they need to grow.

The 10,000-Pound Mistake That's Killing Your Arm Growth

Let's do some simple math to show you why your current arm day is failing. The key to muscle growth is total volume-the total weight lifted in a session (Sets x Reps x Weight). When you see the numbers, you'll understand why your biceps are not growing.

Your Typical 'Arm Day' Workout:

• Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 10 reps with 60 lbs = 2,400 lbs total volume.
• Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 12 reps with 25 lbs = 900 lbs total volume.
• Preacher Curls: 3 sets of 15 reps with 40 lbs = 1,800 lbs total volume.
• Total Bicep Volume: 5,100 pounds

You feel a huge pump, your arms feel tight, and you think you did a great job. But the stimulus is superficial.

Now, A Proper 'Back & Biceps' Workout:

• Weighted Chin-Ups: 4 sets of 6 reps (You at 170 lbs + 25 lb plate) = 4,680 lbs total volume.
• Bent-Over Rows: 4 sets of 8 reps with 155 lbs = 4,960 lbs total volume.
• *Finisher:* Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 12 reps with 25 lbs = 900 lbs total volume.
• Total Volume Involving Biceps: 10,540 pounds

Your biceps were just involved in moving more than double the total weight. The load from the chin-ups and rows forces your biceps to engage in a way that light isolation curls never can. The heavy compound lifts create the primary growth signal. The curls at the end are just the finishing touch-like the final 10% of the work-to add a little extra volume and get a pump. If you're only doing the finishing touch, you're missing the entire foundation of what builds real size and strength. Stop majoring in the minors.

Tired of guessing? Track it.

Mofilo tracks food, workouts, and your purpose. Download today.

The 8-Week Protocol to Force Your Biceps to Grow

This is not a complicated plan. It's about focusing on what works and being consistent. For the next 8 weeks, you will stop having a dedicated 'arm day.' Instead, you will train back and biceps twice a week, focusing on getting brutally strong at a few key lifts. Your entire goal is to add weight or reps to these movements every single week.

Step 1: The Two Foundational Workouts

You will perform these two workouts each week, with at least two days of rest in between (e.g., Monday and Thursday).

Workout A: Strength & Density

1. Weighted Chin-Ups (or Lat Pulldowns): 4 sets of 5-8 reps. If you can't do chin-ups, use the lat pulldown machine and focus on the same rep range. Your goal is to get strong enough to do chin-ups. Once you can do 8 bodyweight reps, start adding weight with a dip belt.
2. Barbell Bent-Over Rows: 4 sets of 6-10 reps. Use a weight that is challenging but allows for perfect form. No jerking the weight up with your lower back. Squeeze your back at the top.
3. Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 8-12 reps. This builds the brachialis, a muscle underneath your bicep that pushes it up and makes your arm look thicker from the front.

Workout B: Volume & Hypertrophy

1. Single-Arm Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets of 8-12 reps per arm. This allows for a great stretch and contraction and helps fix any strength imbalances.
2. Seated Cable Rows (Close Grip): 3 sets of 10-15 reps. Keep your chest up and pull the handle to your stomach, focusing on squeezing your lats.
3. Incline Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 10-15 reps. Set the bench to a 45-degree angle. Let your arms hang straight down to get a deep stretch in the bicep on every rep. This is your primary bicep isolation movement.

Step 2: Progressive Overload is Your Only Goal

Your mission for the next 8 weeks is simple: get stronger on your compound lifts. Each week, you must do one of two things:

• Add 5 pounds to your main lifts (chin-ups, rows).
• Do one more rep than last week with the same weight.

Track your workouts in a notebook or on your phone. If you rowed 135 lbs for 8 reps last week, your goal this week is 135 lbs for 9 reps, or 140 lbs for 8 reps. This is the only metric that matters. Your bicep growth is a direct result of your pulling strength increasing.

Step 3: You Must Eat to Grow

This is the part nobody wants to hear, but it's the most important. You cannot build a house without bricks, and you cannot build muscle in a calorie deficit. If your biceps are not growing, you are likely not eating enough.

• Calorie Surplus: You need to be in a slight calorie surplus of 200-400 calories above your maintenance level. If you burn 2,500 calories a day, you need to eat 2,700-2,900 calories to build new muscle tissue.
• Protein Intake: Eat 0.8 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of your body weight. If you weigh 160 pounds, that is 128-160 grams of protein every single day. This is non-negotiable.

Without a calorie surplus and sufficient protein, the training program above is useless. You will just spin your wheels.

Week 1 Will Feel Wrong. That's How You Know It's Working.

When you switch from a high-volume, pump-focused arm day to this strength-focused protocol, your body will be confused. Here is what to expect so you don't quit after the first week.

• Week 1-2: You will feel incredibly sore in your lats, rhomboids, and rear delts. Your biceps, however, might not feel that classic 'pumped' sensation you're used to. You might even feel like your arms look smaller without the temporary swelling from 15 sets of curls. This is normal. You are building the foundation. Trust the process and focus on your logbook. Your goal is to lift more than you did last week.
• Month 1 (Weeks 3-4): Your strength on rows and chin-ups will be noticeably increasing. You're adding 5-10 pounds to the bar or hitting a few extra reps. Your arms will feel denser. When you do your 'finisher' curls at the end of the workout, you'll get a pump much faster and with less work because the muscles are already fatigued from the heavy compounds.
• Month 2 (Weeks 5-8): This is where you start to see the visual change. Your t-shirts will begin to feel tighter across your upper back first, then in the sleeves. You might measure your arms and see a 1/4-inch increase. This might not sound like much, but a quarter-inch of solid muscle on an arm is a significant, visible difference. This is real growth, not a temporary pump.

Progress is not the pump you feel in the gym. Progress is the numbers in your training log going up, followed by the numbers on the measuring tape a month later.

You read this far. You're serious.

Track food, workouts, and your purpose with Mofilo. Download today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bicep Training Frequency

For maximum growth, your biceps should be stimulated 2-3 times per week. This protocol achieves that by hitting them hard indirectly with two heavy back days, plus directly with a few sets of isolation curls at the end of each of those sessions. A dedicated 'arm day' is one of the least effective ways for a natural lifter to grow their arms.

Best Bicep Isolation Exercises

If you only have time for two, make them count. The Incline Dumbbell Curl is fantastic for targeting the long head of the bicep due to the deep stretch. The Hammer Curl is essential for building the brachialis and brachioradialis, which adds thickness and width to your arm, making it look bigger from all angles.

The Role of Progressive Overload for Arms

Progressive overload for biceps is not about adding 5 pounds to your dumbbell curl every week. That leads to bad form and injury. True progressive overload for your arms comes from adding 10 pounds to your weighted chin-up or 20 pounds to your barbell row. As your back gets stronger, your biceps are forced to grow to keep up.

Arm Genetics and Growth Potential

The shape of your bicep (a tall 'peak' vs. a 'flatter' muscle) is determined by genetics, specifically your muscle belly length and tendon insertions. However, the overall size of your arm is determined by training and nutrition. Everyone can add inches to their arms by getting stronger on heavy compound lifts and eating enough food.

Calorie Surplus for Arm Growth

You cannot create new muscle tissue out of thin air. A consistent calorie surplus of 200-400 calories per day is mandatory for growth. If you are trying to lose fat and build huge arms at the same time, you will fail at both. Prioritize one goal at a time. To get bigger, you must eat bigger.