Many people strive to develop bigger and stronger biceps for various reasons, not just for appearance. Having well-developed arms not only enhances your overall look but also makes everyday activities easier, improves your performance in sports, and helps correct your posture. However, it is quite common to make mistakes during bicep workouts that can hinder your progress in building muscle. These errors range from not fully completing your range of motion during exercises to lifting weights that are too heavy. To address these issues, we consulted with a fitness expert who identifies 10 common mistakes made when trying to build bicep muscles and provides solutions to correct them.
10 Common Mistakes When Training and Growing Your Biceps
Stan Kravchenko, celebrity coach and founder of OneFit.com, shares 10 common errors to avoid if you want to effectively train and grow your biceps.
1. Using Momentum
“A very common mistake is using other body parts, like hips, legs, shoulders, or elbows, instead of isolating the biceps,” Kravchenko explains. “Proper form requires strict elbow flexion with a full range of motion, focusing on the biceps only.”
2. Short Range of Motion
Many gym-goers perform bicep curls using just a partial range of motion, which doesn’t provide the complete benefits of the exercise. “Aim for complete elbow extension and flexion to maximize biceps growth,” Kravchenko stresses. “Fully extend and flex your arm on each rep. Try standing cable, dumbbell, barbell, or incline bench curls to encourage full range.”
3. Going Too Heavy or Too Light
If you think you need to lift heavy to fast-track results, think again. Working with weights that are too light also won’t deliver your desired results. It’s all about finding the ultimate sweet spot.
“Lifting too heavy can lead to bad form and possibly injuries while lifting too light might not stimulate muscle growth,” Kravchenko says. “Find a challenging weight that allows you to push close to failure, with good form, by the last few reps.”
Kravchenko recommends working with around eight to 15 reps with one to two reps in reserve. He also says to choose a challenging weight where the last couple of reps are “difficult but manageable.”
4. Training in the Same Range
Going through the same range of motion, such as standing bicep curls, limits your muscles’ potential for growth. “Incorporate exercises like incline bench curls (for greater stretch) or preacher curls (for shorter range) to challenge the muscle in different ranges,” Kravchenko recommends.
5. Sticking to the Same Grip
Always opting for a supinated grip can seriously limit your gains. Kravchenko suggests working with various grips, such as neutral and pronated, to fire up the biceps at different angles “and promote balanced growth.” He adds, “Incorporate hammer curls or reverse curls to change the grip and challenge different parts of the biceps.”
6. Not Controlling the Pace
Rushing your reps is a major no-no. “Speeding through reps reduces the time under tension, which is crucial for growth and can lead to injury,” says Kravchenko. “Aim for a controlled one to two-second lift and a one to two-second lowering phase to have full benefit.”
7. Skipping the Negative
Don’t forget to show the lowering phase of the movement some love. “The eccentric (lowering) phase of the lift is just as important as the concentric,” Kravchenko explains. “Slowing down the lowering phase can lead to better strength and size gains.”
8. Not Following a Consistent Program
Consistency is key in any successful fitness routine—bicep-building is no exception. “Constantly changing your workout routine makes it difficult to track progress,” Kravchenko points out. “Stick to a set program for a few months to ensure you [make] measurable gains through progressive overload.”
9. Overtraining or Undertraining
Training your biceps too much or too little can both have consequences. “Aim for 10 to 15 sets per week spread over two to three sessions,” Kravchenko recommends. “Avoid doing too many sets in one session—focus on quality, not quantity.”
10. Neglecting Isolation Exercises
Don’t sleep on isolation exercises. “Exercises like preacher curls or using incline bench for stability, which stabilize the elbow, are crucial for isolating the biceps,” Kravchenko explains. “These exercises give the ability to proper form and prevent momentum from taking over, which leads to more accurate tracking of progress and making results.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are some common mistakes people make when trying to build their biceps?
- Using too much weight: Lifting weights that are too heavy can lead to improper form and potential injury.
- Not varying their exercises: Relying on the same bicep exercises can lead to plateaus and slow progress.
- Neglecting proper form: Swinging the weights or using momentum instead of controlled movements can reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.
- Only focusing on isolation exercises: While isolation exercises are essential, compound movements like rows and pull-ups also target the biceps indirectly.
How important is nutrition when it comes to building biceps?
Nutrition plays a crucial role in building biceps as well as any muscle in the body. Consuming an adequate amount of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats is essential for muscle growth and recovery. Additionally, staying hydrated and incorporating a variety of vitamins and minerals in your diet can help support overall muscle health and performance.
Should I train my biceps every day to see results faster?
No, training your biceps every day is not recommended. Muscles need time to recover and grow stronger after a workout. It’s generally recommended to allow at least 48 hours of rest between bicep-focused workouts to prevent overtraining and optimize muscle recovery and growth.
