9 Reasons Why Your Biceps Aren’t Growing – And What To Do About It?
Do you feel like you’re doing everything right in the gym but your biceps just aren’t growing?
You’re not alone. Many people struggle to add size to their biceps no matter how hard they train. There could be several reasons for this, and here we’ll explore 9 of them.
From your training routine to your diet, there are many factors that can impact bicep growth. But don’t worry, for each reason, we’ll also give you some tips on what you can do to fix the issue.
So if you’re looking to add some serious size to your arms, read on for some helpful insights:
You’re Not Eating Enough Calories:
If you’re not eating enough calories, your body won’t have the energy it needs to build muscle. You need to eat a minimum of 2,000 calories per day to see results.
To make sure you’re getting enough calories, track your intake for a week and make sure you’re consuming more than you’re burning. If you’re not seeing results after a few weeks, increase your calorie intake by 500 calories per day.
You’re Not Eating Enough Protein:
One of the mistakes people make when trying to build muscle is not eating enough protein. Protein is the building block of muscle, so you need to make sure you’re getting enough in your diet if you want to see results.
There are a few different ways to make sure you’re getting enough protein.
The first is to eat more protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs, and dairy. You can also supplement your diet with protein powder or bars.
If you’re working out regularly and not seeing results, it’s likely that you’re not eating enough protein. Make sure to up your intake and you should start seeing results in no time!
You’re Not Lifting Heavy Enough Weights:
If your biceps aren’t growing, one of the most likely reasons is that you’re simply not lifting heavy enough weights. Your muscles will only grow bigger and stronger if you consistently challenge them with progressively heavier loads.
If you’re not sure how much weight to lift, start by using a weight that allows you to perform 8-12 reps with good form. Once you can consistently do 12 reps, increase the weight by 5-10%.
Remember, challenges are what spur muscle growth so don’t be afraid to push yourself outside of your comfort zone.
You’re Not Recovering Properly:
If you’re not seeing results from your arm workouts, it could be because you’re not recovering properly. Here are a few things you can do to make sure you’re giving your muscles the time and attention they need to grow:
- Get enough sleep. Make sure you’re getting at least 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.
- Eat a nutritious diet. Eating plenty of protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates will give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from exercise and build new muscle tissue.
- Don’t train too often. Overworking your muscles will actually lead to slower growth and can lead to injury. Allow at least 48 hours of rest between weight-training sessions so your muscles can recover properly.
- Use proper form. Using good form during exercises will help target the right muscles and prevent injury. If you’re not sure how to do an exercise correctly, ask a trainer or research online for the proper form before attempting it yourself.
- Incorporate active recovery days into your routine. Active recovery days are important for helping your body repair itself after intense workouts. This can include lighter forms of cardio like walking or swimming or even just taking a rest day from the gym altogether. Pay attention to how your body feels and give it the time it needs to recover properly.
You Have Bad Form:
Another common mistake people make when trying to grow their biceps is using poor form. This not only puts unnecessary stress on your joints but can also lead to muscle imbalances and injuries.
For example, here are some of the common errors people make when performing bicep curls:
- Swinging the weights – This takes the focus away from the biceps and puts strain on the lower back.
- Using momentum – This again takes the focus away from the biceps and can lead to joint pain.
- Arching the back – This puts unnecessary stress on the spine.
- Not keeping the elbows stationary – This shifts the focus to the front deltoids (shoulders) instead of the biceps.
- Curling with a supinated grip (palms up) – This can cause wrist pain.
To avoid these mistakes, make sure you use strict form and keep your core engaged throughout the exercise. Focus on contracting your biceps and slowly lower the weights back to starting position.
You’re Not Focusing on the Negative Part of the Lift:
The first reason your biceps might not be growing is that you’re not focusing on the negative part of the lift.
When you do a bicep curl, the negative part is when you lower the weight back down to your starting position. This is the part of the lift where you’re actually breaking down the muscle fibers and making them grow larger.
If you’re not focusing on the negative part of the lift, then you’re not giving your muscles the time they need to grow. You need to focus on lowering the weight slowly and controlling it so that your muscles can get the maximum benefit from the exercise.
By focusing on the negative part of each lift, you’ll be able to increase your muscle gains and finally see some growth in your arms!
You’re Overtraining Your Biceps:
If you’re like most gym-goers, you probably think that the more time you spend working out your biceps, the bigger and stronger they’ll become. However, this isn’t always the case – in fact, if you’re overtraining your biceps, you could be hindering their growth.
Here are some signs that you might be overtraining your biceps:
You’re working out your biceps every day. Even if you’re splitting your workouts into different body parts, working out your biceps every day is too much. They need time to recover between workouts in order to grow.
You’re using heavy weights and low reps. While lifting heavy weights is important for muscle growth, if you’re only doing low reps (5 or less), you’re not giving your muscles enough of a challenge to stimulate growth. Try increasing your reps to 8-12 for optimal results.
You’re not giving yourself enough rest. Rest days are just as important as workout days when it comes to muscle growth. Without adequate rest, your muscles won’t have a chance to recover and grow larger.
If you think you might be overtraining your biceps, cut back on the frequency and intensity of your workouts and make sure to take at least one full rest day per week. Your muscles will thank you – and so will your results!
What to Do About It?
If your biceps aren’t growing, it could be for a number of reasons. Maybe you’re not training them hard enough, or maybe your form is off. Whatever the reason, there are a few things you can do to make sure your biceps get the attention they deserve.
Here are a few tips for making your biceps grow:
- Train them with heavy weights. To build big muscles, you need to lift heavy weights. That means using weights that are challenging for you to lift for 8-12 reps. If you can lift the weight more than 12 times, it’s time to increase the weight.
- Use good form. Make sure you’re using good form when lifting weights. This means using a full range of motion and not cheating on reps. Cheating on reps will only lead to injury and won’t help your muscles grow.
- Don’t neglect other exercises. While biceps curls are important for building bigger arms, don’t forget about other exercises that work the muscles in your arms, such as triceps dips and overhead presses. These exercises will help you build balanced arms and avoid injury.
- Be patient. Building bigger muscles takes time and patience. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see results right away; keep working hard and eventually, you’ll see the results you’re looking for!