Whether you’re chasing a sleeve-stretching pump or you’re simply trying to balance out your push-pull ratio, one thing’s for certain: bicep curls reign supreme in arm training.
There’s no feeling quite like curling heavy weight under control. And while they may seem simple, curls can deliver far more than just a pump. Indeed, curls can ignite serious hypertrophy when executed with intent and intensity.
But how many curls should you do to build size? Also, which dumbbells should you head for? If you’re looking to make your arm day more effective, here’s how to find your optimal rep range. With this, you can pick the right weights.
The Ideal Number of Bicep Curls for Building Muscle
When it comes to building muscle, two principles are key: mechanical tension and progressive overload. Mechanical tension refers to the force generated through resistance. Meanwhile, progressive overload is the art of gradually increasing that load over time. Nail these, and you’re laying down the foundation for real hypertrophy. Add adequate volume, recovery and nutrition into the mix, and you’re golden.
With that said, in order to choose a rep range suitable for your abilities, you will need to choose a challenging weight. It should be in line with your hypertrophy goals but not too heavy. Importantly, no one here is going for a bicep curl one-rep max. It’s important to work a few reps short of technical failure to create enough mechanical tension, as previously mentioned.
READ MORE: How to Build More Muscle with Fewer Sets, According to New Research
We know from research that hypertrophy can occur across a broad rep range, roughly between 6 and 30 reps. This is as long as sets are taken close enough to failure. For most lifters, the muscle growth sweet spot for bicep curls is:
- 8-15 reps per set while aiming for 3-5 sets per workout
Because the intensity of those reps comes down to the weight chosen, there’s no need to allocate reps per skill level. Even beginners may benefit from higher rep ranges with lower weights as they get used to the technique. However, if you’re having trouble picking a weight for bicep curls, you can use the following as a guide:
- Beginner: 6-10kg per dumbbell
- Intermediate: 10-14kg per dumbbell
- Advanced: 14-20kg upwards per dumbbell
Remember: the weights should feel challenging by the final few reps, but never at the expense of control. Try to avoid using momentum for the sake of a higher weight choice.
How Many Bicep Curls You Should Do a Week
When it comes to how many days a week to train bicep curls, you could train biceps every day if you wanted. However, muscle growth occurs out of the gym too. Plus, pushing yourself with enough intensity requires rest days to avoid injury and optimize results. So including bicep curls anywhere from two to five times a week, with enough rest between workouts, is ideal.
READ MORE: Boost Your Muscle Gains with Quick Hypertrophy Snacks
How to Do Bicep Curls the Right Way
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- Start with the dumbbells hanging in front of your hips, with your palms facing upwards.
- Keep the elbows glued to your waist and bring both dumbbells up to meet your shoulders. Keep your shoulders pinned back and don’t cheat by using your hips.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells under control, until they reach your starting position.
How to Increase Your Bicep Curl Rep Count
If you aim to increase your bicep curl rep count, you should target a high level of perceived exertion each session. While you don’t have to work to technical failure, it can test your capabilities. We often underestimate our true exertion. Once you understand what that feels like, use the RPE or RIR (rate of perceived exertion or reps in reserve) scales to evaluate at the end of your sets.
Ideally, for muscle growth, the ‘sweet spot’ would be 0-5 reps from failure. However, as long as you don’t stop with more than 3-5 reps left in the tank, you’ll be solid.
Should You Increase Reps or Weight for Building Muscle?
If you’re unsure whether to go for heavier weights or more reps, you’re in luck. It seems there isn’t a wrong answer. Researchers in a study published by PeerJ explored increasing reps versus weight with progressive overload. It found that increasing reps and load both enhance hypertrophy. So, when our bicep curl weights and chosen rep ranges feel less challenging, we can choose to either increase reps or weight. Both strategies reap the muscle-building rewards.
This article by Kate Neudecker was originally appeared on Men’s Health UK
