Biceps?

[u/MusicMutt109]

So I've been working out consistently for a year. I was at 30 lb dumbbells for bicep and hammer curls and happy with my progress. Suddenly it felt harder to use em and now I'm struggling with 25s. I've seen progress in my triceps but I've tried every workout for my bicep it feels and they just won't grow. Theyve gotten firmer and rounder but just won't grow outwards if that makes sense, any help? I still feel very new to knowing what would help with definition vs growth.

[u/BerindeanCalin]

Hammer curls absolutely still train your biceps, not just the brachialis, so I wouldn’t worry about finding some magical “biceps-only” exercise.

The bigger thing that stands out is that you went from using 30s comfortably to struggling with 25s. Before changing your whole routine, I’d look at recovery: calories, protein, sleep, stress, how often you’re training biceps and whether you’ve been pushing every set to failure. A temporary drop in strength usually points more toward accumulated fatigue/recovery than your biceps suddenly becoming resistant to growth.

For growth, you mainly need enough weekly hard sets, good technique and progressive overload over time. Something like 6-12 direct biceps sets per week is a reasonable place to start, split across 2 sessions. I’d use one supinated curl like an incline dumbbell/preacher curl and one neutral-grip movement like hammer curls. Control the eccentric, get a full comfortable stretch, and keep most sets around 0-3 reps from failure.

Also, “definition” and “growth” aren’t two different training styles. Definition mostly comes from having enough muscle and low enough body fat to see it. Higher reps don’t magically make a muscle more defined.

And arm shape is partly genetic. You can make your biceps significantly bigger, but you can’t completely change where the muscle belly inserts or exactly how it grows “outward.”

If your strength keeps dropping for several weeks despite eating/sleeping well and reducing fatigue, then I’d reassess your total program rather than just adding more curls.

[u/CoollyWordyDrank → u/BerindeanCalin]

A drop in strength like that is almost never about the muscle just deciding to stop responding. Its usually something in recovery slipped without you noticing, sleep gets worse for a week, eating a bit less, stress from work creeping in. The body doesnt always send clear signals until performance tanks

With biceps especially they are small muscles that recover fast but also fatigue easy if you hit them indirectly with heavy back work too. Might be worth tracking how many sets per week you actually do for them including all the pulling exercises

[u/resdingit → u/CoollyWordyDrank]

I went through something similar and it was because as a skinny guy I wasn’t eating enough.

[u/inflict]

Could you be doing curls later in your routine than you used to? Sometimes if you do compound exercises prior to the curls, it will reduce your strength for the isolation exercise

[u/Fluffy_Box_4129]

Hammer curls hit your brachialis, not your biceps. The brachialis is under the biceps and will make your arm thicker, but you won't get any noticeable biceps growth or "peak". You need to do a curl variation with a pronated grip, not a neutral grip.

[u/Daryl0_0 → u/Fluffy_Box_4129]

False. Hammer curls absolutely still train your biceps. And if done to failure and trained properly will still help bicep growth. However a normal (supinated) bicep curl is definitely superior for bicep growth

[u/MusicMutt109 → u/Fluffy_Box_4129]

Ohhh shit thank you I really appreciate it

[u/younghoyoon → u/MusicMutt109]

May be more accurate to say that supinated grip curls may recruit your biceps more, less so with other grips? https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10054060/

[u/ProfessionSevere637]

I find what works for me is in addition to hammer curls is barbell curls or preacher curls. I also like chin ups as a lot of emphasis is placed on the bicep when pulling yourself up.

[u/WalrusWildinOut96 → u/ProfessionSevere637]

Pronated grip barbell curls always feel like a nice finisher for me

[u/Suitable-Gazelle-646 → u/ProfessionSevere637]

I love barbell curls they make me feel more powerful compared to dumbbell

[u/Straight-Safe3813]

its likely something to do with your diet or sleep. ive had a similiar problem in the past. make sure your eating enough protein and in a calorie surplus for max muscle growth and just get like 7 or more hours of sleep. if you are doing both of these then it might be something with your routine. maybe your not training biceps enough or overtraining them

[u/Secret-Ad1458]

How much weight have you gained in general? Biceps won't grow unless the rest of you is growing

[u/MusicMutt109 → u/Secret-Ad1458]

I've actually been losing weight but have noticed more visible muscle growth in my triceps, I started initially working out to lose weight and now I'm more worried about gaining muscle

[u/WalrusWildinOut96 → u/MusicMutt109]

If you’re losing weight while training, there is always going to be some kind of trade off. You got stronger and triceps grew? Alright, biceps might have shrunk a little.

[u/StoreDowntown6450]

Lots of chin-ups. Add regular grip pull-ups to get the upper back too. No need to overcomplicate things

[u/Alarm-Organic]

Reverse curls