Strong, masculine arms with well-defined muscles are undoubtedly an important component of the image of a real man. It’s not for nothing that the fair half of humanity is attracted to muscular, sculpted arms, just as men are attracted to women’s slender legs or the part of the body from which they grow. In general, having large “pumped-up cans” is a definite plus, but it is also important to know what volume of biceps men and women should have at different ages. What this or that volume can mean, as well as how to influences a person’s life. Let’s find out!
How to measure biceps volume
In order to measure the volume of your biceps, you need to use a measuring tape. If there is no such tape, you can measure with a rope, finding out the circumference by applying the rope to the ruler.
There are two options for measuring the total volume of the biceps:
- The first is when the biceps are in a relaxed state.
- The second is at the moment of muscle tension.
In a relaxed state, you need to keep your arm in a natural vertical position and measure your biceps directly at the center of your shoulder. This method will be correct for most people, but for bodybuilding it is more relevant to measure the size under tension, since this is how bodybuilders demonstrate their muscles on stage.
It should be taken into account that the measurement should not be carried out during pumping, since the rush of blood into the biceps tissue will make it larger only for a short time and literally after a few hours the indicator will be completely different.
When under tension, you need to measure the biceps at the widest point or, as it should be said, at the peak of the biceps. Naturally, in a tense state, the arm should be bent at the elbow joint.
hat is the normal biceps volume for men by year?
Is there such a thing as normal biceps or its average size? There is a biceps norm and it is based on body proportions. This also applies to bodybuilding, in which it was initially believed that the ideal proportions of the biceps were those that were identical to the proportions of the lower leg. Subsequently, the system for calculating ideal body proportions and normal biceps volume in athleticism became more complex, and the golden ratio formula was taken as a basis.
But for men who do not train in the gym, the volume of biceps is quite modest and is not specifically tied to a system of proportions based on the golden ratio formula. The average biceps is only 33 centimeters, and the maximum volume is only 35 cm, which is quite realistic for most men! Naturally, we are talking about measuring relaxed biceps.
Table of normal biceps volume.
| Classification by age | Biceps volume |
| 20-29 years old | 33 cm |
| 30-39 years old | 34.5 cm |
| 40-49 years old | 35 cm |
| 50-59 years old | 34 cm |
There is no standard for biceps volume when measuring the muscle under tension. But, for most people, the volume of muscles in a state of tension is different from the volume of relaxed muscles. On average, the difference in volume is 3-5 centimeters. Therefore, the numbers indicated in the table of biceps volume in a calm state, taking into account the addition of the average value, namely 3-5 cm, can be considered the norm. I would also like to add that the volume of biceps is influenced by a number of factors, for example, the ratio of weight and height, metabolism and even Lifestyle. So the figures given in the article are an example rather than a standard.
My biceps volume is very modest. It is 43 centimeters in a tense state, and in a vertical, relaxed state it is only 39 centimeters. What is the size of your biceps? Share your biceps measurements directly in the comments! It will be interesting!
How to find out the normal biceps in women
For girls, the most important criterion is weight, which is correlated with height, rather than the size of the biceps. The percentage of adipose tissue is also important. By the way, body type is also taken into account, but it plays a secondary role.
To calculate the volume of the biceps, you need to substitute the following parameters into the John McCallum formula: Breast volume multiplied by 36%.
Thus, with a chest volume of 85 cm, the biceps volume will be 30.6 cm.
Recommendations for increasing biceps girth
- In order to increase the diameter of the biceps, a person must perform basic multi-joint exercises that involve a large number of muscles.
- Training should be based on sets of 10-12 repetitions each. This type of training can be easily done at home.
- If your biceps girth does not reach 40 centimeters, it is better to exclude biceps exercises and start with three workouts per week. Each workout should consist of 5-7 exercises. In one workout, you should focus on one or two muscle groups.
Example of a three-day training
First day
Second day
The third day
You can practice in this mode for several months, alternating exercises so that the body adapts less to the load.
Complication
So, the next level of training consists not only of basic exercises, but also includes several isolation exercises for developing arm muscles. It is better to implement these exercises into chest and back training, rather than singling them out on a separate day, although there are such options.
On the day you train your pectoral muscles, you need to do triceps exercises. The ideal option would be to use only two exercises, namely: dips, which are performed immediately after the last exercise for the pectoral muscles, and the French press. The training scheme remains the same and consists of 3-4 approaches for each exercise. The number of repetitions also does not change.
On back day you should include two biceps exercises. The best option for increasing volume would be seated barbell curls. It should be done after all the exercises, and after it you should do arm curls on a Scott bench, grasping the W-shaped bar with a narrow grip.
For advanced
The next, third, level will be adding a separate workout for the arm muscles. It can be built from six or even eight exercises, which can be performed not only in sets, but also in supersets. And for those who need relief, the training process should be diluted with drop sets.
So, let’s look at this scheme in more detail. As an example, let’s take performing exercises with supersets:
In a superset, there is no break between exercises, and you can take a two-minute break between supersets.
In a separate workout for working the arm muscles, the number of repetitions can be increased to 14. In fact, the number of repetitions is a very individual nuance, and the optimal number is selected by the athlete personally. To give the best relief, the number of repetitions can be increased to 20.
Conclusion
A man needs big biceps, but once you go to the gym, you can be horrified looking at those athletes who do not pay attention to proportions and simply do not develop their legs. It turns out that these guys have large “cans” that are not inferior in volume to their hips, while their calves, shoulders and other ignored muscles remain undeveloped. The result is an unaesthetic, asymmetrical, awkward figure that only spoils the appearance of the athlete, so you should soberly evaluate your achievements in the gym, and best of all, listen to the advice and instructions of knowledgeable people, for example, a coach.
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