How do I get bigger arms?

Q: How do I get bigger arms?

Train biceps and triceps directly 2 times a week with 10 to 20 hard sets total, press and pull heavy, and eat enough protein. Expect visible growth in 2 to 3 months.

By Mert Yerekapan · Updated October 26, 2026

To get bigger arms, train your biceps and triceps directly two times a week, aim for roughly 10 to 20 hard sets a week split between them, keep adding weight or reps over time, and eat enough protein. Most people notice a visible change in 2 to 3 months of consistent work.

Triceps matter more than you think

Your triceps make up about two thirds of your upper arm, so if you want bigger arms, don't spend all your time on curls. Give triceps at least as many sets as biceps.

A simple arm plan

Do this twice a week, after your main lifts:

Overhead triceps extension: 3 sets of 8 to 12
Cable pushdown or dips: 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15
Incline dumbbell curl: 3 sets of 8 to 12
Hammer curl: 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15

Stop each set a rep or two before you can't do another one. Lower the weight slowly, for about 2 or 3 seconds, because that is where a lot of growth comes from.

Keep the big lifts

Bench, overhead press, rows and pull-ups already train your arms hard. Take them out and your arms will suffer, even if you do plenty of curls. Treat the arm work as the finisher, not the foundation.

Push-ups also hit the triceps hard. League of Fitness has ranked 60-second push-up races where the phone camera counts your reps, and a solo Max mode for a personal best, so you can see whether your pressing endurance moves along with your arms.

Eat and sleep for it

Arms are small muscles, but they still need fuel. Roughly 0.7 to 1 g of protein per lb of bodyweight (1.6 to 2.2 g/kg) a day is the usual target for building muscle, with a slight calorie surplus if you want to grow faster. Sleep 7 to 9 hours when you can.

What to expect

A half inch (about 1 cm) in a few months is a good result for many people, and it slows down as you get more trained. Arms are also hard to judge by the mirror. Measure at the same spot, flexed or relaxed, once a month.

If a joint like your elbow starts aching during curls or extensions, change the exercise or the grip. If the pain lasts more than a few days, see a doctor or physical therapist.