How Long Do Biceps Take to Get Big?

Today, you can get takeout delivered in less than an hour and most TV shows last about 20 minutes: Instant gratification is probably part of your daily routine in some way, shape or form. But when it comes to building muscle, instant gratification isn't part of the equation.

How long it takes for your biceps to grow and strengthen depends on a variety of factors, including age, hormones, genetic predisposition, amount and frequency of training, levels of stress, the food you consume and more. There's no "secret to big arms," but there are steps you can take to speed up your progress.

Unfortunately, there's no cut and dry answer to this question. The rate of muscle growth varies from person to person, according to Carolina Araujo, CPT, a New York–based strength coach.

"Your muscle growth depends on countless factors, including your training routine, your nutrition and your sleep, including so many others," she says. "And two people could do the exact same workouts, eat the same foods and get the same sleep and still see different results because of their genetics."

Because it's so person-specific, there's limited research on how long it takes for muscles (including biceps) to grow. But a December 2019 study in ‌Environmental Research and Public Health‌ suggests you probably won't see much muscle growth before 6 weeks of consistent training. Although newbies may see noticeable growth early on, this is probably just the result of standard muscle damage and swelling that happens with new exercise.

Other sources, like the American Council on Exercise (ACE), suggest that growth in the early stages of strength training may be construed as muscle gain, but it takes time for the body to develop new muscle tissue. It's only after an average of three to six months that you experience hypertrophy or a gain in muscle mass. Bottom line: There's no clear timeline.

Your starting point plays a big role, too, Araujo says. Experienced weight lifters have more difficulty growing larger muscles, whereas new gym-goers see progress pretty quickly. But you'll get the fastest biceps growth if you take advantage of all the factors you can control.

Your rate of muscle development is affected by factors you can and cannot control, according to the ACE. You can't control your genetics, hormones and age, and they affect the speed at which your muscles grow. But luckily, there are plenty of controllable variables that can also help increase muscle size. These include:

• Training load, duration, frequency and history
• Nutrition
• Level of hydration

Certain individuals possess a genetic predisposition to large muscles, while others do not.

There are several genetic factors that affect muscle growth variation from person to person. Satellite cells are responsible for helping rebuild and repair muscles, according to a September 2016 study in the ‌Cell Journal‌. So, people with larger amounts of satellite cells already in their body may be able to grow and repair muscle more quickly.

Someone with a genetic predisposition along with a large percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers — fibers that respond most easily to muscle growth — may gain muscle at a faster rate, too, as these fibers are best for power-driven movements, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). But over time, the rate of growth will decrease.

Good news for former athletes: it's easier to rebuild old muscle than to gain new muscle. This occurs due to a phenomenon called muscle memory.

When you build muscle, the number of muscle fiber nuclei (aka myonuclei) increases, according to the NASM. And while taking a long exercise break can cause muscle loss, you don't necessarily lose the myonuclei you've built up. As a result, rebuilding new muscle is easier.

The rate at which you gain muscle may also be linked to levels of stress. A July 2014 study in the ‌Journal of Strength and Conditioning‌ ‌Research‌ found that people with more stress recovered at a slower rate after training compared with those with lower stress levels.

Studies also point to the role of diet in muscle growth. A diet high in lean protein best promotes muscle growth, according to one July 2015 study in the journal ‌Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism.‌ The study found that consuming 25 to 35 grams of high-quality protein during each meal fosters muscle health.

In order for muscles (like your biceps) to grow, you need a consistent strength training regimen. To get the most out of your biceps workouts and gain muscle at a steady rate, give yourself rest before training the same muscle group. Also, switch up your routine every so often to give your muscles new stimulus, Araujo recommends.

A November 2016 study published in ‌Sports Medicine‌ found that strength training twice a week promotes superior muscle growth compared to training once a week for the same amount of time. That's to say that spreading out strength-building exercises may be more beneficial than lumping them into one workout.

You want to focus on the nitty-gritty, too. For biceps hypertrophy, try to do 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps per exercise, recommends the ACE.

From there, tailor your arm exercises to target your biceps. During your next arm workout, give these moves a try.

The secret to big arms is that there is no secret — just patience, determination, certain lifestyle choices and a bit of genetic luck. There are factors, such as age and hormones, that are out of your control. Likewise, you can't control your number of satellite cells nor can you control which muscles are more likely to respond to muscle memory.

What you can control are the number of sets and reps you do and the number of times you work out your arms per week. Practicing a strength-training regimen on a regular basis, eating enough protein and diminishing stress should set the foundation for stronger and bigger arms.