Why Are My Biceps Never Sore? 21 Crucial Tips For You To Consider
Curls are one of the most frequently performed biceps exercises.
However, many people don’t feel soreness in their biceps after doing this exercise, which can lead you to ask “why are my biceps never sore”.
It can be frustrating to put in the work and not see results, but there are a few possible reasons why your biceps aren’t sore.
Why are my biceps never sore?
There are several potential reasons why someone’s biceps might not regularly experience soreness, including they haven’t been working their biceps hard enough, they have a high pain tolerance, they’re regularly completing warm-ups and stretching exercises before working their biceps, they’re using proper form when working their biceps, they’re taking rest days and not overtraining their biceps muscles. If you’re looking to make your biceps sore, you may need to increase the intensity or volume of your bicep workouts. Make sure you’re using proper form, and consider adding additional sets or reps to your routine. You should also focus on quality over quantity – lifting too much weight can actually lead to less muscle soreness. Finally, don’t forget that soreness (DOMS) isn’t always a sign of progress when working your biceps, so don’t worry about it too much.
You don’t have to be sore
You don’t always need to feel sore to know that you’ve worked your muscles. Soreness is just one way of measuring intensity, and some people are more resistant to it than others.
There are other ways to measure intensity, such as how heavy the weights you’re using are, or how many reps you can complete.
If you’re using heavy weights and completing a lot of reps, then you’re still working your muscles even if you don’t feel soreness.
It’s also important to remember that DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) isn’t always a sign of progress.
In fact, DOMS can often be a sign that you’ve overdone it and need to take a few days off to recover.
So, if you’re not feeling soreness, don’t worry about it too much. Just focus on using proper form and progressing in your workouts.
Rapid recovery?
One other reason your biceps might not feel sore is that you recover at a rapid rate.
If you find that your muscles recover quickly, then you might not need to wait as long in between workouts.
You can try working out every other day, or even every third day, to see if that makes a difference. If you’re still not seeing results, then you might need to change up your exercises.
While there’s no easy shortcut to bulging biceps, if you put in the work and use the right exercises, you will gradually start to see results.
Form and intensity are key
If you’re not feeling soreness, it could be because you’re not working your muscles hard enough.
This can be due to using too light of weights, not completing enough reps, or not using proper form.
To make your biceps sore, you need to focus on using heavy weights, completing a lot of reps, and using proper form.
If you’re not sure how to do this, then it might be a good idea to seek out the help of a qualified personal trainer.
A trainer can help you with form, intensity, and volume, and can make sure you’re using the right exercises to target your biceps.
Swinging weight around doesn’t count
Just because you’re moving your arms a lot doesn’t mean you’re automatically working your biceps.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that any time they move their arms, their biceps are getting a workout.
However, this isn’t the case.
In order to work your biceps, you need to be using weights that are heavy enough to challenge your muscles.
Swinging your arms around with no weight, or using very light weights, isn’t going to make your biceps sore.
Related: Why Is One Arm Stronger Than The Other? (All The Answers For Perfect Symmetry)
You might have a high pain tolerance
Some people simply have a higher pain tolerance than others.
This means that they can work their muscles hard without feeling as much soreness.
If you’re not sure if you have high pain tolerance, then it’s probably best to err on the side of caution and assume that you do.
This doesn’t mean you can’t make your biceps sore, it just means that you might have to work a little harder to do so, but remember that soreness isnt always a sign of progress.
You might not be doing enough warm-ups
If you’re not doing any warm-ups before your workouts, then you might not be giving your muscles enough time to prepare for the exercise.
Warm-ups are important because they help increase blood flow to your muscles and reduce the risk of injury.
To warm up properly, you should do some light cardio and dynamic stretching.
You can also use a foam roller to massage your muscles before working out.
Doing a proper warm-up will help your muscles be better prepared for the exercise, and might help you feel less sore afterwards.
Not tucking elbows in
If your elbows are flaring out to the sides when you’re doing bicep curls, then you’re not using proper form and you won’t be isolating the biceps as much as you could.
When your elbows are flared out, it puts unnecessary stress on your shoulders and increases the risk of injury.
To fix this, tuck your elbows in close to your sides and keep them there throughout the entire exercise.
You might also want to try using a narrower grip on the barbell or dumbbell.
This will help keep your elbows in and help you focus on using your biceps to curl the weight.
Leaning
When you lean back during bicep curls, it takes the focus off the biceps and puts it on the shoulders and lower back.
This can lead to injury and it also means you’re not using proper form.
To fix this, keep your back straight and your core engaged throughout the entire exercise.
Only curl the weight up as far as you can while keeping good form.
If you start to lean back, then the weight is too heavy and you need to lower the amount of weight you’re using.
You might not be giving your muscles time to recover
If you’re working out your biceps too often, then you might not be giving your muscles enough time to recover.
You should wait at least 48 hours in between bicep workouts to give your muscles time to rest and repair.
If you don’t give your muscles time to recover, then you might start to experience joint pain, muscle weakness, and fatigue.
All of these can lead to injury, so it’s important to make sure you’re giving your muscles the time they need to recover.
If you want to work your biceps more than once a week, then you can split up your workouts so that you’re focusing on different exercises each time.
For example, you can do bicep curls one day, and then do chin-ups or triceps exercises the next.
This will help ensure that you’re not overworking your biceps and putting yourself at risk of injury.
You might not be eating enough protein
If you’re not eating enough protein, then your muscles won’t have the building blocks they need to repair and grow.
Protein is essential for muscle growth, so if you’re not eating enough of it, then you’re not giving your muscles the nutrients they need to grow.
Aim to eat at least 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight every day.
You can get your protein from animal sources such as chicken, beef, and fish, or from plant-based sources such as tofu, legumes, and quinoa.
If you’re having trouble meeting your protein needs from food alone, then you can also supplement with a protein powder.
You might not be using enough weight
If you’re not using enough weight, then you won’t be challenging your muscles and you won’t see much progress.
To build muscle, you need to lift weights that are heavy enough to fatigue your muscles.
If you can curl the weight for more than 12 reps without your muscles starting to feel fatigued, then the weight is too light and you need to increase it.
Aim for 8-12 reps per set.
If you can only do 6 reps, then the weight is too heavy and you need to lower it.
Related: Do Kettlebell Cleans Work Biceps? (All You Need To Know Here)
Change your grip
If you always do bicep curls with a palms-up grip, then you’re not going to see much progress.
To really work your biceps, you need to change up your grip. Try doing palms-down curls, or hammer curls with one hand facing in and one hand facing out.
You can also try using an overhand grip or an underhand grip. The key is to mix things up and keep your muscles guessing.
Lack intensity
If you’re not working hard enough, then you’re not going to see results.
In order to build muscle, you need to challenge your muscles and push yourself outside of your comfort zone.
If you’re not feeling the burn in your muscles, then you need to increase the weight or the number of reps you’re doing.
To see results, you need to be working hard and pushing yourself. If you’re not doing enough sets or reps, then you’re not going to see results.
In order to build muscle, you need to do a lot of volume. You should be doing at least 3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise.
If you’re not doing enough sets or reps, then you’re not giving your muscles the stimulus they need to grow.
Isolate with preacher or concentration curl
If you want to really isolate your biceps, then you can try using a preacher curl or a concentration curl. Preacher curls and concentration curls are great exercises for building peak biceps.
To do a preacher curl, you need to sit at a preacher bench with a weight in your hand. From there, you simply curl the weight up and squeeze your biceps at the top of the curl.
To do a concentration curl, you need to sit with your legs apart, your elbow tucked into your inner thigh and the weight in your hand. From there, you simply curl the weight up and squeeze your biceps at the top of the curl.
Not using tension during exercise
If you’re not using tension during your biceps exercises, then you’re not going to see results.
To build muscle, you need to create tension in your muscles. This can be done by using a weight that’s heavy enough to challenge your muscles, or by doing slow and controlled reps.
If you’re not using enough weight, or if you’re not doing your reps slowly and controlled, then you’re not going to see results.
You need to focus on using tension during your exercises in order to see results.
Not using progressive overload
If you’re not using progressive overload, then you’re not going to see results.
Progressive overload is the process of gradually increasing the amount of weight you’re lifting, or the number of reps you’re doing.
If you’re not increasing the amount of weight you’re lifting or the number of reps you’re doing, then you’re not going to see results.
You need to constantly challenge your muscles by increasing the amount of weight you’re lifting or the number of reps you’re doing.
Rushing the movement
If you’re rushing the movement, then you’re not going to see results.
To build muscle, you need to focus on the mind-muscle connection. This means that you need to focus on the muscle you’re trying to work, and really feel the muscle working as you lift the weight.
If you’re not focusing on the muscle you’re trying to work, then you’re not going to see results.
You need to focus on the mind-muscle connection and really feel the muscle working as you lift the weight.
Change how you curl
If you want to build bigger biceps, then you need to change and mix up how you curl.
There are a few things you can do to change how you curl:
- Use a heavier weight
- Increase the time under tension
- Use negative reps
- Focus on the eccentric (negative) portion of the curl
If you’re not using a heavy enough weight, or if you’re not increasing the time under tension, then you’re not going to see results.
You need to challenge your muscles by using a heavier weight, or by increasing the time under tension.
Negative reps and focusing on the eccentric portion of the curl are also great ways to challenge your muscles and see results.
Muscles are used to exercises
If your muscles are used to the exercises you’re doing, then you’re not going to see results.
Your muscles adapt to the exercises you do, so you need to constantly change up your exercises in order to see results.
You can change up your exercises by doing different exercises, or by changing the order of your exercises. You need to constantly change up your exercises in order to see results.
Following some of these ideas will help you see results from your biceps training. If you aren’t obtaining any benefits from your biceps exercises, double-check that you’re doing them correctly.
Building bigger biceps takes time and effort, but if you’re consistent with your training and you’re using the right exercises, then you will see results.
Gauge progress with weight, strength and aesthetics
The best way to gauge progress is with a combination of weight, strength and aesthetics.
If you’re getting stronger and you’re able to lift heavier weights, then that’s a good sign that you’re making progress.
If you’re starting to see changes in your body composition and you’re beginning to look more muscular, then that’s also a good sign that you’re making progress.
Ultimately, the best way to gauge progress is with a combination of weight, strength and aesthetics. If you’re seeing changes in all three of these areas, then you can be confident that you’re on the right track.
Final thoughts…
Building bigger biceps takes time and effort, but if you’re consistent with your training and you’re using the right exercises, then you will see results.
Lastly, don’t forget to be patient! Results won’t appear in a day or two, but if you stick to your routine, you will see results.
Remember to focus on the mind-muscle connection, and use a variety of exercises and weights in order to see results.
Are your biceps never sore after a workout? Let us know in the comments below.
