A “fitness focus” arm day — bis and tris together — is one of the most enjoyable training sessions in lifting. Small muscle groups, fast pumps, no central nervous system drain, and visible results faster than almost any other body part. The catch is that bicep-and-tricep day is also one of the easiest workouts to do badly: too much volume on the wrong heads, identical exercises every week, and no progression structure. This guide fixes all of it.
Below: the anatomy of the arms in plain English (and why it matters for exercise selection), the 12 best bicep and tricep exercises ranked by usefulness, three complete arm workouts for different goals, the rep ranges that actually drive growth, and the most common mistakes that stall arm progress for months at a time.
Arm Anatomy in 60 Seconds
Three muscles make up the bulk of the upper arm: biceps brachii (with two heads — long and short), triceps brachii (with three heads — long, lateral, and medial), and brachialis (sits underneath the biceps and pushes the bicep up when developed). To grow arms efficiently, you train each head and the brachialis with movements that bias them.
Biceps long head: the outer portion of the bicep, responsible for the “peak” you see when flexed. Trained best with movements where the elbow is behind the body or arms are extended back (incline curls, drag curls).
Biceps short head: the inner portion, responsible for thickness when viewed from the front. Trained best with elbow-forward movements (preacher curl, concentration curl).
Brachialis: sits underneath the bicep — when developed, it pushes the bicep upward and creates more apparent peak. Trained best with neutral-grip movements (hammer curls, neutral chin-ups).
Triceps long head: the largest of the three triceps heads, runs along the back of the arm. Trained best with overhead movements (overhead extension, overhead cable extension).
Triceps lateral head: visible from the side, gives the arm width. Trained well with pushdowns and pressing variations.
Triceps medial head: the deepest, less visible head. Engaged in nearly every triceps exercise.
To build complete arms, you cannot train just one curl variation and one tricep extension forever. The five sub-muscles each respond best to different movement patterns. Variety in exercise selection — not just rep range — drives full arm development.
The 12 Best Bis and Tris Exercises
Biceps
1. Barbell Curl
3-4 sets × 6-10 reps
The classic mass builder. Heavy enough loads possible to drive serious bicep growth. Use both hands wide and shoulder-width grips for variety.
Form cue: Keep elbows pinned at your sides — no swinging.
2. Incline Dumbbell Curl
3 sets × 8-12 reps
Lying back on an incline bench, arms hang straight down. The shoulder extension stretches the long head of the bicep, producing huge growth at the bicep peak.
3. Hammer Curl
3 sets × 8-12 reps
Palms face each other (neutral grip). Trains the brachialis and the long head of the bicep simultaneously. Possibly the single highest-leverage curl variation in existence.
4. Preacher Curl
3 sets × 8-12 reps
Arms supported on a preacher bench. Removes momentum and isolates the short head of the bicep. Great for adding bicep thickness.
5. Cable Curl (Bayesian or Standing)
3 sets × 12-15 reps
The cable maintains tension throughout the entire range of motion — no “rest” at the top. Excellent for higher-rep pump work.
6. Concentration Curl
3 sets × 10-12 per side
Seated, elbow braced against the inner thigh. Maximum isolation, minimum cheat. Often the last exercise of an arm session — finishes off the biceps.
Triceps
7. Close-Grip Bench Press
3-4 sets × 6-10 reps
The king tricep mass builder. Hands at shoulder-width, elbows tucked. Allows heaviest loading of any tricep movement. Best as the first tricep exercise of the day.
8. Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension
3 sets × 8-12 reps
Both hands holding one dumbbell behind the head. Lower under control until you feel a stretch, then extend. The overhead position emphasizes the long head — usually the lagging tricep head.
9. Tricep Pushdown (Cable)
3-4 sets × 10-15 reps
Standing at the cable, push the rope or bar down by extending your elbows. Hits the lateral head best. Perfect for high-rep volume work.
10. Skull Crusher (EZ Bar)
3 sets × 8-12 reps
Lying on a bench, EZ bar held above the head. Lower the bar to your forehead by bending only at the elbows, then extend. Targeted, effective, kind of intimidating-looking. Use moderate weight — no need to grind.
11. Dips (Bodyweight or Weighted)
3-4 sets × 6-12 reps
Body upright (versus chest-dip lean). Lower until elbows are at 90 degrees, then press up. Heavy compound tricep work — when bodyweight feels easy, add a weight belt.
12. Diamond Push-Ups
3 sets × 8-15 reps
Hands form a diamond (thumbs and forefingers touching) under the chest. Pure bodyweight tricep work — perfect for home workouts or as a finisher.
Workout 1: The 45-Minute Mass Builder
Heavy strength-style approach. Best for building maximum arm size when paired with adequate calories and protein. Run twice per week for 8-12 weeks.
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Close-grip bench press | 4 × 6-8 | 90 sec |
| Barbell curl | 4 × 6-8 | 90 sec |
| Overhead dumbbell tricep extension | 3 × 8-10 | 60-75 sec |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 × 8-10 | 60-75 sec |
| Cable pushdown | 3 × 10-12 | 60 sec |
| Hammer curl | 3 × 10-12 | 60 sec |
Total volume: 20 working sets across both arms. Heavy on compound movements (close-grip bench, barbell curl) for strength; targeted accessory work for the lagging heads.
Workout 2: The 30-Minute Pump Session
Higher-rep, shorter-rest hypertrophy session. Best as the second arm day of the week, or for advanced lifters running specialty arm cycles.
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Cable curl + Cable pushdown (superset) | 4 × 12-15 each | 45 sec |
| Hammer curl + Skull crusher (superset) | 3 × 12 each | 45 sec |
| Preacher curl drop set | 3 sets × 3-drop | 60 sec |
| Diamond push-ups to failure | 3 sets | 45 sec |
| Concentration curl finisher | 2 × 10-12 per side | — |
Brutal arm pump in 30 minutes. The supersets compress volume into a short window, and the drop set + finisher push the blood out the other side.
Workout 3: The 35-Minute Home / Dumbbell-Only
One pair of dumbbells (or two) and a bench is enough. Three rounds, 60-90 sec rest between rounds.
| Exercise | Volume |
|---|---|
| Standing dumbbell curl | 3 × 10-12 |
| Lying dumbbell tricep extension (or floor skull crusher) | 3 × 10-12 |
| Hammer curl | 3 × 10-12 |
| Overhead dumbbell tricep extension | 3 × 10-12 |
| Concentration curl (right + left) | 3 × 10 per side |
| Diamond push-ups | 3 × to failure |
Total time: 35 minutes including warm-up. Hits both arms thoroughly with minimal equipment. Perfect for travel days, home gyms, or busy commercial gyms when machines are crowded.
How Often to Train Arms
The ideal frequency depends on goals:
| Goal | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General fitness | Once per week (e.g., as part of a push or pull day) | Direct arm work supplements compound lifts |
| Hypertrophy / mass | Twice per week (one heavy, one volume) | The sweet spot for most lifters |
| Specialty arm focus | 2-3 times per week for 4-6 weeks, then return to twice | Short-term overreaching for stubborn arms |
| Strength only | Heavy compound + minimal isolation | Powerlifters often need very little direct arm work |
For most people: twice a week is enough. Once a week leaves growth on the table; three or more times a week tends to outpace recovery for the small muscle groups involved.
Common Bis and Tris Mistakes
1. Only training the heads you can see. The long head of the tricep makes up the bulk of the back of the arm — and it is only fully recruited in overhead movements. If your tricep training is all pushdowns, you are missing 50% of potential growth.
2. Cheating reps. Swinging the body to lift heavier weight is the fastest way to make a curl ineffective. Strict form with lighter weight produces much more bicep growth than sloppy form with heavy weight.
3. Same exercises every week. Bis and tris adapt fast. The exact same workout for 12 weeks plateaus around week 6. Rotate exercises every 4-6 weeks within the same movement categories.
4. Skipping the eccentric. Lowering the weight slowly under control is where 50%+ of the muscle damage comes from. A 1-second negative on every curl wastes most of the rep's potential.
5. Not progressing. If you are using the same dumbbells for 6 months and the same weight for the same reps, your arms have nothing to grow toward. Track and progress every session.
6. Doing arms before back day. Pre-fatigued biceps make rows and pull-ups harder and less productive. If you train arms and back the same week, do back first.
Nutrition for Visible Arm Growth
Heavy training builds the muscle. Nutrition determines whether the muscle gets bigger and visible. Three rules drive arm hypertrophy from the kitchen side:
Adequate protein: 0.8-1.0 grams per pound of bodyweight per day. The arms are made of protein — not enough of it and they cannot grow regardless of training stimulus.
Calorie maintenance or slight surplus: Building muscle is metabolically expensive. A 200-300 calorie surplus accelerates arm growth meaningfully. A deep deficit (more than 500 below maintenance) makes arm growth nearly impossible — you are signaling your body to break down muscle, not build it.
Creatine, daily: 3-5 grams per day. The most well-researched supplement in fitness, with measurable effects on strength and hypertrophy across literally hundreds of studies. Adds about 5-10% to working set strength within 4-6 weeks. Cheap, safe, effective.
What is not necessary: BCAAs (you are already getting them from protein), pre-workout (helpful but not essential), tribulus or testosterone boosters (largely ineffective).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long until my arms grow visibly?
Strength gains in 2-3 weeks. Visible muscle change in 6-8 weeks. Substantial arm growth (1+ inch added) in 12-16+ weeks of consistent training plus appropriate nutrition.
What is the best arm exercise of all time?
If forced to pick one bicep exercise: hammer curl (trains long head, brachialis, and short head simultaneously). Best tricep exercise: close-grip bench press (heaviest loading, most muscle mass involved).
Should I train bis and tris together or separately?
Both work. Together: efficient use of time, strong pump from the antagonist pairing. Separately (e.g., arms split across upper-body days): allows higher quality on each muscle. Beginners should train them together; advanced lifters can split them up.
Can I get bigger arms with just bodyweight?
Up to a point. Diamond push-ups, dips, chin-ups, and inverted rows produce real growth for the first 6-8 weeks. After that, progressive overload is hard without external resistance. A pull-up bar plus a single dumbbell extends the timeline considerably.
How heavy should I curl?
Heavy enough that the last 1-2 reps of each set are challenging while form holds. For most adults: barbell curl in the 50-95 lb range, dumbbell curl in the 20-40 lb range. The exact number matters less than the consistent challenge.
Why are my biceps growing but not my triceps?
Tricep growth lags when the long head is undertrained. Add overhead movements (overhead extension, overhead cable extension) and your tricep development will catch up within 8-12 weeks.
What about forearms?
Most arm training trains the forearms incidentally — gripping dumbbells and bars during curls and pushdowns hits the forearm flexors hard. If forearms still lag, add 2-3 sets of wrist curls and reverse wrist curls per week.
Can I do arm day every other day?
Generally no — recovery limits this. The exception: a 2-3 week “arm specialization” cycle where you train arms 3 times a week with reduced volume on other body parts. Useful occasionally; unsustainable as a long-term default.
The Bottom Line
Bis and tris training is one of the most enjoyable and visually rewarding parts of lifting. Cover the long head, short head, and brachialis on the bicep side. Cover the long, lateral, and medial heads on the tricep side. Run a heavy session and a higher-rep session each week. Progress weights and reps. Eat enough protein. The arms will grow.
Twelve weeks of one of the workouts above, run twice a week with progression, will produce visibly bigger arms — assuming the rest of training, sleep, and nutrition are in line. The arms are stubborn, but they are not that stubborn.
Related reading: 5 best long-head bicep exercises · Best short-head bicep exercises · Best resistance band arm workouts