Biceps and Triceps Workout Supersets to Gain Arms Size

Looking for a challenging workout for your biceps and triceps? Look no further than the superset workout! Supersetting is a great way to pack in plenty of work for both muscles at the same time, while also providing a great cardiovascular challenge.

It’s grueling and challenging, but it will leave your entire arm with a vicious pump and ensure that you’re hitting all critical arms muscles.

Arnold often worked biceps and triceps together in the same workout, going back and forth between exercises for each. He did the same for other opposing body parts, like the chest and back.

Let’s build some massively impressive arms with this biceps and triceps superset workout that maximizes your arm training and gaining! Learn how to perform this powerful exercise combination here!

Before diving into the arm superset workout, how to do them properly, let’s first understand bicep and triceps anatomy in order to effectively train and build bigger and stronger arms.

Know About Your Arm Muscles

Biceps Anatomy

The biceps brachii muscle (biceps) is a large, thick muscle of the upper arm. The Biceps Brachii is attached to the forearm bone called the radius and originates at the scapula in two heads (the Bicep gets its name from the two heads).

• The short head originates from a projection on the scapula called the coracoid and runs alongside the long head on the inside of the arm.
• The long head originates from a cavity in the scapula called the glenoid.

The biceps is one of four muscles alongside the brachialis, brachioradialis, and coracobrachialis muscles that make up the upper arm.

Triceps Anatomy

Triceps brachii, or simply Triceps, is a three-headed muscle opposite of the biceps and is responsible for 2/3 of upper arm mass.

It consists of 3 parts: the medial, the lateral, and the long head of Tricep.

It begins just below the socket of the shoulder blade and at two distinct areas of the humerus. Furthermore, it’s essential to focus on and work the three tricep head muscles for maximum gains.

What Are Superset Workouts?

Supersets are an efficient way to target different muscle groups by doing two exercises back-to-back without resting. By reducing the rest intervals, you can increase your heart rate and burn more calories compared to traditional sets.

Additionally, supersetting allows you to engage both your biceps and triceps in one workout session, instead of training them separately.

The biceps and triceps Workout Supersets superset session is one of your best training options. A combination of biceps and triceps exercises is the best way to increase your arm strength and endurance.

Types of Supersets for Biceps and Triceps

There are several types of supersets to incorporate into your biceps and triceps workouts.

Learn more about the different types of superset workouts and how they can help you achieve even more strength gains.

• Standard supersets involve pairing two exercises, one for the biceps and the other for the triceps, and completing all sets for each exercise before moving on to the next pair.
• A true superset (antagonist superset) is when you’re doing two exercises that target opposing muscles groups. Alternating supersets alternate back and forth between a bicep and a tricep set without taking any rest breaks in between.
• Compound set (agonist superset) where both exercises work the same muscle groups. Giant sets involve performing two or more exercises in succession with no rest periods in between sets.

Combine these types of supersets with varying implements (e.g., barbells, kettlebells, dumbbells and cable) to create an effective workout

Superset Exercises for Biceps

Popular bicep superset exercises include barbell curls, hammer curls, and concentration curls.

Start with a weight that you can lift for 8–12 reps without compromising your technique. Aim for 2–4 sets of 8–12 repetitions of each exercise to work your muscles to fatigue.

For heavier weights, you can reduce the number of sets or reps.

Want to focus on one arm at a time? Alternating dumbbell curls are great for working each arm independently.

Superset Exercises for Triceps

If you’re looking for an effective triceps workout, consider supersetting exercises such as the close grip press, triceps extensions, and overhead triceps extensions.

Start with a weight that allows for 8–12 reps (if you’re going for intensity, reduce the weight to allow for 12-15 reps).

Aim for 2–4 sets of 8–12 repetitions, although you feel free to add more sets if you’re feeling energetic.

Again, if you want to focus on one arm at a time, alternating dumbbell curls are excellent here too.

Tips For Form and Technique When supersetting

When executing a biceps-triceps superset, make sure to keep your rest times between sets as short as possible. This ensures that both muscles get the most out of the movement.

In addition, when doing either a bicep or tricep exercise, it’s important to focus on proper form in order to maximize effectiveness and avoid injury.

Be sure to keep your movements fluid and controlled while squeezing at the top of each rep. Pay attention to any weakness or imbalances in one arm compared to the other, and adjust your weight accordingly.

Finally, always make sure to breathe properly with each set by inhaling deeply before starting each lift and exhaling during each contraction.

Solid Reasons To Use Train Biceps and Triceps Supersets

There can be many reasons why you would want to program your training in a certain order. People who train for muscle mass will often keep a single muscle group for each training day. 

Training biceps and triceps on the same day can be effective, but how you do it depends on what you are training for.

You’ll organize the workout slightly differently depending on whether you are training for muscle mass or training for maximal strength.

Benefits of doing a Biceps and Triceps workout together

Here are the benefits of training biceps and triceps together on the same Workout Program:

• It is a time-efficient way of training: Supersets involve the intertwining of the sets between two exercises. You would perform a set for one of the muscle groups and follow on with a set of the opposite muscle group immediately before you then take a rest.
• It can help you gain strength: You will also notice that your strength for each exercise sometimes increases, as the nervous system seems to have an easier time recovering between sets when this technique is used.
• Allows For More Appropriate Training Frequency: If you train biceps and triceps together for one session, rather than two separate sessions, you can then train biceps and triceps again for another session. This means you can at least train arms at least twice a week. 
• Allows For Balanced Training Between Agonist-Antagonist Pairs: If you choose to train biceps and triceps together, one thing you can benefit from is making sure that you balance the sets and difficulty for each of the muscle groups through superset.  This ensures that you can build muscular balance. 
• It’s intense and will be challenging: Because there are no straight sets involved here. Every set will be a superset. For those that don’t know, a superset is two exercises performed back to back without rest in between.
• Convenient: Supersets are convenient and require no travel from one station to another. This is great for you because that means no one else will grab any equipment you’re going to need when you’re not using it.

If you’re looking for a new program to stretch the sleeves on your shirts, then keep reading because this is going to be the routine for you.

Superset 1: Barbell Curl With Lying Triceps Extension

S1 (a): Barbell Curl

The barbell curl is a highly recognizable biceps exercise that builds biceps muscle mass also trains the muscles in your forearms.

It’s a great exercise for seeing results in strength and definition.

A wide grip focuses effort on the inner biceps (short head), whereas a narrow grip target the outer biceps (long head).

Read More: Barbell Bicep Exercises & Workout For Mass & Strength

How To Do It

1. Hold a barbell at arm’s length, using a shoulder-width underhand grip.
2. Curl the bar up to shoulder level by bending your elbows.
3. Lower the bar back down to the arms’ extended position.
4. Repeat for desired reps.

Tips

• Your body should remain fixed. Only your biceps should be used to move the weight.
• Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your biceps.

S1 (b): Lying Triceps Extension

The lying tricep extension is an isolation exercise to build the triceps muscle group in the upper arm.

It is an overhead extension performed while lying on a flat bench and either using a flat barbell, EZ bar, dumbbell, two dumbbells.

A wide grip emphasizes the inner tricep (long head), whereas a narrow grip targets the outer tricep (lateral head).

Read More: 7 Best Barbell Triceps Exercises For Mass And Strength

How To Do It

1. Lie on a flat bench with your feet on the floor
2. Hold a barbell at full arm extension over your chest.
3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, slowly lower your lower arms to bring the bar down to your forehead, then push it back up.
4. Do not lock your elbows out, and repeat for desired reps.

Tips

• Keep the movement in your shoulders to a minimum.
• You should do this exercise slowly and carefully.

Superset 2: Standing Dumbbell Curl With Two Arm Dumbbell Extension

S2 (a): Standing Dumbbell Curl

Standing dumbbell Curl works the biceps muscles at the front of the upper arm and the lower arm’s muscles, brachialis, and brachioradialis.

It is the most effective biceps strengthening exercise for building arms that are not only muscular but symmetrical too.

Read More: 15 Best Biceps Exercises With Dumbbells For Mass & Strength

How To Do It

1. Stand straight, keeping feet shoulder-width apart, grab a pair of dumbbells by your side.
2. Your palms should be facing upwards. Tension should be on the biceps.
3. Slowly curl the dumbbells up as far as possible.
4. Then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.

Tips

• Do not swing the body back as you curl up the weight.
• The dumbbells should not touch your body.

S2 (b): Two Arm Dumbbell Extension

The seated dumbbell tricep extension is a variation of the tricep extension and an exercise used to isolate the muscles of the triceps.

It is particularly useful in targeting the long head of the triceps muscle. Having a larger and denser long head will give you an overall appearance of a larger tricep.

Read More: 10 Best Triceps Workout With Dumbbells For Mass & Strength

How To Do It

1. Sit on a flat bench, grab a dumbbell with both hands
2. Lift the dumbbell until your arms are fully extended with palms facing the roof and elbows pointing forward.
3. Bend at the elbows and squeeze your triceps, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head.
4. Slowly return to starting position.

Tips

• Perform the exercise using a slow and controlled movement from start to finish.
• Keep the head in a fairly neutral position.

Superset 3: Concentration Curl with Dumbbell Kick Back

S3 (a): Concentration Curl

This exercise should be a part of your arms exercise, as peaked biceps are very impressive to look at.

This exercise is done by bending at the torso using a dumbbell. Resting the upper arm against the thigh prevents movement at the shoulder and is an excellent way to isolate the biceps.

How To Do It

S2 (b): Dumbbell Kick Back

The tricep dumbbell kickback is a good exercise that works the triceps muscles.

It is perfect for increasing upper body strength, gaining mass in your arms, or toning them for aesthetics. It is considered a beginner-level exercise.

How To Do It

1. Place your right knee and palm on a flat bench so that your torso is parallel with the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell in the left hand and, keeping the left foot flat on the floor, press your left arm tight against your side with the upper arms parallel to the floor.
3. Extend at the elbow until your arm is straight back and fully extended.
4. Flex the triceps hard for a second, then return to the starting position.
5. Complete all reps on the left arm and then repeat on the right arm.

Superset 4: Cable Curl with Reverse-Grip Triceps Pushdown

S4 (a): Cable Curl

Unlike barbell or dumbbell curls, where the resistance varies during the lift, the cable pulley provides a uniform resistance throughout the movement.

The bicep cable curl is one of the best isolation exercises for the upper arm biceps muscle. It’s a pulling action performed with a cable machine and is suitable for beginners.

Read More: Bicep Cable Workout To Build Mass And Strength

How To Do It

1. Set up for the cable curl by attaching a straight bar to the low pulley cable.
2. Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, and your hands about shoulder-width apart.
3. Curl the bar up toward your shoulders by bending at the elbows.
4. Lower the weight down to the arms extended position.

Tips

• Stand upright with the spine straight.
• Keep the rep timing slow and control the weight as you lower it.

S4 (b): Reverse-Grip Triceps Pushdown

The tricep Pushdown with a reverse grip is a variation of the straight bar tricep push down, which focuses effort on the inner long head of the triceps.

Taking an underhand grip can minimize the involvement of the forearms and help to place less stress on the elbows.

Read More: Best Triceps Cable Exercises For Building Bigger Arms

How To Do It

1. Stand facing a high-pulley cable with a short straight bar attached to it.
2. Grasp the short bar with a supinated grip with your elbows tight against your sides.
3. Keeping your elbows stationary, straighten your arms until they are fully extended.
4. Pause at full arm extension, flex your triceps, and slowly return the bar to the starting position.

Tips

• Prevent your elbows from flaring out to maintain proper form.
• Focus on keeping your back straight and your chest high.

Superset 5: Incline Dumbbell Bicep Curls with Incline Dumbbell Tricep Extension

S5 (a): Incline Dumbbell Curls

Incline dumbbell curl is an excellent full-range exercise to build bigger muscles and also add variety to your Arm training.

This exercise is done on an incline bench with a pair of dumbbells.

How To Do It

1. Sit on an Incline Bench with a pair of heavy dumbbells.
2. Curl the dumbbells up to shoulder levels and then curl back to the starting position.
3. At the top of the movement, contract harder and let your palms face yourself.
4. Let the palms face each other at the end of the movement.

S5 (b): Incline Dumbbell Tricep Extension

The incline dumbbell tricep extension is an isolation exercise that builds muscle and strength in all three tricep heads.

It can be used by both those looking to build bigger triceps and those looking to increase their tricep strength.

The benefit of doing extension movements is that you can get a deeper stretch in the muscle to hopefully activate more muscle fibers.

How To Do It

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie against an incline bench.
2. Extend your arms over your shoulders with your palms facing each other,
3. And then slowly lower the dumbbells behind your head by bending your elbows.
4. Hold this position for a count and then with a controlled motion raise your arms back up to the starting position.

Superset 6: One Arm High-Cable Curl with Incline Dumbbell Tricep Extension

S6 (a): One-Arm High-Cable Curl

It is a great exercise for hitting the short (inner) head of the biceps, which builds width and thickness in the muscle.

There are two main versions of the high cable curl: one-arm and two-arm.

Both variations are effective, but the one-arm version allows you to use more relative weight for potentially greater gains in biceps size and strength.

How To Do It

1. Begin by standing sideways next to a high pulley machine and gripping the handle with one of your hands.
2. Slowly curl the cable towards your head, until you feel tension, and hold for a count.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
4. Repeat the exercise with your opposite arm.

S6 (b): Cable One Arm reverse Grip push-down

The cable one-arm reverse-grip tricep push-down is an isolation exercise that builds muscle and strength in all three tricep heads.

Now, push-downs are excellent regardless of the variation used, but the reverse grip may allow you to emphasize more of the outer tricep head.

How To Do It

1. Stand near the cable apparatus and grasp the single-grip attachment, with an underhand grip.
2. Keeping your elbows at your body’s sides, press the weight downward, while exhaling throughout the movement.
3. Slowly allow the weight to rise until your forearms are parallel to the ground, inhaling throughout the negative motion.

Training Volume (Sets And Reps) For Bicep And Tricep Muscles

Of course, the number of sets and reps will be determined based on your fitness journey, but here is a great starting point:

Sets

• Beginners: ~10 sets per week.
• Intermediate: ~15 sets per week.
• Advanced: ~20 sets per week.

Reps

• 6–8 reps with heavy load
• 8–15 reps with moderate load
• 15-20+ with light load

The Beginner, the Intermediate, and the Advanced

Regardless of your training experience, you can use this superset arm workout to build great Guns.

The only difference is in the number of sets you perform.

• Beginners will be doing a total of 6–8 supersets.
• Intermediate lifters will perform a total of 10–12 supersets.
• Finally, the advanced lifter is in for a massive 15–20 supersets.

Beginner Arm Superset Workout Plan:

1. Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 8–10 reps, superset with,
   • Two Arm Dumbbell Extension: 3 sets of 8–10 reps.
2. Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 8–10 reps, superset with,
   • Kick Back: 3 sets of 8–10 reps.

Intermediate Arm Superset Workout Plan

1. Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 8–10 reps, with,
   • Lying Triceps Extension: 4 sets of 8–10 reps.
2. Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 8–10 reps, with,
   • Two Arm Dumbbell Extension: 3 sets of 8–10 reps.
3. Concentration Curl: 3 sets of 8–12 reps, with,
   • Dumbbell Kick Back: 3 sets of 8–12 reps.

Advanced Arm Superset Workout Plan

1. Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 8–10 reps, with,
   • Lying Triceps Extension: 4 sets of 8–10 reps.
2. Incline Dumbbell Curls: 4 sets of 8–10 reps, with,
   •  Incline Dumbbell Tricep Extension: 3 sets of 8–10 reps.
3. One-Arm High-Cable Curl: 4 sets of 8–12 reps, with,
   • One Arm Reverse Grip Push-Down: 3 sets of 8–12 reps.
4. Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 8–12 reps, with,
   • Kick Back: 3 sets of 8–12 reps.

FAQs

What is the best exercise for activating your biceps and triceps?

While the bicep curl is probably the most traditional bicep exercise, the concentration curl has been shown to activate more parts of the body, making it the ultimate bicep exercise.

While the Triceps extension is probably the most traditional tricep exercise, the diamond push-up has been shown to activate more parts of the body, making it the ultimate triceps exercise.

How often should I train biceps and Triceps?

While there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to training, you should allow for at least two days rest for the next traiWorkout?ning session.

Can you train Triceps and Biceps together in the same Workout ?

Yes, you can train triceps and biceps together in the same workout regime. It’s actually preferred by many fitness gurus and bodybuilders to train them together.

How Many Sets and Reps Should I Do?

For just about every exercise of the biceps and triceps, 3–4 work sets (the real work you do, not warm-up sets) is a good choice. But rep ranges fluctuate. You can go as low as 5 reps on heavy presses, and up to 15–30 reps for accessory work.

Conclusion

For anyone interested in Arms strength and gain muscle, these Biceps and Triceps superset Workout are highly recommended.

It not only allows for targeted muscle development, but also provides strength.

It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details. If done consistently, the results will speak by themselves.

Thanks for reading, enjoy working on your Arms Workout!

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