Sets, Reps, Etc

I am 17 years old and I want to develop strenght/size for my muscles. I weight about 135. I have simple questions.

  1. For Biceps, if I want to develop strenght. how many sets and reps and the % of my 1RM would I need to lift? And if I wanna develop big muscles?

  2. For the bench press if I want to develop a nice chest fast how much sets and reps and % of my 1RM would I have to lift? Or is the formula the same as biceps?

Although it is possible to develop your arms and chest in isolation, it is not a good idea. Check out the “Are You a Beginner II” thread at the top of the Beginners Forum. This will tell you a great deal, and definitely enough to get you started.

A variety of set/rep/weight schemes can be used effectively. Until you have a good idea how your body responds (like 5 years lifting experience) your best bet is to try some of the programs mentioned in that thread. By the time you have been lifting 5 years, you should be able to work out your own programs based on what suits you.

Diet is also important for gaining strength and size. This is also covered in the thread I mentioned.

Read that thread and come back with any questions. They should be sensible questions by the time you have read it.

Better off with simply eating more mate. Sure, add bicep curls if you want (probably dumbbell curls are a better idea than barbell, so you get even development early on), but really you just need to get some mass on your frame. I had the same problem, and still do. We just need to eat to get bigger.

Lift mostly compound movements. But if you wanna bring up your arms then sure, get the results which will motivate you to keep going.

Best of luck,

-Cloth

When it comes to sets/reps there are no magic numbers.

…3x10 , 4x6 , 2x20…
It doesn’t really matter.

Just make sure to stress your muscles and workout with intensity.
Don’t worry about the exact numbers of reps/sets,just remember that the last few reps should be very hard,almost impossible to complete.
This indicates you’re really doing a good job.