When you think about building your arms, your mind likely goes straight to training your biceps. But did you know there’s a secret muscle hiding underneath that can take your upper arms to another level? The brachialis is an often-overlooked muscle that can make your arms look even bigger.
If, despite all your effort, your arms still look narrow from the front, training the brachialis can fix that. The biceps brachii are great at building a peak in the arm, but the underlying muscle really brings it all together by providing width. Explore the eight best brachialis exercises to start building wider biceps today.
What Is the Brachialis?
The brachialis is a flat muscle in the upper arm located underneath the biceps brachii. While the biceps brachii tends to receive more attention, the brachialis is crucial to elbow flexion. Its primary function is to bend the forearm at the elbow joint, but it also supports elbow joint stabilization.
Understanding the Brachialis Muscle Anatomy
Understanding the brachialis anatomy is useful for building a stronger mind-to-muscle connection, so you can more actively engage the muscle during your workouts.
The brachialis sits deep to the biceps brachii, meaning it sits underneath the biceps muscle. It originates from the anterior surface of the distal half of the humerus and inserts into the tuberosity of the ulna. Because it inserts into the ulna, the brachialis is a pure elbow flexor and does not support pronation or supination.
What Are the Best Exercises to Strengthen the Brachialis?
While it’s not possible to isolate the brachialis due to the biceps brachii's involvement in elbow flexion, there are ways to maximize its activation. One of the main ways, as you’ll soon find out, is to employ pronated or neutral grips as opposed to supinated ones. Below are the best exercises to strengthen the brachialis.
Hammer Curls
Hammer curls are an effective bicep exercise that reduces the involvement of the biceps brachii. Bicep curls rotate the arm so palms face upward, activating the biceps brachii more effectively, but hammer curls keep a neutral grip to place the focus on the brachialis. Perform this exercise with dumbbells or with a cable machine, like the Speediance Gym Monster 2.
How to Do Hammer Curls:
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Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip, or with palms facing each other.
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Curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders, keeping your elbows tucked in at your sides.
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Pause at the top, then slowly return to the starting position.
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Repeat.
Focus on maintaining a neutral grip to minimize biceps involvement. You can also alternate arms to better focus on activating the right muscle or fix imbalances.
Cross-Body Hammer Curls
The cross-body hammer curl is a variation of traditional hammer curls. Instead of having the arm pointed straight ahead, this variation pronates the arm so it sits against the chest, further engaging the brachialis.
How to Do Cross-Body Hammer Curls:
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Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
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Curl one dumbbell across your body toward the opposite shoulder.
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Pause at the top, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat with the other arm.
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Repeat.
Keep your arm close to your chest and maintain the neutral grip throughout the exercise.
Reverse Curls
Reverse curls are another exercise that removes the reliance on the biceps and shifts the focus to the brachialis. The overhand grip used in this exercise ensures the brachialis remains more engaged than the biceps.
How to Do Reverse Curls:
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Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold an EZ-curl bar with an overhand grip, or with palms facing down.
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Curl the bar up towards your shoulders while keeping your elbows tucked in close to your sides.
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Pause at the top, then slowly return to the starting position.
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Repeat.
Keep a stable stance throughout the exercise. Avoid rocking and using momentum to lift the weights.
Zottman Curls
Zottman curls combine the bicep curls and reverse curls. This exercise targets both the biceps brachii and brachialis to build your biceps both high and wide.
How to Do Zottman Curls:
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Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with a supinated grip, or with palms facing up.
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Curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders while keeping your elbows close to your sides.
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Rotate your wrists at the top into a pronated grip, or palms facing down.
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Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position and rotate back into a supinated grip.
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Repeat.
Zottman curls exercise the brachialis while ensuring the biceps brachii aren’t neglected. This enables even muscle growth, avoiding muscle imbalances and promoting efficient gains.
Neutral Grip Preacher Curls
Preacher curls help isolate the arm muscles by immobilizing the rest of the body and requiring more effort from the arms. The neutral grip minimizes the involvement of the biceps and keeps the focus on the brachialis.
How to Do Neutral Grip Preacher Curls:
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Sit at a preacher curl bench and hold dumbbells with a neutral grip, or with palms facing each other.
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Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders while keeping your elbows pressed against the bench.
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Pause at the top, then slowly return to the starting position.
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Repeat for reps.
The preacher curl bench removes any assistance you might receive from your legs or back. You can also perform a single-arm variation to enhance bicep isolation and correct imbalances.
Pronated Grip Concentration Curls
Similar to preacher curls, concentration curls aim to eliminate any involvement from the rest of your body and focus solely on the arm muscles. The pronated grip minimizes the bicep involvement to maximize the brachialis engagement.
How to Do Pronated Grip Concentration Curls:
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Sit on the edge of a bench with your feet spread apart and hold a dumbbell with a pronated grip, or with palms facing down.
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Rest the back of your upper arm against the inside of your thigh.
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Curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder while keeping your upper arm pressed against your thigh.
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Pause at the top, then slowly return to the starting position.
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Perform the exercise for the chosen number of reps on both arms.
Neutral Grip Pull-Ups
Pull-ups are a popular exercise that primarily target the biceps brachii, but they can also engage the brachialis with a subtle grip adjustment.
How to Do Neutral Grip Pull-Ups:
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Place your hands on a neutral grip pull-up bar, allowing your palms to face each other.
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Breathe in and brace your core while you pull your chest up to the bar, flexing your elbows into your sides.
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Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
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Repeat.
Engage your shoulder blades throughout the exercise to create a stable base. Make sure you lower yourself in a controlled manner to keep the brachialis engaged throughout the whole range of motion.
Neutral Grip Seated Cable Rows
Seated cable rows primarily work out your back, but they also target the arm muscles engaged in elbow flexion. A neutral grip ensures you maximize the brachialis involvement.
How to Do Neutral Grip Seated Cable Rows:
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Sit at the cable machine with the anchor height set at about your lower chest.
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Use the triangle handle attachment to allow for a neutral grip.
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Pull the handle toward your lower abdomen by flexing your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
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Slowly return to the starting position.
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Repeat.
Maintain a straight back throughout the exercise to ensure your arms and shoulders are performing the exercise. Plant your feet and brace your core for a solid foundation.
The Benefits of Brachialis Exercises
Wider Arms
Most people who want to build bigger arms will focus on the biceps brachii. While this isn’t a bad idea, focusing solely on the biceps muscle will get you a bigger peak, but won’t make your arms look too big from the front. Training the brachialis increases the width, making your arms look bigger all around.
Improved Elbow Flexion
The brachialis is the primary flexor of the elbow. Strengthening the deep muscles improves your effectiveness in elbow flexion and, in turn, improves your effectiveness in other pulling motions.
Reduce Muscle Imbalances
Many gymgoers only focus on the biceps brachii to build their arms, which can lead to muscle imbalances. Targeting the brachialis promotes more balanced muscle growth and appearance.
Improved Compound Movements
As previously stated, the brachialis is the main driver behind elbow flexion. Because of this, strengthening the muscle can improve your performance in other compound exercises, such as pull-ups and rows.
Injury Prevention
The brachialis also helps stabilize the elbow joint. Strengthening it can help prevent injury during flexion and extension, especially when dealing with heavier weights.
Brachialis Training Tips
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Prioritize form before loading up on weight. Getting comfortable with the mechanics of brachialis exercises helps you maximize their benefits while reducing the risk of injury.
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Focus on pronation to best target the brachialis. This muscle is more engaged in elbow flexion when the forearm is pronated, prioritizing the brachialis over the biceps brachii.
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Employ the full range of motion during brachialis training. Going from full extension to full flexion engages the brachialis across its entire length.
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Avoid momentum when completing exercises. Swinging your arms or lifting with your body shifts the attention away from the brachialis. Create a stable base and focus on arm movement to fully engage the muscle.
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Use different grip widths to target different parts of the brachialis. A wider grip can target the outer part of the muscle, while a narrower grip can isolate the inner part.
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Use slower motions to fully engage the brachialis. If you flex your elbow too quickly, you’ll likely be recruiting your biceps brachii for the majority of the exercise. Slow and controlled flexion relies more heavily on the brachialis.
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Train with lighter weights to prevent injury. The brachialis is smaller compared to other arm muscles, so lighter weights with higher reps will help you strengthen the muscle effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Brachialis Make Your Arms Look Bigger?
Yes, the brachialis makes your arms look bigger all around. They make your arms look wider from the front, but because they are a deep muscle underneath the biceps brachii, they also push the biceps forward to create a more muscular appearance.
Is the Brachialis Stronger Than the Biceps?
Yes, the brachialis is considered to be stronger than the biceps due to its efficiency at elbow flexion. It’s the primary muscle used for elbow flexion, and while the biceps brachii assist in many functions, such as flexion, supination, and pronation, the brachialis is the main flexor of the elbow.
Can I Train the Brachialis at Home?
Yes, you can train the brachialis at home using dumbbells, curl bars, or resistance bands. You can also invest in a compact home gym like the Speediance Gym Monster 2 that allows you to do your favorite brachialis exercises at home, plus more.
Targeted Brachialis Training Builds Width, Balance, and Strength
Training your brachialis can take your arms to the next level. While strengthening your biceps brachii is effective at building a peak, targeting the brachialis can widen your arms to really fill out your shirt sleeves.
Build bigger arms at home with the Speediance Gym Monster 2. The all-in-one home gym allows you to do your favorite arm workouts, from various curls to seated rows. Adjust the weight resistance with pinpoint precision to work your way up to beefy biceps.
