Best Brachioradialis Exercises For Bigger Forearms

Having bigger, stronger forearms can give you a feeling of confidence. Muscular forearms can also convey a sense of athleticism and strength.

To develop an impressive forearm, you need to target the muscles from every angle. That’s right, we said muscles.

When it comes to growing their forearms, plenty of guys start and end with wrist curls and extensions. You can help to grow mass in your forearms by training a muscle called the brachioradialis.

And, training your forearms brought a lot of benefit’s: 

• Having better-looking arms 
• You received a significant advantage in other compound exercises.
• To enhance performance.

It’s quite simple, if you want your brachioradialis to grow and to get a vast, defined, and vascular forearm, then you need to do curls with your palms down. Or, if you just can’t bear to reduce your bicep stimulation, do hammer curls.

What Is the Brachioradialis?

Brachioradialis is one of the muscles that comprise the posterior compartment of the forearm. It is the most superficial muscle of the radial side of the forearm, forming the lateral wall of the cubital fossa.

Training the Brachioradialis is essential for building bigger forearms and for producing powerful pulling movements like chin-ups and rows.

If you start indulging in Brachioradialis exercises that will target your brachioradialis, you will be able to witness the projection of a massive forearm.

How To Target The Brachioradialis Muscle

If you are trying to build your Brachioradialis, you’ll have to focus on your Brachioradialis muscles present in the lower arm. Develop enough strength and keep working on it continuously.

For those of you who have been attempting to achieve stunning forearm, it is highly recommended to start performing the Brachioradialis workouts, set out to learn the best Brachioradialis exercises and techniques to perform that exercises.

There are many exercises that emphasize the Brachioradialis of the forearm. Many of them you probably already know, but maybe you didn’t realize they are best for the brachioradialis exercises.

If you want to emphasize the Brachioradialis during workout, four main techniques can help you achieve that:

• Brachioradialis is most strongly recruited when you use a pronated or overhand grip (palms down).
• Use a neutral grip, aka hammer grip, it is probably best for recruiting the brachioradialis muscle.
• Use a thumbless grip, this is crucial for reverse curls, but it also applies for the other brachioradialis exercises, thumbless grip will set your brachioradialis on fire.
• Brachioradialis responds well to slower eccentric muscular contractions. As a rule of thumb, 2-5 seconds in the eccentric phase is a good place to start.

Note:

• A EMG study by Michael R. Boland found that contrary to the belief that neutral forearm position results in the strongest brachioradialis activation, the greatest EMG activity from the brachioradialis actually occurs during elbow flexion movements, regardless of forearm position.
• A study by Tim Kleiber found increased electromyographic (EMG) activity of the brachioradialis muscle during elbow flexion movements starting from a pronated forearm position. This indicates the brachioradialis is highly active as an elbow flexor when the forearm is pronated.

10 Best Brachioradialis Exercises

Have a look at the Brachioradialis exercises mentioned below that will help you understand how to work out the forearm better.

1. Barbell Reverse Curl

The barbell reverse curl is a non-negotiable component of a barbell arm workout.

The reverse curl is a variation of the standard biceps curl except, instead of gripping the weight with the palms up (underhand grip), your palms are facing down (overhead grip).

The pronated grip that you are using will engage the brachioradialis muscles in order for you to be able to move the weight during exercises.

How To Do Barbell Reverse Curl

1. Grab the bar with a shoulder width grip with your hands on top of the bar (pronated 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.
• The motion should occur at the elbow.
• Ensure that your elbows are kept close to your sides with your knees slightly bent, and your hands gripped tightly to the bar.

2. Hammer Curl

The Hammer curl is a classic weightlifting exercise that targets the biceps and forearms. It’s very similar to the biceps curl, with the only difference being the neutral (hammer) hand position. It is one of the best exercises that you can do to build your forearm and bicep muscles.

You can do hammer curls in many different ways to keep your brachioradialis workout routine new and challenging. Try cable hammer curls and cross body hammer curl.

How To Do Hammer Curl

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees.
2. Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing towards your body.
3. Keeping your elbows close to your body, slowly curl the dumbbell up to your shoulders.
4. Pause for a second at the top of the lift, squeeze your biceps, then lower the weights under control.

Tips

• Raise and lower the dumbbell slowly. Keep in control of using your own strength, not using momentum or gravity.
• Neither lean back as you lift the weight nor lean forward as you lower it.

3. Zottman Curl

The dumbbell zottman curl is another brachioradialis exercise that can help you correct muscle imbalances between your forearms.

Many people focus solely on traditional bicep exercises, such as the barbell curl, but the zottman curl offers a unique and highly effective way to target your biceps from a different angle.

Different hand positions on different parts of the lift.

• The first upward portion: the regular curl, focuses on bicep strength.
• The second lowering portion: the dumbbell reverse curl allows you to overload the brachioradialis.

How To Do Zottman Curl

1. Hold a pair of dumbbells to your sides.
2. Keep your palms facing up as you curl the weights up to your shoulders. Pause at the top of the movement.
3. Slowly rotate your grip so your palms are facing downwards.
4. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position using an overhand grip.
5. When the dumbbells are close to your thighs, again turn your hands while returning to the starting position.

Tips

• Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
• Don’t go heavy. Choose a lighter weight and focus on perfecting your form.

4. Dumbbell Reverse Curl

If you want to build a bigger and stronger bicep and forearm, you should add reverse dumbbell curls to your arm workout routine.

The dumbbell reverse curl is a variation of the standard bicep curl wherein the dumbbell is held with the palms down. It targets your brachioradialis and many other muscles in your forearms. 

The motion is the same, but the change in grip allows for specific arm muscles to be targeted.

How To Do Dumbbell Reverse Curl

1. Stand straight, keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand using an overhand grip, and arms should be fully extended.
3. Keeping your upper arms stationary and your back straight, curl the weights up towards your shoulders, exhale as you do so. Use only your forearms for this movement.
4. Continue curling the dumbbells until they are at shoulder level and your biceps are fully contracted.
5. Return to the starting position in a smooth arc, inhale as you do so.

Tips

• Rotate the forearms slowly, excessive-velocity may cause issues within the elbows or wrists.
• Using a slow eccentric of the exercise can help to improve tension and mind-muscle connection.
• Be aware of proper weight and body mechanics at all times during this exercise.

5. Dumbbell reverse-grip concentration curl

Reverse grip dumbbell concentration curl is one of the best brachioradialis exercises, focus on squeezing your brachioradialis to flex your elbow at the top of each rep. 

It is an isolation exercise that targets the biceps brachii and brachioradialis muscles.

How To Do Dumbbell reverse-grip concentration curl

1. Sit on a bench with your legs apart, grab a dumbbell in one hand (say left hand).
2. With your left arm almost fully extended, rest your elbow against the inside of your left thigh. Pronate your wrist so that your palm faces backward.
3. Exhale as you curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder. Hold and squeeze your biceps for a count of two.
4. Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position.
5. Repeat with your right arm.

Tips

• Don’t lockout at the bottom of the exercise.
• Keep your back straight and your upper arm still.

6. Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl

Discover the secret to stronger and bigger biceps with the preacher curl. This time-tested bicep blaster stands out among the many bicep workouts.

The dumbbell hammer preacher curl is a very effective exercise that targets the brachioradialis, brachialis, and bicep muscles.

Using a hammer/neutral grip targets more of the brachioradialis and brachialis than the biceps. It is a great variation of the preacher’s curl.

How To Do Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl

1. Adjust the preacher bench seat so that your arms are level with the top of the bench.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral/hammer grip and rest your arm against the bench with your arm extended fully down.
3. Slowly curl the dumbbells up towards your head, keeping your arms on the bench at all times, until you reach the top position.
4. Hold for a count, squeeze and isolate your biceps.
5. Repeat the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

• Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
• Do not lock out your elbows to prevent a bicep tear.

7. Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curl

The reverse preacher curl is a variation of the standard preacher curl targeting your brachialis muscle, which lies deeper than your biceps brachii in the upper arm.

The brachialis and brachioradialis muscle help the flexion of the elbows, while the wrist flexors act as stabilizer muscles, undergoing contraction.

How To Do Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curl

1. Adjust the preacher bench seat so that your arms are level with the top of the bench.
2. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with a pronated (palms down) grip and rest your arm against the bench with your arm extended fully down.
3. Slowly curl the dumbbells up towards your head, keeping your arms on the bench at all times until you reach the top position.
4. Hold for a count, squeeze and isolate your biceps.
5. Repeat the desired number of repetitions.

Tips

• Make sure that you perform the movement slowly with controlled repetition timing.
• Do not lock out your elbows at the bottom of the reverse curl, as this can cause a torn bicep and takes tension off the muscle.
• Try to use a lighter to moderate weight.

8. Cable Reverse Curl

Reverse cable curl is an exercise machine exercise that primarily targets the brachioradialis.

There are, however, many reverse cable curl variations that you can try out that may require different types of reverse cable curl equipment. Must add this cable bicep exercise in your brachioradialis exercises arsenal.

How To Do Cable Reverse Curl

1. Stand up with your torso upright while holding a bar attachment that is attached to a low pulley using a pronated (palms down) and shoulder width grip
2. Keeping your elbows in, bring the bar up to your chest by flexing the elbow.
3. Contract the muscle and hold for a moment.
4. Slowly lower the bar back down to the arms’ extended position.
5. 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.
• Ensure that your elbows are kept close to your sides with your knees slightly bent, and your hands gripped tightly to the bar

9. Cable Hammer Curl

The cable rope hammer curl workout is a popular arm-focused exercise performed with a rope handle attached by a cable to a weight stack.

It uses a neutral (palms facing one another) grip, which targets the forearms and brachialis muscles in addition to the biceps.

How To Do Cable Hammer Curl

1. Attach a rope attachment to a low pulley and stand facing the machine.
2. Grasp the rope with a neutral (palms-in) grip. Put your elbows in by your side and keep them there stationary during the entire movement.
3. Pull your arms until your biceps touch your forearms. Hold for a second.
4. Slowly start to bring the weight back to the original position.
5. Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions.

Tips

• Stand straight up, keeping the natural arch of the back and your torso stationary.
• Remember to keep the elbows in and your upper arms stationary.
• Do the exercise in a controlled way so that your momentum does not contribute to the movement.

9. Close-Grip Pull-Up

If you’re looking for a way to work your brachioradialis without weights, pull-ups are a great option. The close-grip pull-up is an upper-body strength movement that targets your back, chest, shoulders, and arms.

The close-grip pull-up is harder to perform than a standard pull-up because your hands will be close to the center of your body, which makes the exercise more difficult. 

How To Do Close-Grip Pull-Up

1. Using an overhand grip, grab on to a pull-up bar with your hands spaced narrower than shoulder-width apart.
2. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended and your chest high, while exaggerating the arch in your lower back.
3. Pull yourself up by squeezing your shoulder blades together and contracting your lats until your chin passes the bar.
4. Hold the contraction at the top for a second before slowly lowering yourself back to the starting position.

Tips

• To decrease bicep involvement, use a thumbless grip.
• Go full range of motion and keep form correct. Avoid jerky movements and keep them controlled.

10. Bent Over Barbell Rows

Barbell rows might not seem like the most obvious of brachioradialis muscle exercises, but if you use an overhand grip, then they can add a surprising amount of mass.

• Spacing your hands shoulder-width apart or closer targets the central inner section of the lats,
• whereas a wider grip targets the outer lats.

How To Do Bent Over Barbell Rows

1. Stand with a narrow stance and grab a bar with an overhand grip.
2. Bend your torso forward at an angle of 45 degrees to the floor with the knees slightly, and let the bar hang in front of you.
3. Now use the back and raise the bar until it touches the abdominal region and not the chest region, as it reduces back muscle contraction.
4. Slowly lower the bar under control to the starting position.

Tips

• Do not use more weight than you can handle. This fatigues your spinal erectors and says goodbye to form.
• Exhale on pushing movement, and inhale when returning to the starting position.
• Hold a neutral spine throughout the movement to prevent injury.

Brachioradialis Exercise Tips

Now you understand the technique of excellent brachioradialis exercises.

I found that using simple tips can bring quicker results. Here are three essential pieces of information for your brachioradialis exercise.

1. Use Thumbless Grip

This tip is essential for achieving proper form when performing reverse curls, but also applies to the other brachioradialis exercises.

Because your thumb is not supporting the weight, you will need your strongest muscle in your upper arm, the brachioradialis, to do the exercises.

2. Curl Up With Full Range

Many people stop reverse curls at 90 degrees. This is the issue with why the forearm doesn’t grow properly.

The brachioradialis is the most active at the top of the rep, which occurs at 90 degrees. If you do not perform full range of motion, then you will be depriving yourself of gains.

3. Train With Slow Tempo, Moderate Weights, And High Reps

The brachioradialis and forearm are mainly composed of durable muscle fibers.

Slow tempo with moderate weights and high reps will help to train the forearm muscles.

With this training, your forearms will become significantly muscular, defined, and vascular.

Frequently asked questions

Do pull-ups work brachioradialis?

Pull Up (overhand grip) will mainly work the brachioradialis, but your brachialis muscle is also worked quite some bit.

Are Direct Brachioradialis Exercises Required For Forearm?

Don’t worry about doing the brachioradialis exercise if you’re a beginner. It’s important to remember that whenever you curl your biceps or pull your back vertically or horizontally, especially when your hands are pronated, you already stimulate the brachioradialis.

If you still want to train your brachioradialis without making it complicated, then follow the above-mentioned exercises.

Do I need to train brachioradialis?

If you already have a reasonable amount of training experience but find that your forearms are clearly lacking in size, and you want to improve their development, then these brachioradialis exercises are for you.

Or if building bigger forearms is a specific goal of yours, and you want to fully maximize your gains in that area.

As a general guideline, these exercises can be done 2-3 exercises 1-2 times per week for 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps each.

Takeaways

To achieve that thick, powerful look that a set of bigger forearms can create, well-developed brachioradialis muscles definitely play an important role.

I believe this method is more straightforward and saves time, although it still gives the effect of improving the brachioradialis.

References

• Kleiber, T., Kunz, L., & Disselhorst-Klug, C. (2015). Muscular coordination of biceps brachii and brachioradialis in elbow flexion with respect to hand position. Frontiers in Physiology, 6, 215. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2015.00215
• Boland, M. R., Spigelman, T., & Uhl, T. L. (2008). The function of brachioradialis. Journal of Hand Surgery (American Edition), 33(10), 1853-1859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2008.07.019

5 Most Effective BRACHIORADIALIS EXERCISES To Build BIGGER FOREARMS