Brachialis Exercises to Build Bigger & Stronger Arms

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

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

All the muscles that make up what most guys consider their biceps—the biceps brachii (long and short heads), as well as the Brachialis and brachioradialis (forearm)—must all receive some tough and exhausting love to achieve attention-grabbing guns.

Why Should You Train the Brachialis Muscle?

Gym-bros typically place a high emphasis on training the Biceps as they are considered the most significant arm muscle, but if really you want to improve the shape and size of your arms, you might start working on your brachialis.

If you start indulging in Brachialis exercises that will target your brachialis, you will be able to witness the projection of a massive arm.

Since the Brachialis is underneath the Biceps, growing them will push the Biceps up and out further, making your arms look bigger arms.

The Brachialis also makes the Arms look thicker and broader from the front since parts of the Brachialis are visible, lateral to the Biceps.

As the Brachialis grows, this will widen out the arms, making your arms look bigger from all angles.

To build the bigger and impressive arms first, we needed to understand the anatomy and functionality of the brachialis muscle, training principles and best brachialis exercises which help to perform the brachialis workout at the best level.

Know About Brachialis Muscle

There are three muscles on the upper arm that are parallel to the long axis of the humerus, the biceps brachii, the brachialis, and the triceps brachii.

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 (short and Long Head).

The brachialis muscle is one of the primary muscles in the upper arm. It is responsible for flexing the arm at the elbow joint.

Triceps brachii are a three-headed muscle opposite of the biceps.

What Is the Brachialis ?

The Brachialis is one of the three major elbow flexors and one of the largest muscles in the arms. The Brachialis serves as the main elbow flexor and is located underneath the Biceps Brachii.

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

How To Build Bigger Brachialis

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

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

Learn how to keep the proper posture and how you can increase the weights at a slow and steady pace to flex your muscles only up to what is sufficiently required for you.

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

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

• Brachialis is most strongly recruited when you use a pronated or overhand grip
• Use a neutral grip, aka hammer grip: The neutral grip is probably best for recruiting the brachioradialis muscle
• The brachialis is composed primarily of fast-twitch muscle fibers: As a general rule of thumb, train in the 4-8 rep range when training the brachialis for hypertrophy and in the 1-5 rep range when training the brachialis for strength.
• Brachialis responds well to slower eccentric muscular contractions: As a rule of thumb, 2-5 seconds on the eccentric phase is a good place to start.

Benefits of Strong Brachialis

This is rather surprising considering that properly training the brachialis is absolutely critical if you want big, strong, healthy arms.

1. Stronger And Bigger Arms: Consistently training the brachialis will definitely help you build stronger and bigger upper arms.
2. Improved Performance: Training your brachialis will profoundly affect your performance in general, as many movements require elbow flexion. No matter what sport you play, building strong brachialis muscles can give you that extra edge over your competition.
3. Improve your pulling strength: Having a strong Brachialis is vital if you partake in sports where pulling movements happen, like rowing, CrossFit, and mountain climbing.
4. Stronger Brachialis Will Decrease Injury: By increasing the strength of your brachialis, you will drastically mitigate the chance of any elbow injury.
5. Improved Aesthetics: These exercises are simple to learn, and they can help you improve the appearance of your arms in no time.

10 Best Brachialis Exercises

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

1. Barbell Reverse Curl

The barbell reverse curl is a non-negotiable component of arm training. Sure, a standard barbell curl will still work the same muscles, but a reverse curl variation hits certain muscles a little better.

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

Other variations: Cable Reverse Curl.

Execution Technique

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 brachialis.

It is different from the regular bicep curl as it involves an overhand grip with a pronated wrist, instead of an underhand grip.

When it comes to building muscular hypertrophy and strength, the hammer curl exercise is one of the most popular brachialis exercises among bodybuilders and regular weightlifters.

Other Variations: Cable Hammer Curl

Execution Technique

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. At the top of the lift, pause for a second and squeeze your brachialis, then lower the weights under control.

Tips

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

Related Posts: 15 Best Biceps Exercises With Dumbbells For Mass & Strength

3. Chin Up

The chin-up is a strength training exercise. This is a bodyweight exercise that can induce serious muscle growth of the biceps and back.

In this exercise, the palms are faced towards the body. Since the lifter is pulling their own bodyweight, the biceps and brachialis are usually exposed to loads heavier than what one can lift with a barbell.

Execution Technique

1. Grasp a pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower.
2. Straighten your arms, keep your knees bent and cross your lower legs.
3. Retract your shoulder blades and pull your body up until your chin becomes aligned with the bar.
4. Pause for one to two seconds at the top, with the brachialis under maximum tension. Slowly lower to the start position.

Tips

• Don’t get in the habit of doing half reps and chasing numbers.
• Lower to almost full extension of the elbow but avoid locking out completely.

4. Close Grip Pull Up

The Close grip pull up is a strength training exercise. This is a bodyweight exercise that can induce serious muscle growth of the biceps and back.

While this isn’t a bicep-specific exercise like the previous ones, some of the best exercises for your brachialis are compound movements like this.

Execution Technique

1. Grasp the double pull-up bars and hang with your arms and shoulders fully extended.
2. You can cross your feet, keep your legs straight, or bend your knees.
3. Exhale as you pull your body up until your chin rises above the bars. Hold for a count of two.
4. Inhale as you lower your body until your arms and shoulders are fully extended.
5. Repeat the desired number of reps.

Tips

• Don’t get in the habit of doing half reps and chasing numbers.
• Lower to almost full extension of the elbow, but avoid locking out completely.

5. Zottman Curl

The dumbbell zottman curl is one of the best variations of the standard bicep curl. The Zottman curl utilizes different hand positioning at different portions of the lift.

The first portion, the regular curl, focuses on bicep strength. You can perform Zottman curls with both arms at the same time, or alternate the arm you lift with.

Execution Technique

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. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position using an overhand grip.
4. 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.

6. Cross Body Hammer Curl

The cross-body hammer curl is a dumbbell exercise that targets the biceps, brachialis, and forearm muscles. Rather than lifting the weights directly in front of the body, you lift them across the torso.

By lifting the weight across your body, you immediately place the long head of your biceps under more tension, which naturally makes it an excellent outer bicep and brachialis curl. Must add this brachialis exercises in your workout arsenal.

Execution Technique

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 left dumbbell upward, across your body, and toward your left shoulder.
4. Pause for a second at the top of the lift, squeeze your brachialis , then lower the weights under control.
5. Repeat with your right arm and continuously do alternating arms.

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.
• Throughout each rep, the wrists remain neutral.

7. Dumbbell Reverse Grip Concentration Curl

Reverse Grip Dumbbell Concentration Curl is a great basic move. When done correctly, it can effectively target your arms, forearms, and upper body.

The dumbbell reverse-grip concentration curl is an isolation exercise that targets the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles.

Execution Technique

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.

8. Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl

The dumbbell hammer preacher curl is a very effective exercise that targets the brachioradialis, brachialis, and bicep muscles. When you use a neutral grip, your brachialis muscle becomes considerably more active.

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 that target the brachialis muscle.

Execution Technique

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 brachialis.
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.

9. 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 reverse bicep preacher curl may be performed by a barbell, dumbbells, or EZ-curl bar. But Dumbbell Reverse curl better provides stability and the full range of motion.

Execution Technique

1. Adjust the preacher bench seat so that your arms are level with the top of the bench.
2. Grab a dumbbell on 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 brachialis.
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.

10. EZ Bar Reverse Curl

EZ bar tends to be much more comfortable for trainees and allows them to use heavier loads. This is because their grips are slightly more neutral, meaning there is less stress on the wrists. At the same time, they are still pronated enough to really target the brachialis. 

Execution Technique

1. Grab an EZ-Bar and place your hands on the angled grip.
2. Keeping your elbows in, bring the bar up to your chest by flexing the elbow.
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 brachialis
• Ensure that your elbows are kept close to your sides with your knees slightly bent, and your hands gripped tightly to the bar

Brachialis Exercises Training Tips

When setting up a training routine for your brachialis, you want to ensure you’re training them 2 or more times throughout the week.

Include both indirect and direct brachialis training. Compound exercises provide a strong mechanical stimulus due to lifting heavy amounts of weight. But it isn’t sufficient for directly stimulating the Brachialis, so using isolation and single jointed exercise will ensure the Brachialis receives optimal stimuli for training.

Training Volume (Sets and Reps)

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.

When a certain amount of volume stops being effective and your progress stalls, you can add sets to increase volume and use that as a driver of renewed progress. 

Reps

The best rep ranges and loads to work with.

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

The load should bring your to or near failure within the given rep ranges to be effective. 

Brachialis Exercises Workout Samples

If your long head is lagging, and you really want to build a big bicep peak, you can prioritize it, but still don’t forget about your short head. 

Brachialis Workout plan #1

1. Chin Up: 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
2. Barbell Reverse Curl: 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
3. Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

Brachialis Workout plan #2

1. Dumbbell Drag Curl: 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
2. EZ Bar Reverse Curl : 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
3. Cross-Body Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps.

Stretch Your Brachialis

Ensure you’re stretching your brachialis since a chronically tight brachialis will leave your arms in a bent position. This will also tighten the other elbow flexors as they are also left in a shortened position during rest.

• Elbow Extension Stretch
• Myofascial Release on the Lateral Arm

Takeaways

Exercises like the hammer curl, reverse curl, and Zottman curl allow you to lift with your forearms turned inward, which is the best way to target this underrated muscle.

These moves take your biceps out of the picture, putting more strain on your brachialis and making them more prominent.

If done correctly, these brachialis exercises should help you build up that impressive arms.

People Also Asked

What exercise works the brachialis?

There are many exercises that work the brachialis. If you want to focus on the brachialis during training, use a pronated and Use a neutral grip, aka hammer grip. Have a look at the brachialis exercises mentioned below that will help you build bigger and stronger forearm.

• Barbell Reverse Curl
• Hammer Curl
• Chin Up
• Zottman Curl
• Dumbbell Reverse Grip Concentration Curl

Does brachialis make your arm bigger?

When you train the brachialis for muscle hypertrophy, you will increase the arm size. Brachialis is underneath the Biceps, growing them will push the biceps up and out further, making your arms look bigger arms.

Should I workout the brachialis?

To build bigger and impressive arms, we need to workout the biceps and brachialis. Increasing brachialis size will make your upper arm appear thicker from the front, and it will also make your biceps appear more significant. It is also an important muscle for any pulling motions, like climbing.

Do hammer curls work the brachialis?

Hammer curls are one of the best exercises to train the brachialis. Hammer curls are more effective than traditional curls because they use a neutral grip, which is better than a regular curl, which uses a supinated grip. With your palms facing inward, you are able to place more emphasis on the brachialis.

Do pull ups work the brachialis?

The pull-up and chin-up are great exercises that work the brachialis. The pull-up is the obvious choice if you want to train your brachialis.

Chin up and pull-up is usually done slowly because you are lifting a lot of weight, especially at the bottom of the movement, which will make the brachialis work harder.

How do you hit a brachialis with dumbbells?

There are many dumbbell exercises that work the brachialis, such as the Hammer Curl, Zottman Curl, and Dumbbell Reverse Grip Concentration Curl. When done correctly, it can effectively target your arms and forearms.

Do reverse curls work brachialis?

Reverse curls are one of the best exercises to train the brachialis. Reverse curls are more effective than traditional curls because they use a pronated or overhand grip, which is better than a regular curl, which uses a supinated grip. With your palms facing downward, you are able to place more emphasis on the brachialis.

Related Posts

• 15 Best Biceps Exercises With Dumbbells
• Reverse Bicep Curl: Muscle Worked, Benefits, Variations
• 10 Best Bicep Exercises to Build Bigger and Stronger Arms
• 12 Best Long Head Bicep Exercises For Massive Peaks
• Best Biceps Dumbbell Exercises at Home for Bigger Arms

12 Best BRACHIALIS EXERCISES for Thicker & Stronger Arms (Video)