The brachi-what? This lesser known muscle is actually the most important arm flexor you have. While the biceps get all the attention, underneath them lies the brachialis, an underrated muscle that plays a major role in arm strength and size.
If you're skipping direct brachialis training, you could be leaving serious gains on the table. In this article, we’ll bust myths about elbow flexion and show you exactly how to train the brachialis for stronger, more defined arms.
Table of Contents
- What is the brachialis muscle?
- Anatomy of the brachialis muscle
- Brachialis muscle function (and the other elbow flexors)
- The best brachialis exercises and brachialis workout
- Training tips and hints for optimal brachialis training
- Benefits of training the brachialis muscle
What Is The Brachialis Muscle?
When people think of “elbow flexion”, they generally think of the biceps brachii. While not entirely wrong, there are actually 3 main muscles involved with elbow flexion, and the biceps are not the primary flexors.
- Brachioradialis: The brachioradialis muscle is an elbow flexor that sits on the posterior of the lower section of the arm. In other words, it’s a “forearm” muscle that crosses the elbow joint. Not only does it flex the elbow, but the brachioradialis is also a pronator and supinator when the elbow is flexed at 90-degrees.
- Biceps brachii: The biceps sit on the upper arm, and in addition to flexing the elbow, they are a very powerful supinator.
- Brachialis: The brachialis, what we’re all here for. We’ll talk about this the entire article, but the most crucial aspect is it only has one job; elbow flexion. Due to this, it’s actually the strongest elbow flexor.
The brachialis muscle is a deep muscle that runs beneath the belly of the biceps brachii and is situated on the upper arm on the anterior side.
The brachialis origin is slightly higher than middle way up the upper arm and the brachialis insertion is located a few centimeters past the elbow joint on the ulna. If you were to look at the elbow, it sits in the crook of your elbow joint.
The 7 Best Brachialis Exercises
Here we go, the best brachialis exercises that you can do.
1. Pull-up
Often hailed as the king of bodyweight exercises, the pull-up is a must for building a strong, muscular back. But it’s also highly effective for training the brachialis, thanks to its pronated grip.
The slow, controlled tempo—especially at the bottom—places extra tension on the brachialis, promoting growth. Plus, pull-ups are easy to progressively overload with added weight and ideal for incorporating heavy negatives, which we’ll cover later.
How To:
- Grip the bar with a pronated (overhand) grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart
- Hang fully with arms extended and shoulders engaged (not shrugged)
- Brace your core and avoid swinging or kicking
- Pull your chest toward the bar by driving your elbows down and back
- Pause briefly at the top with your chin over the bar
- Lower slowly back to a full hang, controlling the descent
- Repeat for desired reps, maintaining strict form throughout
Related: Pull Up vs Chin Up Muscles Worked
2. EZ-Bar Reverse Curl
Ironically, most people train their arms with supinated (underhand) curls, overlooking a more effective option for building elbow flexor strength: reverse curls.
Reverse curls use a pronated grip and follow the same movement pattern as regular curls—but target the brachialis more directly. The EZ-bar is often more comfortable, thanks to its semi-neutral grip, which reduces wrist strain while still activating the brachialis.
Further, the angle takes some of the stress of the forearms allowing greater focus on the brachialis.
To perform it, grip the angled handles, keep your elbows tucked, and curl the bar to your chest. Watch for elbow flare, and focus on controlled movement.
How To:
- Grip the EZ-bar with a pronated (overhand) grip using the outer angled handles
- Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and arms fully extended
- Keep your elbows tucked close to your sides
- Curl the bar up by flexing your elbows and lifting toward your shoulders
- Pause briefly at the top to maintain tension
- Lower the bar slowly and under control back to the starting position
- Repeat for desired reps, focusing on strict form and avoiding momentum
Related:
3. Zottman Curl
Zottman curls are a powerful dumbbell exercise that targets both the biceps and brachialis by combining supinated and pronated grips.
Start with a neutral grip at your sides, curl the weights up while rotating into a supinated (underhand) grip, then at the top, switch to a pronated (overhand) grip and lower slowly.
You can reverse the motion—curl up pronated, lower supinated—for variation. This move can be done standing, seated, or on a preacher bench.
Focus on a slow eccentric phase, as it places greater stress on the brachialis, increasing growth.
How To:
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip at your sides
- Curl the weights up while rotating your palms into a supinated (underhand) position
- At the top of the curl, rotate your palms into a pronated (overhand) grip
- Lower the dumbbells slowly with the pronated grip, controlling the eccentric phase
- At the bottom, rotate back to a neutral grip to reset
- Repeat for desired reps, alternating between supinated concentric and pronated eccentric phases
- Keep your elbows close to your sides and avoid using momentum
Related: 5 Best Zottman Curl Variations
4. Hammer Curls With Rope Attachment
Hammer curls use a neutral grip which are highly effective for targeting the brachialis. This grip also allows you to lift heavier loads, making it ideal for progressive overload.
While the biceps are somewhat involved, hammer curls emphasize the brachialis and brachioradialis—another key but often overlooked elbow flexor.
We recommend using a rope attachment on a cable machine, as it provides a smoother, more natural motion than dumbbells.
You can try stepping back as it causes changes in the angle and adds variety to the stimulus.
How To:
- Attach a rope to the low pulley on a cable machine
- Stand tall and grip the rope with a neutral grip (palms facing each other)
- Keep your elbows tucked in and arms fully extended
- Curl the rope upward by flexing your elbows, keeping your palms facing in
- Pull the rope slightly apart at the top to maximize contraction
- Squeeze briefly, then lower the rope back to the starting position under control
- Repeat for desired reps, maintaining a steady, controlled motion throughout
5. Cable Reverse Curl With Straight Bar
While the EZ-bar is great for reverse curls with barbells, we recommend the reverse cable curl for added versatility.
Using a straight or EZ-bar attachment on a cable machine lets you step back and adjust the resistance angle, which reduces wrist strain compared to a barbell. For best results, use lighter weight and aim for higher reps to keep tension on the brachialis and avoid joint discomfort.
How To:
- Attach a straight bar to the low pulley on a cable machine
- Stand upright and grip the bar with a pronated (overhand) grip, hands shoulder-width apart
- Keep your elbows close to your sides and arms fully extended
- Curl the bar upward by flexing your elbows, bringing it toward your chest
- Squeeze at the top while keeping tension on your brachialis
- Lower the bar slowly back to the starting position
- Repeat for desired reps, maintaining strict form and avoiding momentum
Related: Best Cable Arm Exercises
6. EZ-Bar Preacher Curl With Pronated Grip
Preacher curls are a classic for isolating the elbow flexors by locking your arms in place and eliminating momentum.
While typically used for biceps, you can target the brachialis by switching to a pronated grip.
Start light and avoid heavy, slow eccentrics—this movement is highly effective and can cause significant muscle soreness if overdone. Use strict form and controlled reps for safe, effective training.
How To:
- Sit at a preacher bench and rest your upper arms on the pad
- Grip the EZ-bar with a pronated (overhand) grip using the outer angled handles
- Start with your arms fully extended and the bar just above the bottom position
- Curl the bar upward by flexing your elbows, keeping your upper arms fixed on the pad
- Pause at the top to squeeze your brachialis
- Lower the bar slowly and under control to the starting position
- Repeat for desired reps, avoiding any swinging or shoulder movement
Related: Biceps 21s
7. Cross-Body Dumbbell Curl
Crossbody dumbbell curls blend elements of a hammer and traditional curl, offering a unique way to target the brachialis and biceps.
Start with a neutral grip at your sides, then curl each dumbbell diagonally across your body toward the opposite shoulder, keeping your palm facing in.
This angled motion shifts tension, providing a fresh stimulus for both the brachialis and biceps, making it an excellent variation for arm development.
How To:
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip (palms facing in)
- Keep your arms at your sides and elbows close to your torso
- Curl one dumbbell diagonally across your body toward the opposite shoulder
- Keep your palm facing your body throughout the movement
- Squeeze at the top, then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position
- Alternate arms and repeat for desired reps
- Maintain control and avoid swinging or using momentum
Related: 12 Best Dumbbell Biceps Exercises
Training Variables Of The Brachialis
When it comes to targeting the brachialis, there are a variety of variables you can use to target the brachialis. Some of these include,
- Using a pronated grip, neutral grip and supinated grip
- Include both compound movements as well as isolation exercises
- Slow eccentrics
- Wide range of reps
Still, there is good reason to believe that slow movements would work really well to train the brachialis, especially the lower portion.
Heavy, Slow Eccentric Contraction
Using a very slow tempo during the eccentric contraction (going down) can be just what you’re
missing in your brachialis workout. Let us explain.
The reason being is that the other flexors, biceps brachii and brachioradialis (sits on the forearm), have higher activation from 90-degrees flexion up.
Therefore, this means that the brachialis is left to function by itself during the bottom portion of the movement.
We then pair that with the effects of the eccentric contraction, there are two variables to consider;
- We are significantly stronger during the contraction
- The eccentric portion is more responsible for muscle damage.²
By putting these two factors together, you get heavy, slow contractions.
You can use this method for any exercise as long as you follow the basic premise. Load the weight so that it is sufficiently heavy, around 85%-95% of your estimated 1RM max. You’ll then follow these steps;
- Get the weight to the top position (you can cheat if needed)
- Allow the load to come down in a slow and controlled manner
- Aim for at least a 3 second eccentric, but longer would be even better
How To Program The Brachialis Exercises
As the brachialis is the part of the arm, it’s quite apparent that you will perform these exercises with your arm session or pulling session.
As far as the load and rep range, you would be better off having variety. However, you may want to favor the heavier loads to possibly take advantage of the “training for fiber types” theory.
One important aspect to remember with this theory is that while the evidence is not concrete in terms of benefit, it definitely isn’t going to hurt you. Basically, you don’t need to get into an argument on Youtube about it, but it may be beneficial to include it in your program.
As mentioned above, start off your single-joint brachialis-specific training with a heavy eccentric if desired, then move on.
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Benefits Of Training The Brachialis
Unfortunately, this very powerful elbow flexor isn’t trained to the extent of the biceps. As we are visual creatures, this can limit our importance on things we can’t see, such as the brachialis.
That would be a pretty silly thing to do, as training the brachialis will provide a list of significant fitness variables. Here are the top benefits from training the brachialis.
1. Produce Stronger Arms
You just can’t have strong arms without a pair of strong brachialis. It’s as simple as that.
The brachialis is responsible for up to 60% of the tension placed on the arm during flexion movements, a considerable amount.
In other words, brachialis will either make or break your time in the gym.
In fact, if you are concerned with strength, the brachialis should actually be your primary concern due to the high involvement in producing strength.
2. Improve Performance
Training your brachialis will profoundly affect your performance in general as many movements require elbow flexion. Below is just a shortlist of pulling movements that depend on strong elbow flexion.
- Chin-ups and Pull-ups
- Bent Over Rows
- Dumbbell Rows
- T-Bar Rows (pronated grip)
That list can go much further. Basically, any movement that requires elbow flexion will improve after training your brachialis. This is why dumbbell forearm exercises are a must!
3. Build Bigger Arms
While you can’t actually see the brachialis as it sits deep under the biceps, training for muscle hypertrophy is still going to give you bigger biceps.
When you grow the brachialis you will increase its muscle mass which “pushes” the biceps out, creating a more expansive, fuller arm.
In fact, due to its location, a larger brachialis will have a significant effect on how large your arms look.
Related: Average Arm Size Chart
4. Decrease Injury
The elbow joint is a complex and vulnerable area, involving multiple muscles, tendons, and ligaments. While injury rates in lifting are low compared to contact sports, overuse can still lead to issues—especially if you're not careful.
One such issue is brachialis tendonitis, caused by repeated, forceful contractions that lead to inflammation and pain, often limiting arm extension.
At SET FOR SET, we like to say: “Strong things don’t break.” Strengthening the brachialis and its tendon not only boosts performance but also reinforces joint stability, helping to prevent injuries over time.
5. Improve Flexion Strength In The Pronated Position
Perhaps the one area where you will see the most significant effect is flexion while the arm is pronated. Think exercises like pull-ups, reverse curls, and bent-over rows (pronated grip).
As the brachialis is working solo during pronation, you need to specifically train it in this position.
However, as mentioned above, this is vital when the arm is in any direction as it has nothing to do with supination or pronation. It’s a one-trick pony. Still, it’s generally considered stronger in the pronation position, making it an important aspect to train
Differences Between The Biceps Brachii Muscle And Brachialis Muscle: Brachialis Function & Anatomy
One of the best ways to understand what makes the brachialis so unique is by comparing it to the better-known biceps.
Most people assume the biceps are the main elbow flexor—and it’s easy to see why. The biceps are highly visible, featured in every flexing pose, and dominate fitness magazines and Instagram.
However, the biceps are multi-functional and involved in elbow flexion, forearm supination, shoulder flexion and adduction,
So here’s the truth: the brachialis is actually the primary mover of elbow flexion, responsible for up to 60% of the force in that movement. In contrast to the biceps it crosses only one joint—and it has one job: to flex the elbow.
Because of that singular focus, it’s incredibly effective, making it the strongest elbow flexor in the body.
It’s Time To Really Start Training Elbow Flexion With The Brachialis
Who would have thought that all this time, you have been performing your elbow flexion training subpar? If you have, don’t sweat it. You rarely ever hear this information as the majority of fitness content is concerned with aesthetics rather than function. We at SET FOR SET believe you need both.
Now that you read this article, you now know why it’s so important to train the brachialis muscle for optimal elbow flexion strength. Even more indispensable, you know how to choose the right exercises to train the brachialis now.
To be clear, we love training the biceps, so you definitely want to keep doing that. All we’re saying is that you need to start to include some of the exercises from this article in your next training session. Trust us, train your brachialis for one month, and you’ll begin to see a BIG difference.
Related:
Prepare to maximize your gains with our exclusive 12-week hypertrophy training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and gain 2-12 pounds of muscle over 90 days...
References
- Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. “Do the Anatomical and Physiological Properties of a Muscle Determine Its Adaptive Response to Different Loading Protocols?” Physiological Reports, vol. 8, no. 9, 27 Apr. 2020, https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14427.
- Schoenfeld, Brad J., et al. “Hypertrophic Effects of Concentric vs. Eccentric Muscle Actions.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 31, no. 9, Sept. 2017, pp. 2599–2608, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000001983.
Garett Reid
Author