7 Best Brachialis Exercises for Strong Well Built Arms

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Do you want to build bigger and stronger arms? Then brachialis exercises must play a vital role in your training regimen.

The Brachialis muscle

The upper arm contains several muscles. One of them is the Brachialis muscle that lies below the biceps.

The Brachialis muscle connects the upper arm bone to the forearm bones. Its primary function is flexing the forearms at the elbow joint. And because of the continuous movements between the arms and elbows, injuries to the brachialis muscle are frequent. A strong and healthy brachialis muscle will help you get a strong arm.

Many who want massive arms tend to concentrate on training the biceps and triceps. But including brachialis exercises in your training can help you get well-built and healthy arms.

Brachialis exercises can help you target and build the muscle for the well-rounded arms you’ve always wanted. Brachialis exercises will not only help you build bigger arms, but they will also help them grow stronger. That will make it easy for you to undertake more strenuous exercises and activities.

The brachialis may not be easy to see. But brachialis muscle exercises will allow you to curl better and lift heavy weights such as suitcases and groceries, among others.

Best brachialis exercises that can help build bigger stronger arms

Include these brachialis exercises in your upper body and arm-building training to help you get better results from your biceps exercises. That can give you massive and healthy hands that will stand out.

Preacher Curl

Preacher curls are a variation of the standard dumbbell curls. But preacher curls give you a better range of motion.

Sitting down with your upper arms on the padding of the preacher bench helps to target your upper muscles much better. You can directly target the brachialis and the brachioradialis in your forearm, making it one of the best brachialis exercises.

Preacher curls are also one of the best exercises for isolating the biceps.

You will need a preacher bench for the exercise. You will also need a straight barbell or an EZ Curl bar. Using an EZ Curl Bar will help reduce the strain on your wrists.

Required equipment: Preacher curl bench, EZ curl bar, Dumbbell, barbell, or weighted bar

Steps to follow

• Sit on the preacher bench and place the back of your arms on the pad. Adjust the seat to ensure your upper arms can comfortably rest on the pad
• Unsing an underahnd grip grasp the EZ curl bar. Keep your grips a shoulder-width apart. Look straight ahead and keep your back straight.
• Hold the bar at shoulder length with forearms bent slightly.
• Raise the weight and curl it slowly. Keep raising until you fully contract your forearms. The bar should be at shoulder height at this point. Ensure you keep the back of your upper arms firmly on the pad.
• At the top of the movement, squeeze your biceps forcefully and slowly lower the bar to your starting position until your arms fully extend in a controlled manner. Then, pause.
• Ensure you do not pause at the top of the movement. Instead, pause when you lower the bar.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps

Concentration Curl

Concentration curls allow you to isolate your biceps muscles much more than many other curl exercises. That is because you only move your elbow joints during the movements due to how you sit. That allows you to contract your muscles without using your shoulders.

It is one of the best brachialis exercises and will also target your biceps to help you build bigger and stronger arms.

• Place a dumbbell between your legs and sit on a weight bench.
• With one hand, grab the dumbbell and rest the back upper arm of the hand holding the dumbbell against your inner thigh. Use a supinated grip, that is, with palms facing up.
• Place your unoccupied hand on your knee to keep you stable
• Slightly raise your elbows by leaning forward into your leg.
• Raise the dumbbell and curl it to the front of your shoulders.
• Then, slowly lower the dumbbell back to your starting position in a controlled manner. Ensure you keep a slight bend in your elbows at the bottom of the movement. That will help keep tension in your biceps.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps.
• Change sides and go through the movement.

Required equipment: Weight bench, Dumbbell

Prone Incline Curl

The Prone Incline Curl, aka Dumbbell Spider Curl, is another exercise to consider when you want to target your brachialis.

You perform the exercise face down on an incline bench. That position puts your arms at a vertical angle, helping you to isolate your biceps without moving your shoulders.

The face-down incline dumbbell curls are some of the best brachialis exercises for building strength and adding size and definition to your biceps.

Include the spider curls in your training for a great arms day burnout.

Required equipment: Dumbbells, weight bench

Steps to follow

• Set the weight bench to 30-40 degrees incline
• With an underhand grip, grab a dumbbell in each hand, lie on an incline bench, and face downwards (prone position). Your palms must face up.
• Place your shoulders near the top end of the incline and your knees on the seat. You can place your legs on the floor on either side of the bench if you prefer.
• Allow your hands to extend downwards and naturally hang in front of you. They should be perpendicular to the floor in this position.
• Slightly bend your arms to put some tension on your biceps.
• Without moving your elbows, raise the dumbbells and slowly curl them until you fully flex your arms.
• Squeeze your biceps and lower the weights slowly back to your starting position, that is until you extend your arms fully.

Suspended Arm Curl

The Suspended Arm Curl or TRX Biceps Curl uses suspension cables or TRX Suspension Trainers instead of free weights for the training. The position challenges your body and forces you to engage your core. It also helps to target your Biceps Brachii and the brachialis.

It is an effective way to work your biceps, build strength, and improve your balance without lifting weights. It is one of the best bodyweight brachialis exercises worth considering for your upper body and arms-building regimen.

TRX Suspension Trainers are not expensive and are very easy to install. They are highly transportable making it easy for you to work out anywhere. They are worth considering for your home gym. 

Check out our recommended TRX All-in-One Suspension Trainer if you are yet to acquire one. 

Required equipment: TRX Suspension Trainer or similar

• Attach the suspension cables to an anchor point above your head and adjust the length to hang down at about mid-length
• Grab the handles and stand facing the anchor point
• Take a few steps back until you fully extend your arms. Ensure your arms are straight.
• Pull back your shoulders and, with arms straight, take a few steps forward to lean your body backward while maintaining tension on the cables. 
• Place your elbows at a height that is higher than your shoulders. Hold the TRX handles toward your head. Your palms must be facing you.
• Hold your body in a plank pose by ensuring it is straight from head to toe. 
• Then, flex your elbows and pull the handles toward your shoulders.
• Next, slowly lower your body backward in the direction of the floor until you fully stretch your arms.
• Repeat

Reverse-Grip Barbell Curls

Reverse curls are one of the best workouts for the forearms.

They are a variation of the standard biceps curls. But you hold the bar with hands facing down, not up.

The exercises can help build strength in those muscles that are often underutilized.

Reversing your grip to an overhand grip helps you target your forearms and brachialis muscles, making the reverse grip barbell curls one of the best brachialis exercises. Add them to your training routine to help you build stronger, well-toned arms.

You will need a barbell for the exercise. Instead of a straight bar, you can opt for an EZ curl bar which can help reduce the strain on your wrists.

Required equipment: EZ curl bar, barbell, or weighted bar

Steps to follow

• Grasp the barbell at shoulder width, using an overhand grip. That is, with palms facing down.
• Stand upright with your upper arms by your sides.
• Without moving your upper arms, raise the bar by curling it until you fully contract your biceps and the bar is level with your shoulders. Exhale as you do this
• Pause for a second at the top of the movement while squeezing your biceps
• Slowly return the bar to your starting position while inhaling
• Repeat for the desired reps

Hammer Curls

Dumbbell hammer curls are one of the best brachialis exercises that can help you strengthen the brachialis. The exercises will work the biceps brachii or biceps as well.

Holding the dumbbells with your palms facing inward instead of facing upward as you do with traditional curls helps target the brachialis directly.

Incorporate hammer curls in your upper arm training to help increase your curling capabilities.

You will need a pair of dumbbells for the exercises.

Hint:
Start with dumbbells of light-moderate weight. You could put too much stress on your tendons with heavy dumbbells. A heavier weight could also affect the momentum in the exercises, costing you the possibility of targeting the brachialis.

Required equipment: Dumbbells

Steps to follow

• Stand upright with a dumbbell in each hand. Keep feet about shoulder-width apart.
• Relax your knees and hold dumbbells with palms facing you and by your sides.
• Breath out and bring the dumbbells to your shoulders by flexing your elbows. Ensure you keep your wrists straight
• Squeeze your arms for a full second at the top of the movement.
• Lower the weights down in a slow and controlled manner while breathing in to complete a rep
• Repeat for the desired number of reps

Zottman Curls

The Zottman curls are another variation of the standing dumbbell curls.

It is another good exercise for strengthening your biceps.

The different hand positions help you utilize your strength to maximize the growth of your arms.

The first part of the exercise, a regular curl, focuses on the strength of your biceps, while the second part targets the building of your forearms.

The rotation of the arms during the movement helps you to target your brachialis and bicep muscles, making the Zottman curls another of the brachialis exercises to include in your training regime.

Required equipment: Dumbbells

Steps to follow

• Stand upright, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms must face up.
• Exhale, flex your elbows, and curling the dumbbells, bring them up towards your shoulders. Ensure you keep your wrist straight
• At the top of the movement, slowly rotate your hands to make your arms face down. Keep your upper arms still as while doing this.
• Then, inhale and slowly lower the weights to your starting position, with palms facing down.
• Repeat for the desired number of reps

Tips:
Ensure your elbows don’t go behind your body when doing the movements
Slightly bending your elbows when you get to the bottom of the movement will help keep tension in the biceps

Final words from LiveLIfe

Regular bicep curls can help you build massive hands. But adding brachialis exercises to your hand building and training regime can put you on a different plane.

Brachialis exercises can help you to achieve better results with well-rounded arms. We are confident the choices we’ve given you can help you do that. Incorporate them into your training. You will be amazed at the outcome if you put in the effort.