Some muscles refuse to grow no matter how hard you train them. Often, the issue lies beneath the surface—literally. Strengthening deep muscles like the pec minor, brachialis, and soleus can help your chest, arms, and calves stand out.
We’ve already covered how to train the pec minor. Today, let’s focus on the brachialis, a key muscle for bigger arms.
Why Train the Brachialis?
The brachialis lies beneath the biceps brachii and plays a crucial role in elbow flexion. It’s often a weak link in arm development. Many bodybuilders have seen significant arm growth by incorporating targeted brachialis exercises into their training.
The Best Exercise: Reverse Curl
During a standard curl, the biceps and brachialis share the workload. But when you switch to a reverse grip (palms down), the brachialis takes over, making it the primary mover. The brachioradialis (a forearm muscle) also gets some work, but the brachialis does the heavy lifting.
Key Training Considerations:
- Use less weight: A reverse grip reduces biomechanical efficiency. You’ll need 66–82% of your regular curling weight to complete the same number of reps.
- Go slow: Fast movements recruit the biceps more, while slower contractions shift the focus to the brachialis. A controlled eccentric phase (lowering the weight) is especially important, as it recruits fast-twitch fibers with the most growth potential.
How to Perform a Reverse Curl
- Use a preacher bench to maintain strict form and prevent cheating.
- Keep your elbows shoulder-width apart, about midway down on the pad.
- Sit tall with your chest up—don’t jam your armpits against the pad.
- Grab an EZ-curl bar with a shoulder-width, pronated grip (palms down).
- Curl the weight until your forearms are perpendicular to the floor.
- Lower the bar back to the start position under control.
Don’t Forget the Biceps Brachii
To complement reverse curls, add mid-incline dumbbell curls to your routine. This exercise emphasizes the biceps brachii by keeping the palms up and positioning the elbows behind the body.
How to Perform a Mid-Incline Dumbbell Curl
- Lay back on an incline bench set to 45 degrees.
- Use a supinated grip (palms up) and start with straight arms.
- Curl the dumbbells up to full elbow flexion, keeping your shoulders back and elbows down as long as possible.
- Keep your head back and neck straight—don’t look in the mirror mid-set, as this can compromise strength.
A Routine for Bigger Arms
Try this high-volume routine for a month, training once every five days:
A1. Seated Preacher EZ-Bar Reverse Curl – 10 x 10 @ 4010 tempo, 90s rest
A2. Flat EZ-Bar Triceps Extension to Forehead – 10 x 10 @ 4010 tempo, 90s rest
B1. Mid-Incline Dumbbell Curl – 3 x 12 @ 3010 tempo, 60s rest
B2. Kneeling Rope French Press – 3 x 12 @ 3010 tempo, 60s rest
After six sessions, switch to a new program. A great next step is the Modern Isometronics method from Mass Explosion.
Tomorrow, we’ll cover how to target the soleus muscle for bigger calves.
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