Get Large Forearms - Exercise The Brachioradialis

The one muscle contributing the most to the appearance of a large forearm is the brachioradialis. However, it is not involved in grip. All it does is flex the elbow, much like the biceps and brachialis. It does help a little in pronation and supination, depending on the amount of bend in the elbow and the position of the hand. Although it is one of the forearm exercises, it is not involved in wrist exercises involving flexing or extending the wrist, since it does not cross the wrist.

To develop the brachioradialis, the maximum stimulation is when the elbow is flexed while the hand is in the "beer holding position." The thumb is toward the ceiling and the pinky is on the down side of the hand.

The single best exercise for developing the brachioradialis is the hammer curl. Most commonly, the hammer curl is done with dumbbells. It can also be done with a triceps bar, which has two parallel handles in the middle of the bar at a right angle to the end of the bar for loading plates. The triceps bar allows more weight to be used than would be used with two dumbbells.

Variations in the hammer curl involve several intensity techniques that are used with other exercises. These can be used after a plateau is reached with the standard hammer curl. Partials involve bringing the bar to parallel with the floor, and can be made even more intense by using more weight and only 15 to 45 degrees of motion. Of course, X-reps and rest-pause reps can be done, as with any exercise.

Another good exercise for the brachioradialis is a modified Zottman curl. After a standard biceps curl upward, the hand is turned into the beer holding position and lowered. More weight can be used than with a standard hammer curl, since the brachioradialis is being worked during the eccentric portion of the exercise. And of course, more weight can be handled than with a standard Zottman, since the standard Zottman involves turning the palm toward the floor, working the forearm extensors.

Multiple other exercises can work the brachioradialis - any involving flexing the elbow with the hand in the beer holding position. This includes pull-ups, pull-downs, and cable rows with the double rowing handle. The farmers walk can be done with the elbows slightly flexed until the arms give out. Rope climbing will work the grip at the same time as the brachioradialis.

Like other muscles, care should be taken to prevent injury to the brachioradialis from overtraining or using too much weight too soon. Start with a weight and amount of repetitions and sets that you know are too light to stimulate growth and gradually increase the amount of work over several weeks to a weight that tires the muscle. For a photo of the brachioradialis and a short demonstration of the hammer curl, see http://www.forearm-exercises.org/forearm-exercises/forearm-exercises-video-hammer-curl.


Glenn Allison is a physician with both medical and law degrees. He has a passion for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, which includes healthful habits, such as mental and physical exercise and proper nutrition, and the maximization of potential.

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