If you want bigger, more defined arms, targeting the brachioradialis—one of your key forearm muscles—is a smart move.
The five best exercises for this are reverse barbell curls, reverse grip cable curls, offset dumbbell reverse curls, hammer/top-roll curls, and Zottman curls.
Keep reading to learn exactly how these exercises work and how to do them for maximum results.
Understanding the Brachioradialis: What It Is and Why It Matters
If you’ve been hammering curls but still feel like your arms look flat from certain angles, the missing piece might be the brachioradialis.
It’s a muscle most people overlook—yet it plays a major role in both how your arms function and how they look, especially when viewed from the side or front.
Where It Sits and What It Does
The brachioradialis runs from the outer edge of your upper arm bone (the humerus) down to your radius—the larger of the two forearm bones—on the thumb side of your forearm.
You can spot it most easily when your palm is facing inward, like in a handshake position.
That’s when it visibly pops between the upper arm and forearm, especially under load.
Its primary job is elbow flexion, meaning it helps bend your arm at the elbow.
But unlike the biceps, which work best when your palm is facing up (a supinated grip), the brachioradialis does its best work in a neutral or pronated grip.
That’s why exercises like reverse curls and hammer curls are so effective for targeting it.
More Than a One-Function Muscle
Aside from flexing the elbow, the brachioradialis also plays a supporting role in forearm rotation.
Specifically, it helps move your forearm into a neutral position from both supination (palm up) and pronation (palm down).
While it doesn’t drive this motion entirely on its own, it contributes to stabilizing and controlling those transitions—especially under load.
Why It Matters for Arm Size and Appearance
If your goal is bigger arms, the brachioradialis absolutely deserves attention.
It adds width and depth to your forearms and contributes to that rounded, powerful look between the upper arm and wrist.
This is especially noticeable from the front and side, where the brachioradialis visually bridges the gap between the biceps and the forearm muscles.
If your biceps look good but your arms still seem thin from certain angles, there’s a good chance your brachioradialis is underdeveloped.
Visually, it’s also one of the few arm muscles that’s clearly visible during many compound lifts, like deadlifts or rows—adding to the overall impression of strength even when you’re not flexing.
How It Complements (Not Competes With) the Biceps
The brachioradialis and biceps often work together, but they’re not interchangeable.
The biceps brachii dominates elbow flexion when your palm faces up, while the brachioradialis takes over in a neutral or palms-down position.
This makes it a valuable way to keep training elbow flexion without over-relying on the biceps.
By rotating your grip, you can shift the emphasis from one muscle to the other, which is especially useful if your biceps are hitting a plateau or if you're managing elbow or tendon discomfort.
Including exercises that focus on the brachioradialis lets you train smarter and build more complete arm strength and size.
So if you’ve been doing curls and not seeing the gains you expect, this overlooked muscle might be exactly what your routine is missing.
How to Activate the Brachioradialis More Effectively During Arm Workouts
Training the brachioradialis isn’t just about picking the right exercises—it’s also about how you perform them.
Grip position, elbow angle, and form details all play a role in whether this muscle gets the attention it deserves or stays overshadowed by your biceps.
Grip Matters More Than You Think
The single most important factor for targeting the brachioradialis is how you hold the weight.
A pronated (palms down) or neutral (thumbs up) grip shifts the focus away from the biceps and toward the brachioradialis.
In contrast, a supinated grip (palms up) puts most of the load on your biceps and limits activation of the forearm muscles.
That’s why reverse curls, hammer curls, and certain cable variations are so effective—they force your grip into positions that naturally recruit the brachioradialis more heavily.
The key is maintaining that grip throughout the movement and resisting the urge to let your wrists rotate under load.
Position Your Elbows to Help, Not Hinder
To get the most out of each rep, pay attention to your elbow position and movement path.
The brachioradialis is most active when your elbow flexes in a straight, natural arc, especially when your forearm is in that “handshake” orientation.
If your elbows drift too far forward (as in some preacher curls) or swing outward, you’ll dilute the activation and possibly shift the work to your shoulders or biceps.
The sweet spot for brachioradialis engagement is a vertical curl path with the elbows pinned close to your sides and the forearms moving in one plane.
You don’t need fancy angles—just solid, controlled movement.
Timing Your Sets for Smarter Gains
Since the brachioradialis often plays a supporting role during other lifts, it doesn’t always need its own dedicated workout.
In many cases, it makes more sense to train it as a finisher or accessory movement toward the end of your upper-body sessions.
This lets you target it directly without exhausting it before compound lifts like rows or pullups, where it still needs to contribute.
That said, you can absolutely train it in focused sessions a couple of times a week if arm size or forearm strength is a specific goal.
The important part is not letting it fall through the cracks in your programming.
Range of Motion and Control Are Everything
To activate the brachioradialis fully, make sure you’re using a full range of elbow motion—especially during the lowering phase (eccentric).
Many lifters rush this part, missing out on the muscle-building tension that comes from controlled movement.
Lower the weight slowly, especially in exercises like Zottman or reverse curls, to increase time under tension and engage more muscle fibers.
Think of it this way: a fast, half-rep may feel easier, but it does far less for your results.
A full, slow rep with the right grip and elbow angle will light up the brachioradialis in a way you’ll feel after just a few sets.
Avoid These Common Mistakes
It’s easy to sabotage your own efforts with a few common habits.
Using a supinated grip, even slightly, can shift the load right back to the biceps—especially with dumbbells, where the wrist can rotate mid-rep if you’re not paying attention.
Swinging the weights or using too much momentum is another issue, as it takes the tension off your muscles and turns your sets into shoulder-dominant movements.
Stick to a manageable weight, keep your wrists locked in a neutral or overhand position, and focus on a strict curling motion from the elbow.
That’s the most direct path to getting real results from your brachioradialis training.
The Top 5 Brachioradialis-Focused Exercises (And How to Do Them Right)
Once you understand how the brachioradialis functions, the next step is choosing exercises that hit it directly and efficiently.
These five movements stand out for their ability to isolate and challenge the muscle through smart grip orientation, elbow movement, and range of motion.
Here’s exactly how to do each one correctly—and how to adjust based on your equipment and training goals.
Reverse Barbell Curls
This is the go-to move for shifting emphasis from your biceps to your brachioradialis.
The overhand grip changes the pulling mechanics, forcing your forearms to do more of the work.
You can use either a straight bar or an EZ-bar—each with its own benefits.
- Straight bar: Maximum pronation, making it a bit harder on the wrists but more direct in loading the brachioradialis.
- EZ-bar: Slightly angled grip, which feels more natural and lets you move more weight with less wrist strain.
How to do it well:
Keep your elbows tucked in close to your sides.
Avoid swaying your upper body to lift the weight—this takes tension off the forearms.
Curl the bar up until your forearms are vertical, pause briefly, then lower under control.
Don’t let your wrists roll or bend back at the top; keep them firm and aligned throughout.
Reverse Grip Cable Curls
This variation uses a cable machine to create constant tension throughout the movement, making it especially effective for building time under tension—an important driver of muscle growth.
You can use a straight bar attachment for a pure pronated grip or a rope attachment if you want a more neutral feel at the top of the movement.
Cable setups also allow for small form tweaks, like slightly angling your pull back behind your head, which creates a longer range of elbow flexion.
Key cues:
Stand tall, shoulders back, and avoid leaning into the pull.
Let the weight stretch your arms fully at the bottom, and bring the bar or rope up with strict elbow movement.
Think “curl the hands toward your forehead” to get the best contraction without swinging.
Offset Dumbbell Reverse Curls
Offset reverse curls are a lesser-known but powerful tool for brachioradialis growth.
You hold each dumbbell by the end of the handle, allowing the opposite end to tilt down slightly—this adds pronation force against gravity, increasing tension on the target muscle.
This tiny tweak can make a big difference.
You’re not just curling the weight up—you’re also resisting the natural pull that tries to rotate your forearm out of alignment, which lights up the brachioradialis.
Tips for setup and form:
Choose a weight that allows you to stay strict—this is not a power move.
Keep your elbows stable and let the dumbbells stay slightly angled throughout the set.
You’ll feel the difference quickly, especially on the lowering phase.
Hammer Curls and Top-Roll/Pronation Curls
Hammer curls are arguably the most popular brachioradialis exercise—and for good reason.
Holding dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) keeps the tension off your biceps and on the side of your forearm where the brachioradialis lives.
What sets hammer curls apart is their versatility.
You can do them standing, seated, or even across the body to vary the angle of attack.
The movement is simple, but the muscle activation is serious.
Top-roll curls—sometimes called pronation curls—take this a step further.
Common in strength and arm-wrestling circles, they combine a hammer-like motion with intentional forearm pronation during the curl.
This builds both rotation strength and raw forearm size, especially useful for grip sports or functional training.
Zottman Curls
Zottman curls are a hybrid move that hits both your biceps and brachioradialis in one motion—but with a twist.
You curl up with a supinated grip (palms up), then rotate to a pronated grip at the top before lowering.
That lowering phase is where the brachioradialis takes over.
This combination of strong concentric (biceps) and slow eccentric (brachioradialis) work makes Zottmans incredibly effective if done with control and focus.
Form notes:
Keep the rotation crisp—don’t rush it.
Use a weight that allows you to pause at the top, rotate fully, and lower with good tempo.
This isn’t a fast-paced movement; it’s a muscle-building grinder when done correctly.
When to Use Each Variation
Each of these exercises has a role to play, depending on your training needs:
- Use EZ-bar reverse curls if straight bars hurt your wrists or you want to move heavier weight.
- Choose cable variations when you want constant tension or are looking for a burnout finisher.
- Rotate in offset dumbbell curls to break plateaus and improve forearm control.
- Lean into hammer curls for consistent volume work and add top-roll curls if you need more grip or rotational strength.
- Save Zottman curls for focused hypertrophy work, especially toward the end of a session when you want to emphasize eccentric control.
You don’t need to do all five in one workout—but working in a few strategically across your week will make a noticeable difference in both size and strength.
More Than Just Curls: Supporting Moves That Hit the Brachioradialis
While curls are the most direct way to train the brachioradialis, they’re not the only option.
Several other exercises and movements—some of which aren’t “arm exercises” in the traditional sense—also place meaningful stress on the brachioradialis.
When added strategically to your workouts, these supporting movements can boost training volume, improve grip strength, and drive additional muscle growth without requiring extra sets of curls.
Battle Ropes: High-Frequency, High-Activation
Battle ropes might not look like much on the surface, but when performed with a neutral or pronated grip, they can seriously engage your brachioradialis.
The rapid, repetitive elbow flexion they demand—especially during alternating waves—builds both muscular endurance and hypertrophy in the forearms.
The trick is to avoid passive movement.
Stay in an athletic stance with your arms slightly bent and drive each wave from your elbows, not just your shoulders.
Use shorter, sharper waves rather than big, loose motions.
Even short bursts of 20–30 seconds can fire up your brachioradialis when done with focus and intensity.
This makes battle ropes a great choice for finishers or circuit rounds, especially if your goal is arm density and grip conditioning.
Plate Carries & Pickups: Functional Volume You Might Be Overlooking
If you've ever carried or racked weight plates by their edges, you've trained your brachioradialis—whether you meant to or not.
These movements often go unnoticed, but they create a neutral grip loading scenario where the brachioradialis plays a key stabilizing role.
The longer you hold, the more it’s forced to resist wrist rotation and elbow flexion.
Next time you move plates around the gym, take an extra lap or hold them for 30 seconds before setting them down.
You can also turn this into a specific exercise: pick up a pair of heavy plates and walk 20–40 feet, keeping your grip tight and posture upright.
It’s a simple but brutally effective way to sneak in more volume for your forearms and supporting grip muscles.
Farmer’s Carries & Kettlebell Swings: Indirect, but Impactful
These two exercises may not seem related to arm training at first glance, but they consistently light up the brachioradialis—especially when performed with a firm neutral grip and strict control.
Farmer’s carries are particularly useful for building static grip strength.
As you carry heavy dumbbells or kettlebells by your sides, your brachioradialis helps maintain forearm alignment and supports the wrist under load.
The heavier the weight and the longer the distance, the more stress it places on this muscle group.
Kettlebell swings, on the other hand, involve dynamic movement.
While the power comes from your hips, the neutral grip and forceful wrist positioning engage your brachioradialis isometrically, especially during the hinge and deceleration phases.
You won’t get a pump from swings, but over time, they contribute to a more developed and resilient forearm structure.
Smart Ways to Use These Movements
Supporting exercises work best when they complement, not replace, your direct arm training.
Use them:
- As finishers after curl-focused workouts to add fatigue in a different loading pattern
- During warm-ups to prime the forearms and elbow joints for heavier pulling or curling
- On conditioning days, especially if you want to sneak in extra arm work without devoting an entire workout to it
- As part of grip strength training, which has carryover benefits to nearly every upper-body lift
By thinking beyond curls and adding these supportive movements to your routine, you’ll not only increase brachioradialis volume—you’ll also build stronger, more functional arms overall.
Programming for Growth: Frequency, Volume, and Overload
Building a thicker, stronger brachioradialis isn’t just about picking the right exercises—it’s about how you program them.
Because this muscle is involved in so many upper-body movements, it responds well to frequent, focused work as long as the volume and intensity are managed strategically.
Train It Often, But Don’t Overdo It
One of the key advantages of training the brachioradialis is its high work capacity.
Like other forearm muscles, it recovers faster than larger muscle groups, making it suitable for 2–3 focused sessions per week.
You don’t necessarily need to dedicate an entire workout to it—short, targeted sets built into your existing routines are often enough.
This could look like adding a couple of reverse curl sets after pull day or including Zottman curls as part of a biceps superset.
On days when you’re doing carries, pickups, or battle ropes, you're already getting indirect volume that counts toward total weekly workload.
Easy Integration Into Your Routine
You’ve got two main options when it comes to fitting brachioradialis work into your program:
- Standalone sets: Use these when you're prioritizing forearm size or grip strength. Plan 2–4 sets of a dedicated movement like hammer curls or offset reverse curls near the start or middle of your session.
- Add-ons to upper-body days: This is the most practical option for most lifters. Simply plug in 1–2 sets of reverse or Zottman curls at the end of your back or arm workout. It’s quick, effective, and easy to recover from.
This flexible structure makes it easy to maintain consistency and accumulate the weekly volume needed for visible growth.
Progressive Overload: The Real Driver of Gains
As with any muscle, your brachioradialis won’t grow unless you gradually ask more of it.
That means aiming to:
- Increase reps with the same weight (e.g., going from 8 to 10 reps)
- Increase load over time (e.g., using heavier dumbbells or plates)
- Improve execution (e.g., slower tempo, stricter form, longer time under tension)
Even minor progress, like a few extra reps or improved elbow control, adds up over weeks and months.
Zottman curls, in particular, benefit from slow eccentrics.
Lower the weight over 3–4 seconds to increase time under tension and force more muscle activation in the brachioradialis during the lowering phase.
Dial In Your Sets: Reps, Tempo, and Control
For hypertrophy, aim for 8–12 reps per set, and keep rest periods moderate—about 60–90 seconds between sets.
You can also include some lower-rep work (6–8) if your focus is on strength or grip endurance, especially with carries or heavier hammer curls.
Tempo is another underrated variable.
Exercises like reverse curls and offset dumbbell curls benefit from slower, more deliberate movement, especially on the eccentric (lowering) portion.
Use a 2–3 second lowering phase where possible to boost activation without needing to go heavier.
Most importantly, don’t sacrifice form for weight.
This is where many people go wrong—throwing weight around may feel productive, but the tension shifts off the brachioradialis and onto joints or supporting muscles.
Volume From Supporting Movements Still Counts
Don’t underestimate the impact of volume from exercises like plate pickups, carries, and battle ropes.
These aren’t “isolation” moves, but they create isometric and dynamic loading through a neutral or pronated grip—exactly the kind of stress the brachioradialis thrives under.
If you're doing these movements regularly, you may not need much direct isolation work to see growth.
And if you're not?
Adding just a few rounds of carries or rope work a week could be the difference-maker for both size and strength.
When programmed well, brachioradialis training doesn’t have to be time-consuming—but it does need to be intentional.
Keep the effort high, progress slowly and consistently, and your results will follow.
Recovery, Nutrition, and Final Tips for Arm Growth
Even the best exercises won’t do much if your recovery and nutrition aren’t on point.
Muscle growth doesn’t happen while you're lifting—it happens after, when your body has the fuel and downtime it needs to rebuild stronger.
So if you're serious about building bigger arms, paying attention to what happens outside the gym is just as important as what you do in your workouts.
Recovery: The Overlooked Growth Phase
Training your brachioradialis multiple times per week is effective, but only if you give it enough time to recover.
The forearms are used in nearly every pulling and gripping movement, so they’re always under some degree of stress.
Without proper rest, you risk overuse and stalling progress.
Make sure you’re getting at least one full day of rest between direct brachioradialis sessions, and don’t ignore general recovery strategies like adequate hydration, mobility work, and soft tissue care (like massage or forearm rolling).
Also, prioritize sleep.
Consistently getting 7–9 hours per night can significantly improve how your muscles recover, repair, and grow.
Fueling the Process: Nutrition for Muscle Building
To grow any muscle—including your forearms—you need to eat enough to support muscle repair and hypertrophy.
This starts with getting enough protein, ideally spaced across meals.
A good target for most people aiming to build muscle is 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day.
Include a mix of complete protein sources like eggs, chicken, fish, lean beef, Greek yogurt, and plant-based options like tofu or legumes.
Combine that with enough total calories—meaning you're not in a constant calorie deficit—and your body will have what it needs to turn training into results.
It also helps to time your nutrition strategically.
Eating a protein-rich meal within a couple of hours post-workout supports muscle repair.
If you're doing high-volume or frequent arm work, don’t skimp on carbs either—they help refill glycogen stores and support training intensity.
Build Grip Strength Alongside Size
The brachioradialis plays a key role in your grip, so training grip strength directly can support both size and function.
Farmer’s carries, plate holds, and thick bar or towel-grip exercises all improve grip resilience and muscle recruitment in the forearms.
Stronger grip = better control and heavier loading potential in all your curls and carries.
And there’s a practical benefit too: improved grip strength helps with nearly every other lift in your program—from deadlifts and rows to pullups and presses.
In short, grip strength isn’t just an accessory—it’s a multiplier.
Final Tips to Maximize Arm Gains
Lastly, don’t fall into the trap of treating your brachioradialis like your biceps.
While they both help flex the elbow, they’re best activated through different grip positions and angles.
That means copying and pasting your biceps routine and expecting the same result won’t work.
Here’s what you should focus on:
- Use the right grips: neutral and pronated, not supinated
- Control the motion: especially on the eccentric phase
- Train frequently but let your forearms recover
- Fuel your body with enough protein and calories
- Integrate supporting lifts like carries and rope work
- Be consistent: small improvements over time deliver the biggest changes
With the right combination of training, recovery, and intent, you’ll not only build a stronger brachioradialis—you’ll start seeing that noticeable arm thickness and density that separates a decent physique from a powerful one.
Conclusion
Targeting your brachioradialis with the right exercises, grip positions, and training frequency can noticeably improve your arm size and overall strength.
It's not just about curls—smart programming, proper recovery, and consistent effort all play a role.
Focus on quality movement and steady progress, and the results will follow.
