The Hidden Arm Muscle That Makes You Look Bigger
52sFitness fans love learning about underrated muscles that create visible size without taking off your shirt.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
This video explains how to achieve visibly thicker arms by focusing on three specific muscles: the brachialis, the brachioradialis, and the forearm's 'peanut muscle.' It recommends practical exercises like hammer curls, overhand-grip curls, and light-weight wrist curls to target these areas safely and effectively.
Chapters
[00:02]
Why Arm Thickness Matters
Training arms is one of the best ways to look like you lift even with clothes on; thick arms show without taking off your shirt.
[00:15]
The Three Key Areas
To get thick arms, focus on three areas: the brachialis, the brachioradialis, and the forearm 'peanut muscle.'
[00:28]
Brachialis Pushes Biceps Outward
The brachialis sits hidden inside the biceps, so growing it pushes the biceps to the sides, making the whole arm look wider.
[00:41]
Exercises for the Brachialis
Hammer curls and curls with an overhand grip are the primary exercises to grow the brachialis; include at least one in your routine.
[01:07]
The Brachioradialis
Located on the upper arm, the brachioradialis creates a 'meat mountain' look when trained, adding visible mass from the side view.
[01:46]
One Exercise, Two Muscles
Hammer curls and overhand-grip curls also train the brachioradialis, efficiently targeting both the brachialis and brachioradialis at once.
[02:13]
Filling the Elbow Gap
A bigger brachioradialis fills the gap near the elbow/biceps, which can make biceps look even bigger by eliminating a genetic gap.
[02:29]
The Peanut Muscle
The 'peanut muscle' is responsible for making forearms look massive; when flexed and big, it resembles a peanut.
[02:42]
Growth via Wrist Curls
Wrist curls are the most popular way to grow the peanut muscle; choose a variation that feels comfortable and doesn't hurt your wrists.
[03:08]
Light Weight, High Reps
Avoid ego lifting with wrist curls; use lighter weights and higher reps to protect your wrists while still building the muscle.
[03:21]
Consistency and Training Plans
Training these three areas consistently will make arms look super thick; the creator's training plans include all the necessary exercises for peak development.
To build thick arms, focus on the brachialis, brachioradialis, and forearm 'peanut muscle' using hammer curls, overhand-grip curls, and light-weight wrist curls, and stay consistent with your training.
Mentioned in this Video
Tutorial Checklist
1
00:15
Identify the three target areas for thick arms: brachialis, brachioradialis, and forearm 'peanut muscle.'
2
00:41
Add hammer curls or curls with an overhand grip to your routine to train both brachialis and brachioradialis.
3
02:42
Incorporate wrist curls for the 'peanut muscle,' choosing a variation that is comfortable for your wrists.
5
03:21
Train these three areas consistently over time for visible arm thickness, optionally following a structured training plan.
Study Flashcards (6)
What are the three key muscles to train for thicker arms?
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What are the three key muscles to train for thicker arms?
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Brachialis, brachioradialis, and the forearm 'peanut muscle.'
00:15
Why does training the brachialis make arms appear wider?
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Why does training the brachialis make arms appear wider?
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Because it sits hidden inside the biceps and pushes the biceps outward to the sides when it grows.
00:28
Which exercises target the brachialis and brachioradialis together?
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Which exercises target the brachialis and brachioradialis together?
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Hammer curls and curls with an overhand grip.
00:41
Where is the brachioradialis located?
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Where is the brachioradialis located?
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On the upper arm, and it fills the gap near the elbow and biceps when developed.
01:07
What is the 'peanut muscle' and why is it important?
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What is the 'peanut muscle' and why is it important?
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It is a forearm muscle that looks like a peanut when flexed and makes forearms appear massive.
02:29
How should wrist curls be performed to avoid injury?
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How should wrist curls be performed to avoid injury?
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Use a comfortable weight, lighter loads, and higher reps rather than ego lifting.
03:08
💡 Key Takeaways
💡
Hidden Muscle, Visible Width
Explains the anatomical trick that makes the brachialis one of the most effective muscles for arm width.
00:28
🔧
Two Muscles, One Exercise
Shows how hammer curls efficiently build both brachialis and brachioradialis, saving training time.
01:46
📊
The Peanut Muscle Aesthetic
Highlights an often-overlooked forearm muscle that significantly contributes to the thick-arm look.
02:29
⚖️
Lift Smart, Not Heavy
Stresses wrist safety by recommending light weights and higher reps, countering common ego-lifting habits.
03:08Full Transcript
[00:02] and it will [snorts] do absolute wonders for how your physique actually looks like because you don't have to take your shirt off to show off your arms. So, it's one of the best areas of your body to focus on if you actually want to look
[00:15] like you lift even with your clothes on. There are three main areas that you need to focus on in order to get thick arms. The first area is the brachiialis, which is basically hidden inside your biceps, which makes it the perfect area to train
[00:28] if you want your arms to appear thicker. Because, as I mentioned before, the fact that it's basically hidden inside your biceps means that once you increase the size of the brachiialis, it's going to push out your biceps to the sides, which
[00:41] increase the size of your brachiialis, you need to primarily focus on doing hammer curls and curls with the overhand grip. So, if you don't have any of these exercises in your routine, you should definitely try to include it. Either by
[00:54] your routine you don't really like anymore, or if you think that you can handle some more biceps volume, then happily add it on top of your existing regimen. Having one of these exercises in your routine is very important
[01:07] relevant to the second area that you need to focus on and that is the brachioraiialis which I will admit it sounds pretty similar to the first area but I swear it's not the same thing. The brachioraiialis is found right here on
[01:21] the upper arm. Normal human that doesn't lift can barely see it. But once you realize it exists and you start training it, the visual effect it has on your physique is absolutely mental. From the side view, it creates this incredible
[01:34] meat mountain that regular people have probably never even seen before. And it that managed to grow muscles that don't even exist in the eye of a regular folk. To grow your brachio radiialis, you
[01:46] should do the same exact thing as with brachiialis. So, hammer curl of any kind or a curl with the overhand grip. That's why it's so important to include at least one of these exercises because you can target two important areas for the
[01:58] price of just one exercise, which is a very good deal. Plus, once you really will actually help you to make your biceps look even bigger. Because as the size of your brachio radialis increases, it will start to kind of overflow into
[02:13] this gap right here. Based on your genetics, this gap might be bigger or fill it up. And the visual difference between this gap being there and not is area that you need to focus on if you want those thick arms is this. I call it
[02:29] the peanut muscle because once it gets really big and you flex it, it looks exactly like a peanut. This area is responsible for making your forearms look massive and that's why you need to pay attention to it if you are looking
[02:42] for that thick arm aesthetic. There is a lot of ways in which you can grow it, but definitely the most popular way is by doing wrist curls. And it doesn't wrist curl you decide to go with. As what you should really pay attention to
[02:55] comfortable to do and that your wrists don't hurt while doing it, which also weight you use. Because this really isn't the place to ego lift. It's better to do more reps with super lightweight
[03:08] than to do less reps with super heavy weight that completely destroys your wrists. Being super gentle is the way to go. Focusing on these three areas for a long enough time will make your arms look super thick. So, go use what you
[03:21] Or you can try one of my training plans that already have all the exercises needed to make your arms look as thick as possible. So, you can bet that your brachiialis and brachioraiialis will be at its peak. Plus, I also share some
[03:35] more special forearm training methods inside. So, if you want to grab it, Thank you for watching and I will see you next time. Well, you made it to the end. Now you should click this video to learn some
[03:48] should click this video to learn some more. [music]
