Dooley Noted: 2/12/14
The unsung hero of elbow flexion, brachialis is a muscle that can flex the elbow in any position.
Deep to the biceps brachii, brachialis is the wingman of the biceps. He sits deep and lateral, shoving the biceps up to the surface, where biceps can take all the elbow flexion glory.
But, we know better.
Brachialis is not a beach muscle, but he is the one helping you through many hard times.
Brachialis picks up distally where the anterior deltoid leaves off, thus helping distribute forces to and from the shoulder.
Brachialis will try to pull you up to that bar in any pull-up position. Biceps can only help you with chin-ups.
Have you witnessed a bent elbow on an overhead move, like a snatch or handstand? Brachialis is the over-eager one-joint muscle, assisting overhead movements when muscles like latissimus dorsi check out.
To locate brachialis, flex your biceps brachii. Nice guns! Now, look for the unsung hero, brachialis, under the biceps and close to the outside of the elbow crease. Is it tender? Like I said – overworked, unsung hero of elbow flexion.
Overuse of brachialis may alter motor control of bigger, typically more successful force generators.
Learning to keep this muscle more relaxed while redistributing the muscle work load may be helpful in achieving lifting goals, from pull-ups to bench presses to snatches.
Start by getting assessed and corrected if you fall short on these skills, or have pain at the lateral elbow.
As always, it’s your call.
– Dr. Kathy Dooley
