# Brachialis Narrow Pull Up - Canonical: https://fitwill.app/exercise/10695/brachialis-narrow-pull-up/ - Media ID: 10695 - Primary muscle: Biceps - Body part: Arms - Equipment: Straight Bar - Video: https://fitwill.app/videos/10695/brachialis-narrow-pull-up.mp4 ## Description The Brachialis Narrow Pull Up is a bodyweight pulling exercise performed on a bar set at roughly hip height inside a rack, with your body held in a straight line and your heels resting on the floor. Unlike a standard hanging pull up, your feet stay grounded, which lets you adjust how much of your bodyweight you are lifting by changing the angle of your torso. The narrow, hands-close grip with elbows tracking close to the ribcage shifts the emphasis down the arm toward the brachialis and brachioradialis, the muscles that give the upper arm its thickness and drive forearm strength. This movement sits in a useful spot between an isolation arm exercise and a full back builder. Because you are rowing your own bodyweight, the lats, rhomboids, and mid-traps work to pull the torso up, while the brachialis and biceps do much of the elbow flexion. Anyone who wants bigger, denser arms without living on curl machines will benefit, as will lifters who find wide-grip rows uncomfortable or who want to strengthen the elbow flexors in a more neutral, joint-friendly path. The setup matters more here than in most rowing variations. Bar height controls the difficulty: the lower the bar, the more horizontal your body and the heavier the load. Grip width is the other key variable. Bringing the hands close together encourages the elbows to stay tucked, which favors the brachialis and forearm flexors over the wide-elbow lat-dominant pattern of a standard row. If your grip is too narrow for your wrists to stay comfortable, widen it slightly rather than forcing the position. To perform it well, hang from the bar with a straight line running from your head through your hips to your heels, brace your midsection, and pull your chest toward the bar by driving your elbows down and back along your sides. Aim to bring the bar to your lower chest or upper abdomen, pause briefly at the top, then lower yourself under control until the arms are extended. The descent is where a lot of the brachialis work happens, so resist the urge to drop. Common use cases include arm-focused upper body days, finishers after heavier rows or pulldowns, and as a scalable pulling progression for people working toward full pull ups. Because the feet are supported, it is also a practical way to accumulate elbow flexor volume without the grip demands of hanging from a high bar. From a safety standpoint, keep the wrists stacked over the elbows and stop the set when your hips start to sag or your neck juts forward to reach the bar. If you feel pinching at the front of the shoulder, reduce the range slightly or raise the bar to lighten the load. A mat or rubber flooring under the area helps with footing, since your heels carry part of your weight throughout the set. ## Instructions 1. Set a straight bar in the rack at about hip height, or slightly lower once you know your strength. 2. Sit under the bar and take a narrow overhand grip with your hands roughly shoulder-width apart or a touch closer, thumbs wrapped around the bar. 3. Walk your feet forward and lower your body until you hang beneath the bar with your arms extended, heels on the floor and toes pulled up. 4. Create one straight line from head to heels: squeeze your glutes, brace your abs, and keep your neck in line with your spine. 5. Pull your chest up to the bar by driving your elbows down and back close to your sides, keeping them pointed toward your hips rather than flaring outward. 6. Pull until the bar touches your lower chest or upper abdomen, and hold that top position for a one-second squeeze. 7. Lower yourself slowly over two to three seconds until your arms are fully straight again. 8. Breathe in on the way down and exhale forcefully as you pull up. 9. Finish the set by walking your feet back toward the rack and standing up carefully rather than dropping from the bar. 10. Rest, then reset your body line completely before starting the next rep. ## Tips & Tricks - The single most common mistake is letting the elbows drift out to the sides like a wide row. Keep them brushing your ribs so the brachialis and forearm flexors do the work. - If your hips sag toward the floor mid-set, shorten the set or raise the bar one notch rather than fighting it, because a broken body line offloads the pull onto your shoulders. - Squeeze the bar hard with your whole hand. A passive grip lets the wrists bend back and turns a clean elbow movement into a wrist-straining one. - If the narrow grip pinches your wrists, widen your hands by an inch or two instead of accepting a bent-wrist position. - Think about pulling the bar to your chest, not your chin to the bar. Leading with the head shortens the range and hides the arm work. - The angle of your body is your weight dial: steeper torso and higher bar for more reps, more horizontal for a harder set. - Keep your heels planted and press them lightly into the floor. Pushing through the heels helps hold the rigid plank position. - Do not bounce out of the bottom. A two to three second lowering phase is where this exercise earns its arm-building value. - Chalk or a dry towel on your hands keeps the narrow grip from slipping as your palms sweat. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What muscles does the Brachialis Narrow Pull Up work? The brachialis and brachioradialis are the primary targets, supported by the biceps during elbow flexion. The lats, rhomboids, and mid-traps assist as you row your torso to the bar, and the forearms work hard to hold the grip. ### How is the Brachialis Narrow Pull Up different from a regular pull up? In this version the bar is set low and your feet stay on the floor, so you are rowing a portion of your bodyweight instead of hanging from a fixed bar. The narrow grip and tucked elbows also shift emphasis toward the brachialis and forearms rather than the lats. ### How do I make the Brachialis Narrow Pull Up easier as a beginner? Raise the bar so your torso is more upright, which reduces the share of bodyweight you are lifting. You can also bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor to shorten the lever further. ### How do I make it harder once the standard version feels easy? Lower the bar toward shin height, elevate your heels on a box so your body is more horizontal, or add a three-second pause at the top and a slow five-second lowering phase. ### Why do my elbows need to stay close to my body? Tucked elbows bias the brachialis and forearm flexors, which is the point of the narrow grip. Letting the elbows flare turns the set into a wider back row and reduces the arm emphasis you chose the exercise for. ### My wrists ache with the narrow grip. Is that normal? Some discomfort usually means the grip is narrower than your wrists tolerate. Widen your hands slightly and keep your knuckles stacked over your forearm; the exercise still works well a few inches wider. ### Can the Brachialis Narrow Pull Up replace biceps curls? It can serve as a main elbow flexor movement, but it loads the arms through a rowing pattern rather than an isolated curl. Many lifters use it as their primary pull and add a lighter curl afterward for extra volume. ### How many sets and reps should I do? Three to four sets of eight to fifteen reps works well for most lifters. Adjust the bar height so the last two reps of each set are challenging but still performed with a straight body line. ### Is this exercise safe for people with shoulder issues? The feet-supported, adjustable-angle setup makes it easier to manage load than a hanging pull up, but you should still keep the range pain-free and stop if you feel pinching at the front of the shoulder. Check with a qualified professional if you have a known shoulder condition.