The coracobrachialis is a small muscle in the upper arm that assists with shoulder flexion and adduction. It can be strengthened with exercises like the incline cable chest fly and stretched by standing in a doorway and pressing the palm against the back of the frame.
The coracobrachialis is a small, thin muscle located along the inside of the upper arm. It is so named because it attaches to the coracoid process of the scapula, a bony eminence that projects up, out, and slightly forward from the upper outer edge of the scapula. While not as prominent on the arm as the biceps brachii, this muscle still performs several functions in the shoulder joint.
Originating at the apex of the coracoid process, a point of origin it shares with the biceps and pectoralis minor in the chest, the coracobrachialis runs along the biceps muscle on the inside of the upper arm. It then inserts via a flat tendon under the biceps about halfway down the shaft of the humerus bone. Although the coracobrachialis muscle is not very visible superficially, its location can be easily determined as it lies below the brachial artery, the largest blood vessel in the arm.
The coracobrachialis has two functions: flexion and adduction of the shoulder. Shoulder flexion involves raising the arm forward in front of the body, while shoulder adduction involves pulling the arm inward toward the midline of the body when it’s lifted to the side. This muscle is not the prime mover of the shoulder joint, which means that other muscles are more involved in performing these functions, but it plays a supportive role and therefore can benefit from strength training.
One exercise that strengthens the coracobrachialis is the incline cable chest fly. To perform banked flight, one would set both pulleys on a twin cable column machine at their lowest position and stand midway between them and slightly forward. Grasping a handle in each hand, he should bring both hands up and together in front of his chest, keeping his arms straight and forming an upside-down “V.” Finishing with palms facing up and slightly inward, he should slowly lower his arms down and out to the starting position, never locking his elbows.
To stretch the coracobrachialis, one should stand in a doorway facing out with the right arm extended at shoulder height and the palm pressed against the back of the door frame. He should then step forward slightly and roll his shoulders to the left so that a stretch is placed across his chest and inside of his right arm. This stretch should be held for 20-30 seconds and repeated on the left arm.
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