Forearm training

[pbirkett]

One of the things I'd most like to improve about my body is the size of my forearms; not only are they too small looking for me tastes, but I think my grip strength could use improvement too.

I've never really bothered training them seperately before, but I may start.

Only thing is, how often to train them? I was thinking once a week or so would probably do, perhaps towards the end of the week (when I get a couple of days rest).

My routine at the moment is...

Sunday: Lower body... i.e. Deadlifts, Leg Press, leg extensions, curls, and calf raises (presumably deadlifts will help here?)

Tuesday: Chest, shoulders, triceps - again surely bench press will help...

Thursday: Upper back and biceps - it is here I'm thinking about isolating my forearms with wrist curls (palms down and up) and rotations.

Does this sound OK? I really want to increase their size as for me they're the weak link.

[1]

High reps are what's needed for forearms.

Wrist curls are great, reverse wrist curls are even better. Hold the bar behind your back and essentially roll up and down your arse 3 sets of 20 reps will do the trick.

[pbirkett]

Cheers, so do you reckon it'd be enough to do that one exercise you suggest once a week, or should I do some other exercises with it to really punish the arms?

[aponting389]

I can reccomend no better tool for a forearm workout than this...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1711758.htm

[Phooey]

aponting389 said:

I can reccomend no better tool for a forearm workout than this...

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/1711758.htm

I can recommend no better tool for a forearm workout than this...

http://www.anorak.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/kelly-b...

[Lost_BMW]

I reckon part of this is just natural build (I had bigger wrists than my dad by my 10th birthday) but when I did a more bodybuilding style 20 years or so ago I super-setted wrist curls and reverse curls - about 3 or 4 supersets, twice a week, moderate to high reps (say 8 to 15ish) and that brought them up amazingly, especially the lower forearm - which I was trying to get like Casey Viator (from the old days, check him out; the folly of youth!)

TBH I ended up with the opposite problem to yours as they are too big cosmetically they look a bit ott and I'm sometimes a bit self conscious about them in short sleeved shirts.

My routines now are less body building like but still feature deadlifts, shrugs, high rep. heavy pulldowns and bent rows all of which are keeping my forearms and grip strength up

One thing I noticed was I never got wrist injuries lifting, curling etc. or boxing but have started to when I drop wrist curls for a while, could be a coincidence but it's happened in more than one period so I reckon I'm going to start again.

"Fat bars" are all the rage these days so maybe you could check that out too? Even wrapping a bar with towelling or using foam roll cage padding could go some way to imitating the pukka versions.

Good luck.

[deevlash]

take up Judo, years of grabbing other peple kits gives you pretty strong forearms! It also gives you horrible looking worn knuckles though.

[1]

pbirkett said:

Cheers, so do you reckon it'd be enough to do that one exercise you suggest once a week, or should I do some other exercises with it to really punish the arms?

You will see significant gains doing both exercises (wrist & reverse curls) once a week. I just add them onto the end of my workout when I'm doing arms, as you suggested.

If you want ideas for other sports which will help then rock climbing is as good as it gets. Rope climbing is also excellent for forearms.

Edited by 1 on Monday 7th June 22:15

[pbirkett]

Cheers for the replies, going to try the ones behind the back and normal wrist curls on my Thursday session using high reps as suggested and see how I get on

[pbirkett]

Double post

Edited by pbirkett on Monday 7th June 22:39

[Halb]

A boxer I knew once told me to take a newspaper and then fold each sheet up like a fag....you will start to feel the burn believe you me!!
Downside is you do get black hands

[goldblum]

Plenty of barbell bicep curls(v.strict) followed by 3 sets hammer curls.Hello Popeye!

[ShadownINja]

Hang off a doorframe by your finger tips every day for an hour. Job done.

[pbirkett]

ShadownINja said:

Hang off a doorframe by your finger tips every day for an hour. Job done.

I'll be trying this tomorrow. I guess I won't need lots of weight as long as I'm working my arms to exhaustion?

[ShadownINja]

pbirkett said:

ShadownINja said:

Hang off a doorframe by your finger tips every day for an hour. Job done.

I'll be trying this tomorrow. I guess I won't need lots of weight as long as I'm working my arms to exhaustion?

If you can do it for an hour I'll be impressed. Seriously, though, from indoor climbing, my forearms are almost as big as my biceps. Not a single wrist curl, eagle claw grab or finger pressup. Just 6 hours of climbing until I can no longer hold anything.

[pbirkett]

ShadownINja said:

If you can do it for an hour I'll be impressed. Seriously, though, from indoor climbing, my forearms are almost as big as my biceps. Not a single wrist curl, eagle claw grab or finger pressup. Just 6 hours of climbing until I can no longer hold anything.

Guess I didnt read what I wrote there then

Dont think I'd be capable of climbing at the mo though, wouldnt mind trying it in the future, so a good forearm strengthening routine will be a good start

[Lost_BMW]

Wonder if you might consider one of these?

http://www.thestrengthcompany.co.uk/details1.asp/P...

[ShadownINja]

Well, I've found a new piece of training equipment that kills two birds with one stone:


1) constant grip for an hour against the two trigger handles plus holding the fker at chest and head height works forearms, biceps and shoulders
2) hedge shrinks in size making garden look better

Did it yesterday afternoon... forearms still pumped.

Edited by ShadownINja on Tuesday 15th June 00:30

[goldblum]

Nice piece of kit.Petrol or electric? Bet it's the lighter electric version.

You wimp!

[a boardman]

used by some climbers, they have a cheap version at climbing wall I use
ie weight on a string on bar, hold bar at arms length and then rotate bar to lift weight, and the gently let weight down.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Golds-Gym-Wrist-Curl-Exerc...