Forearm Development?

[Dr. Cheese]

How many of you all work your forearms regularly? I think the forearms are the most neglected upper body muscles, but are so important in everyday life for gripping, tool use, and even playing bass.

My main forearm tool is one of these:http://sarasota.craigslist.org/spo/1483803567.html

[mytmous]

Oh, so many inappropriate comments here

I spend more time stretching hands/wrists/forearms than building them up. I've done a lot of manual labor in the past (including auto restoration) so I actually have more issues with having too much tension in the forearms.

[L-A]

I do it with handstands and the like.

Tuck to straight planche is a deadly thing to do.

[rochishin]

Hey good Dr,

I agree forearms are too often neglected. If I may be so bold as to suggest a better way to build your popeyes. First there are a few different types of lower limb strength, there is wrist/forearm, hand/grip and finally finger strength.

Wrist/ foream exercises:
Wrist curls - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcvhJ_exix8
Reverse wrist curls - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFnkj...eature=related

Hand/grip exercises:
Farmers walks - http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=IwvvnuL895w
Hand grippers - http://www.ironmind.com/ironmind/ope...nsofcrush.html

Fingers are worked statically with the above exercises but if you want work them direct try finger push-ups and google some other goodies for direct finger workouts. Or try rock climbing.

Workouts should be kept short and sweet as the forearms respond pretty quickly but can be overtrained very easily due to they're everyday use.

I hope this helps and wasn't to preachy.

P.S. like the above poster, stretch your forearms in between each set and exercise.

[fo shizzle]

[quote=mytmous;8393463]Oh, so many inappropriate comments here

QUOTE]

I know, it's too easy.

Just a flat juicy fastball, right over the center of the plate, just begging to be taken deep!!

[L-A]

I'll add what weight I can to the stretching advice. Strenght training tends to tighten muscles. You don't want to lose hand flexibility, it's a highway to pain.

[buzzbass]

I work them on the same day biceps. Once a week, generally with higher reps, like calves. Forearms & calves need higher reps to grow.

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Originally Posted by buzzbass

I work them on the same day biceps. Once a week, generally with higher reps, like calves. Forearms & calves need higher reps to grow.

+1

They are pretty hard muscles to grow (a lot of it really is in the genetics with those). The muscles that we use the most regularly are the ones that are harder to develop.

I've been too busy to hit the gym much recently not to mention too skint to renew my membership, but i digress.

Don't have it anymore, but I used to use part of a wooden broom handle with a hole the in the middle (the hole would be perpendicular to the broom).

Length of rope with a big knot in one end, so not to go all the way through the handle, it was fed through the hole. The other end was knotted with a carabiner.

Feed the carabiner end through the weights (well, worked for me (ive got "grip" plates)) and clip it back onto the rope.

Holding the broom handle handle in both hands, turn it one way, up goes the weights, turn it the other way, down they go.

Worked pretty well while I stuck at it

(there probably is some commercial equivilant)

Originally Posted by L-A

I'll add what weight I can to the stretching advice. Strenght training tends to tighten muscles. You don't want to lose hand flexibility, it's a highway to pain.

Disagree there, do it right and you should be able to maintain flexability.

[Jazz Ad]

Like many bass players, my right forearm is almost double the size of my left.

[Phalex]

Originally Posted by Jazz Ad

Like many bass players, my right forearm is almost double the size of my left.

Yeah........ Playing bass............

I'm going to have to remember this one. No one believes that I churn my own butter.........

[Jeff K]

Tie a dumbbell to a wooden dowel or stick. Then raise it up by winding it up with your hands/wrists. Once it gets to the top, unwind it. Repeat. That'll give your forearms a good workout. Cheap and efficient.

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by Jeff K

Tie a dumbbell to a wooden dowel or stick. Then raise it up by winding it up with your hands/wrists. Once it gets to the top, unwind it. Repeat. That'll give your forearms a good workout. Cheap and efficient.

I do that and wrist curls. I usually do the curls in between sets of something else, such as military press. Unfortunately it is the easiest thing for me to forget to do. For grip I have one of those grip things, works quite well as I can do fingertip chin-ups for rock climbing.

lowsound

[Joe Gress]

Oh yeah. Every night. Workin them fore arms.

[BlacksHole]

I used to use the hand grippers, but if done too much, they can negatively impact your bass playing.

[kesslari]

Hang from stuff. Jump up on a pullup bar and hang.

[Dr. Cheese]

Originally Posted by BlacksHole

I used to use the hand grippers, but if done too much, they can negatively impact your bass playing.

Weightlifting in general can hurt your playing until yoou get used to it. Once you get used to it, weightlifting is not an issue.

[fast slapper]

Originally Posted by Phalex

No one believes that I churn my own butter.........

Sounds pretty believable to me....

[GeneralElectric]

Originally Posted by Phalex

Yeah........ Playing bass............

I'm going to have to remember this one. No one believes that I churn my own butter.........

How else are you supposed to butter your muffin?

[hover]

Strong to the finnitch and all.

[ugly_bassplayer]

This thread's joke potential is off the scale.