Hello everyone, I'm curious, how would you increase fore-arm strength? I eat a lot and do a lot of benching/push-ups, but it doesn't seem to have much effect. How do you increase your forearm muscle/strength?
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how to increase forearm strength
- Thread starter AmazingGracePlayer
- Start date
Well you could always...... nevermind 
Benching and push-ups both focus mostly on your pecs. Try curls. Except speeecccial curls. Basically, get some dumbbells and do a bicep curl except turn your hand so that the weight is perpindicular to instead of parallel to the floor (well, perpindicular if you hold it straight out.) Basically, hold it like you're hammering nails, then curl. This works your forearm.
Also wrist curls. Basically, you just have a light dumbbell and curl your wrist, try doing this with palm up and palm down.
Should help.
Benching and push-ups both focus mostly on your pecs. Try curls. Except speeecccial curls. Basically, get some dumbbells and do a bicep curl except turn your hand so that the weight is perpindicular to instead of parallel to the floor (well, perpindicular if you hold it straight out.) Basically, hold it like you're hammering nails, then curl. This works your forearm.
Also wrist curls. Basically, you just have a light dumbbell and curl your wrist, try doing this with palm up and palm down.
Should help.
Preacher curls?
I found that hitting a bag a few minutes a day does wonders to your overall arm tone.
I found that hitting a bag a few minutes a day does wonders to your overall arm tone.
Yeah.
I don't want to mess with my wrists. Carpal Tunnel is very
The perpendicular bicep curl is probably safe though. This is a good way to work out the brachioradialis.
I know one thing that actually really does work...depends on how "willing" you are to do it...
Curls, chin-ups, ect.
(That first one actually does work, I'm not joking......now I gotta go work my left side, it's lagging behind
)
Curls, chin-ups, ect.
(That first one actually does work, I'm not joking......now I gotta go work my left side, it's lagging behind
)
Agreed. Wrist curls in general are pretty crappy. Just do regular bicep curls or reverse bicep curls and you should be fine.
Another thing you can do is farmer's walks. Basically lift something heavy, like dumbbells, and walk around with them. It's basically your gripping strength.
Or if you're doing chin-ups/pull-ups, wrap a towel around the bar to make it bigger and thus make you grip harder.
Punching a bag doesn't do anything for your forearms and if you have no idea how to punch, it could do damage to your wrists and shoulders.
Ok... I have 10lb dumbbells, and they seem way too light for me... I guess I gotta spend a few bucks on a new set of dumbbells =)
Here's what I usually do when I'm at the gym:
(perpendicular culrs)
20 20-lb curls (20 each arm)
15 20-lb culrs
10 15-lb curls
how many sets of those should I do?
Here's what I usually do when I'm at the gym:
(perpendicular culrs)
20 20-lb curls (20 each arm)
15 20-lb culrs
10 15-lb curls
how many sets of those should I do?
I know one thing that actually really does work...depends on how "willing" you are to do it...
Curls, chin-ups, ect.
(That first one actually does work, I'm not joking......now I gotta go work my left side, it's lagging behind
spanky-spanky
Oooh, good tip on those wrist curls being bad for joints. I hadn't heard that, but I never really was a big fan of actually doing that lift anyways
Hmm instead of those farmer's walks you could do a similar thing, except you pick up big weights and do a sort of shrugging motion, then you'd be working your shoulders as well as your grip.
Hmm instead of those farmer's walks you could do a similar thing, except you pick up big weights and do a sort of shrugging motion, then you'd be working your shoulders as well as your grip.
Wrist curls = no.
Just do reverse curls. Get a barbell and imagine you are going to do a bicep curl, except instead of an underhand grip, approach it with an overhand grip. Curl as per normal.
Most shoulder and chest exercises, along with normal bicep and tricep curls will build strength in your forearms.
Remember that your forearm muscles are a rather small group, and overworking them will put enormous strain on your upper arms, elbow joint and wrists. There is a reason they are smaller and not specifically worked as a muscle group - the side effect of other exercises keeps them very well trained and very little extra attention is needed.
Just do reverse curls. Get a barbell and imagine you are going to do a bicep curl, except instead of an underhand grip, approach it with an overhand grip. Curl as per normal.
Most shoulder and chest exercises, along with normal bicep and tricep curls will build strength in your forearms.
Remember that your forearm muscles are a rather small group, and overworking them will put enormous strain on your upper arms, elbow joint and wrists. There is a reason they are smaller and not specifically worked as a muscle group - the side effect of other exercises keeps them very well trained and very little extra attention is needed.
You don't mention if you do those sets in that particular order, or if you pair that up with other muscle group exercises on the same day. Keep in mind that if you train your chest, shoulders or back on the same day, you really don't need a lot of targeted arm exercises - all the other work is using your arms to assist and will work your arms without too much extra.
Anyway, I would recommend you pyramid that workout above, add variation with an isolation set, and add one set to failure.
It would look more like this (in this order):
20 x 15lb curls (alternating arms to 20 reps per arm)
20 x 20lb curls (this time isolate - 20 reps on one arm, then 20 on the other)
? x 20lb curls (alternate each arm, reps to failure - until you can't do any more)
Don't worry if you can only do say five or ten on the last set - the goal is to build that number as you progress. Don't forget to add weight when the current weights get too easy, and look for variation exercises such as preacher curls, hammer curls, recliner free hand curls etc etc. Don't let your body get used to the workload as you will not see any gains if you do. keep attacking each body part with new and interesting variations of exercises to keep it on its toes.
best of luck
Heh, I can never do those overhand grip curls... I always tend to tighten/move my back/waist even if I'm curly 2 lbs each hand... I don't know why, maybe I need to practice just like
Working on cars or any trade that has you use your hands..
This exercise is waay better than wrist curls though:
Saw a round broomstick into a 2 foot section, drill a hole through the middle, pass a string through it, and tie it to a weight(trust me, even 5 pounds will be enough)
Now, roll it up, and roll it down.....very s-l-o-w-l-y(especially on the descent), working up to 20 minutes a day or more
Your forearms will become IRON, I promise.
Here is one you can buy(type in "wrist exerciser" on ebay):
This exercise is waay better than wrist curls though:
Saw a round broomstick into a 2 foot section, drill a hole through the middle, pass a string through it, and tie it to a weight(trust me, even 5 pounds will be enough)
Now, roll it up, and roll it down.....very s-l-o-w-l-y(especially on the descent), working up to 20 minutes a day or more
Your forearms will become IRON, I promise.
Here is one you can buy(type in "wrist exerciser" on ebay):
Attachments
Heh, I can never do those overhand grip curls... I always tend to tighten/move my back/waist even if I'm curly 2 lbs each hand... I don't know why, maybe I need to practice just like
Stand with your back against a wall and keep trying.
Wrist curls and basically any exercise that involves gripping objects is good (bicep curls etc ). Just remember that the more reps the better ( with forearms) and train the forearms at the end of your workout .
spanky-spanky
You guys are so immature...
The guy is trying to increase his forearm strength. Plain old spanky spanky will not work... He needs to switch hands (it's like a different girl) and increase his porn intake in order to increase the frequency... I mean reps...
