Bulking up forearm

PeadarofAodh

I was just wondering what is the best way to build muscle on the forearm and wrist using free weights? Is it possible to just lift weights using your wrist without damaging the joint? Thanks for any help

Mr E

Barbell wrist curls and reverse barbell wrist curls are what you need to look up. Make sure you do forearm exercises near the end of a workout, because they can weaken your grip for other exercises.

With machines, a lat pulldown (close, reverse grip) f*cks my forearms up more than most exercises (so I presume its doing them some good)

MrNuked

you could try hanging from a chin up bar using just your fingertips, using one hand, weighted one hand whatever.
**** lots probably helps too, I suspect, judging by the difference in size of my two forearms.
I wouldn't do that in the gym though.

BrianD3

**** lots probably helps too, I suspect, judging by the difference in size of my two forearms

To solve this, you could **** two handed - provided you "measure up" of course.

Anyhow, for a pencil neck, I have reasonably well developed forearms, wrists and a good grip. I don't do any specific wrist exercises and the only specific arm exercises I do are barbell curls which target the biceps more than the forearms.

I think if you do heavy compound movements (bench press, deadlift, chinups etc.) which involve gripping a bar, your forearms/wrists/grip will automatically get a good workout.

One that I've found that really hits my grip and forearms are weighted chin ups (palms forward type) done from a rafter in the garage. These seem to *really* work the forearms and grip - more so than doing the same exercise while hanging from a proper bar, and more so than any forearm isolation movement I've tried.

Another thing to consider: search this forum for posts on Captains of Crush grippers. These seem to be excellent yokes for improving your grip strength.

BrianD3

uberwolf

one thing I found massively bulked my forearms was wall climbing, tis good fun as well. Obviously not terribley practical. If you were in UCD you could do it no probs. anyhow..

Musashi

Become a Blacksmith!!
Try putting a light weight on one end of a threaded dumbell handle, hold the other end and move it like a hammer or Club bell.
Make a wrist roller from a foot or two of Shovel handle,drill a hole thorugh the centre of it and thread a rope through it.Put plates on the free end and wind them up and down the handle.Thicker handles stress your grip more ,try a search on thick bar training and check out Ironminds range of products.The Captains of Crush Grippers,Titans Telegraph Key etc. and try to improvise them?
Any climbing gear shops near you will have Carabiners and webbing to improvise chinning gear you use with fingers rather than whole hand grips.
Good luck!

Gymboy

Posted this link somewhere else here:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exe...Muscle=Forearms

Even doing upper arm exercises works lower arms - eg barbell curls, but if you really want to bulk them try exercises shown in the link.

sound_wave

the link ^^ the showing a 404!

MrNuked

Grip training is sometimes a component of powerlifting training. You are more likely to find info on strengthening your forearms on a powerlifting site than a bodybuilding one.

Boru.

Hi PeadarofAodh,

Another useful trick for forearm development can be found in Bruce Lee; Art of Expressing the Human Body.The book does a forearm specialisation section and mentions all the tips covered here (except fot that last one). It does give an additional one which I found really helped.

Take a towel and wrap it around the barbell when doing any given ecercise. Because of the increased diameter of the bar you have to grip harder to maintain proper form and avoid dropping it. This leads to an isometric contraction and as such you really blast the forearms.


Hope this helps.