Burning Forearms - what am I doing wrong?

RobAMerc

Lads,

it seems that pretty much every bicep exercise I do burns my forearms so bad I fail because of them before my biceps give in.

I know there are tricks to hit the forearms specifically such as turning your wrists up when doing cable pulls or cable wrist curls but is there a way to not hit them ?

Thanks
Rob

meijin

Your forearms are too weak, so you need to get them stronger. Try hanging off the bar, rope climbs, etc. Some ideas and progression in "Convict Conditioning 2" book.

minihey

It could also be because you're letting your wrists bend when you're doing the exercise, that's what my problem was before.

CianRyan

If your wrists are bending while you curl, you could try could do with strengthening your wrists.

Grab two 2kg weights, one in each hand and punch over hand to the same spot bringing your hands back to your chin each time.
Start of with 50 punches on each hand (100 in a row if you will) and work your way up to doing it for 15 minutes straight.

I use this as a conditioning exercise for Sanshou and it works really well.

Hoboo

Just need to build them up gradually, or try alternating with hammer curls ? Also you could try doing bicep curls at beginning of workout when youre fresh. Not a fan of machines but bicep curl might help in the interim by isolating the muscle.

nice_guy80

Farmer's Walk
grab something heavy and walk with it.
great for forearm strength

boomtown84

nice_guy80 wrote: »

Farmer's Walk
grab something heavy and walk with it.
great for forearm strength

+fat gripz

Hanley

boomtown84 wrote: »

+fat gripz

Depends what you're looking to train. Fat gripz can change the nature of the exercise from supporting strength to Pinch strength.

JJayoo

I have a friend with a similar issue. Watched him doing BB curls and at the top of each rep he was bending his wrists. He was cutting the range of motion his biceps had to go through by bending his wrists. I asked him why he does it and he had no idea he was doing it. He just wanted to get the bar from A-B.

discus

Rope climbs are your friend. If you have access to a rope and need exercises PM me and I'll send you a few vids.

POSSY

I found the same problem when doing barbell bicep movement (though mainly in my right arm) which I attributed to having broken (aka shattered) both bones in my right arm when I was younger (still cant quite turn my right hand in fully and even get a little bit of forearm discomfort when squatting). However, doing the same movements with dumbbells allows me to hit the bicep fully with no forearm discomfort.

So possibly if you're doing barbell workouts this might work for you. My theory is that the discomfort/burning in my forearm is due to a flexibility/strength imbalance between my right/left arm and wrist which may be causing a slight torque effect on the bar so to speak (again this is just a little hunch of mine). Hopefully this is of some help to the OP.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

Could you be gripping the weight too tight, rather than using your hands and hooks with minimal squeezing pressure?

RobAMerc

Mariana Muscular Mumps wrote: »

Could you be gripping the weight too tight, rather than using your hands and hooks with minimal squeezing pressure?

I suppose I could given that I often have sore hands after a session - however I think the idea I am bending my wrists at the top of the motion in order to complete easier may be worth investigating.

thanks all

Sangre

Barbell movements hurt my forearms so I avoid them. Complete bandage solution but it works for me.

DL Saint

Try gripping the bar or dumbbell with a supinated grip (Google it). It should take your forearms out of play a bit, also as has been mentioned already try and avoid gripping the bar/db too hard.

Hoboo

JJayoo wrote: »

I have a friend with a similar issue. Watched him doing BB curls and at the top of each rep he was bending his wrists. He was cutting the range of motion his biceps had to go through by bending his wrists. I asked him why he does it and he had no idea he was doing it. He just wanted to get the bar from A-B.

Bending the wrist has be shown to work the bicep further, flexes it that little bit more, but your wrist should be straight to the top, and only bent to literally squeeze the bicep at the end.

JJayoo

Hoboo wrote: »

Bending the wrist has be shown to work the bicep further, flexes it that little bit more, but your wrist should be straight to the top, and only bent to literally squeeze the bicep at the end.

I think the leading curlologists would disagree.

Hoboo

JJayoo wrote: »

I think the leading curlologists would disagree.

Curly Watts and Curly Wurly both agree

JJayoo

Hoboo wrote: »

Curly Watts and Curly Wurly both agree

I stand corrected.

Brian?

RobAMerc wrote: »

I suppose I could given that I often have sore hands after a session - however I think the idea I am bending my wrists at the top of the motion in order to complete easier may be worth investigating.

thanks all

Important question here, does this happen doing all curls? Or is it just barbell curls?

beano345

Hoboo wrote: »

Bending the wrist has be shown to work the bicep further, flexes it that little bit more, but your wrist should be straight to the top, and only bent to literally squeeze the bicep at the end.

funny i trained with a man in toronto who sweared by deadning your wrists for more pump and nearly halves the weight your lifting its the way i curl now!

RobAMerc

Brian? wrote: »

Important question here, does this happen doing all curls? Or is it just barbell curls?

I have no idea if I am honest - wait till arms day ( Monday ) and I will get back to you !

as ever, Thanks all.

Brian?

RobAMerc wrote: »

I have no idea if I am honest - wait till arms day ( Monday ) and I will get back to you !

as ever, Thanks all.

You have an arms day? That could be a large part of your problem.

RobAMerc

Brian? wrote: »

You have an arms day? That could be a large part of your problem.

No no - I only do biceps, forearms and legs ( in that order ) on one day a week.

I called it arms day even though I do my triceps on a different day.