Your forearms are responsible for a lot of the work that you do in your everyday life, from lifting heavy objects to gripping a pen.
They’re also a big limiting factor in how well you can perform certain exercises. Take deadlifts, framers walks and even pull ups for example - it’s often your grip that gives way before your legs and/or back do. This limiting factor is a reason by many people struggle to progress certain exercises beyond their current capabilities.
If you want to improve your grip strength, forearm size, and overall hand strength, then you need to add forearm training to your workout routine. You’ll also improve your capacity to train the lifts relying heavily on grip.
What are the Practical Benefits of Training Your Forearms?
There are many reasons why you should train your forearms. Here are a few of the most important ones:
Improved grip strength. A strong grip is essential for many activities, such as lifting weights, rock climbing, and playing sports.
Increased forearm size. Forearm training can help you build bigger, stronger forearms. This can give you a more muscular and athletic appearance.
Improved hand strength. Strong hands are important for tasks such as opening jars, carrying groceries, and typing. Day to day life is a lot easier if you don’t have to rely on others to get your jam jar open!
Reduced risk of injury. Stronger forearms can help to reduce the risk of injuries to your wrists, hands, and elbows. Tennis elbow, golfers elbow and the like are significantly less likely.
Improved athleticism. Lots of sports rely on good grip strength. Judo, wrestling, climbing, gymnastics, Rugby, power lifting etc. By improving your grip strength, you’ll make yourself better at any sport requiring a strong grip.
How to Train Your Forearms
There are many different exercises that you can do to train your forearms. Some of the most effective exercises include:
Wrist curls: This exercise is great for targeting the muscles in your forearm. To do a wrist curl, hold a dumbbell in each hand and curl your wrists up towards your body.
Reverse wrist curls: This exercise is similar to wrist curls, but instead of curling your wrists up, you curl them down. To do a reverse wrist curl, hold a dumbbell in each hand and curl your wrists down towards your body.
Plate pinches: This exercise is great for strengthening your grip. To do a plate pinch, hold a heavy plate between your index finger and thumb. Hold the plate for as long as you can.
Farmer's walks: This exercise is a great full-body workout that also works your forearms. To do a farmer's walk, hold a heavy object in each hand and walk for a set distance.
How Often Should You Train Your Forearms?
You should train your forearms 2-3 times per week. Each workout should last for about 15-20 minutes. As a general rule, by incorporating the exercises above in your training, plus pull ups, deadlifts, cleans, rope hangs etc, you’ll be training your forearms without realising it.
The direct forearm work is an additional bonus.
Here’s a few additional tips for training your forearms:
Use a weight that is challenging but not too heavy. You should be able to do 10-12 repetitions of each exercise with good form.
Focus on slow, controlled movements. This will help to target the muscles in your forearms more effectively.
Take breaks between sets. This will allow your muscles to recover and prevent injuries.
Be patient. It takes time to build strong forearms. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately.
Forearm training is an important part of any fitness routine. By following the tips in this article, you can build stronger forearms and improve your grip strength, forearm size, and overall hand strength.
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