How to pump up your forearms for an iron grip

Why it is worth training the forearms additionally

Unlike biceps and triceps, which are always paid attention to at the end of a workout, few people remember about the muscles of the forearms. Yes, they already work in almost all movements with free weights and on the horizontal bar, but additional pumping still does not hurt.

Even when combined with regular strength training, isolated forearm movements provideD. J. Szymanski, J. M. Szymanski, J. M. Molloy. Effect of 12 weeks of wrist and forearm training on high school baseball players / Journal of strength and conditioning research good gain in strength. This means that you can hold out on the horizontal bar longer during pull-ups and do deadlifts without the risk of suddenly releasing the projectile from your hands.

On top of that, pumped up forearms look cool and blend harmoniously with big biceps and delts.

How to pump up your forearms in the gym

If you have time to train your forearms in the machine, try some good isolated exercises.

What exercises to do

The forearm contains many small muscles arranged in several layers. Some flex the fingers and hand in the wrist joint, others are responsible for extension. There is also one muscle that has nothing to do with wrist movement - the brachioradialis. To pump it, use the same exercise as for strengthening the biceps.

Bending the elbows with a straight grip

If you do curls with dumbbells with a direct grip, when the palms are directed to the floor, the biceps muscle of the shoulder is activatedA. Naito, M. Yajima, H. Fukamachi, K. Ushikoshi. Electromyographic (EMG) study of the elbow flexors during supination and pronation of the forearm / The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine much worse, and the brachioradialis receives more stress.

Take a curved bar with a straight grip, bend and extend your arms at the elbows, trying to move in full range. Alternatively, you can do the straight bar exercise if it doesn’t cause wrist discomfort, or try a dumbbell movement.

Do 15-20 reps per set. Choose the weight so as to bring the muscles to near failure - a state where you can no longer do even a single time in the full range.

Holding the barbell on two towels

Place the barbell on the low stands or safety bars of the power rack, wrap two towels around the bar and grasp the ends. Raise the projectile and hold it in weight, squeezing the fabric with all your might. Start with 30 seconds and work up to a minute. After that, increase the weight on the bar.

Hold "suitcase"

In this performance, the muscles of the forearms will not only have to keep the fingers bent, but also prevent the barbell from swinging, which will increase the load on them.

Stand sideways to the bar, grab it by the center with one hand, lift the bar and hold it in this position, trying to prevent the projectile from swinging.

Start with a 30 second hold. Gradually increase the weight by putting pancakes on the barbell.

Extending the brushes

This exercise will help build the muscles on the inside of your forearms. Thanks to the limited range of motion, you can work safely even with heavy weights.

Place the bar on low stands or safety stops of the power rack, turn your back to it, grab with a straight grip so that your palms are turned away from the body, and lift the barbell.

Unclench your hand so that the bar rolls onto your fingers, then squeeze the hand again and bend your wrists as far as you can. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and repeat. Do 15-20 reps per set. Increase your barbell weight over time.

Flexion of the brushes

This exercise helps to work the muscles on the outside of the forearms.

Take a barbell with a straight grip and hold it in front of your body. Extend your arms at the wrist joints and return your hands to a straight position. Perform 15-20 times per set.

Rolling the bar 

This exercise will help you work both the front and back of your forearm in one set.

Take a barbell with a straight grip and twist it towards you, taking turns unbending your arms at the wrist joints. Perform the movement for 30 seconds, trying to move your arms as quickly as possible, and then change direction and do the same away from you for the next half minute. Gradually increase the run time until you get to 60 seconds. Then raise the barbell weight.

How often to practice

Work on forearm strength twice a week. Add 1–2 exercises to the very end of your workout so that fatigued muscles don't interfere with deadlifts, pull-ups, and other exercises.

You can distribute the movements as follows:

• workout 1: 3 supersets of curls and extensions with a barbell;
• workout 2: 2 sets of 30-60 seconds holding the barbell on towels - alternating with holding the "suitcase" through the workout). 2 sets of 30-60 seconds of rolling the barbell.

The brachioradialis muscle can be pumped along with the biceps, alternating bending of the arms with a barbell with a direct and reverse grip.

How to pump up your forearms at home

If you do not have time for additional movements in the gym or you do not go there at all, you can load your forearms well at home.

What exercises to do

Hanging on the horizontal bar

This simple exercise is great for pumping your forearm muscles and increasing your grip strength. Grab the horizontal bar with a straight grip, hang and hold as long as you can.

It is better to time the time right away so that there is motivation to hold out longer. If your palms are sweating, use chalk to prevent slipping off the bar.

Compression of the wrist expander 

This is a simple and fairly cheap home exercise machine that you can use at any free time. For a start, it is better to buy an expander with the ability to adjust in order to understand what kind of resistance you can work with. For example, a model in the form of pliers with plastic handles, as in the video.

Perform 15-20 squeezes of the expander with each hand. Set the resistance in such a way as to finish the approach with effort, but without pain.

Scrolling the hand trainer

You can buy such a trainer or make it yourself from a stick, rope and some kind of weight - dumbbells or a bottle of sand.

Bend your elbows, raise your forearms to parallel with the floor and twist the handle of the simulator first towards yourself so that the rope is completely wound around it, and then in the opposite direction. Work for 30-60 seconds.

How often to practice

Do forearm strength workouts 2-3 times a week with a rest day in between. Start with one set of each exercise to avoid overworking your muscles or injuring your wrists.

As you get used to it, increase the number of approaches to three. Gradually increase the hanging time, resistance of the expander, and the weight on the machine rope.