Forearms...

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  • r0ckclimbingm0m
    r0ckclimbingm0m Posts: 23
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    Rock climbing. :-) Traversing is very good for building forearm strength.

    Also, I think someone else said it - it's a weight on a rope that you then roll up and down. We do that at the climbing gym quite a bit.

    Here's some more - you could do a lot of these at any gym. http://alpineinstitute.blogspot.com/2010/02/forearm-excercises-to-make-you-strong.html
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
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    Isolation exercises won't do it for you dude. You should get your forearm training from holding heavy weights in your hands so stick with big, compound lifts for low reps and your forearms and grip strength will grow rapidly. Try slowly working up in weight on your deadlifts with a double overhand grip. Once you've gotten high enough weights on there that you can't hold it double overhand then swap to over under or hook grip. You could also do farmer's walks, all different types of shrugs, rows and chins without straps and then burn out with some hammer or scott curls to focus on your wrist extensors a bit more. Hope this helps.

    I second this. I don't do any forearm specific exercises, just working on grabbing heavy things and moving them. Keep incrementally increasing the weight for your arms, back, chest, shoulders, whatever, grab the weight and don't use grip gloves or any assistance. Your forearms will start to feel like marble blocks.
  • HeidiMightyRawr
    HeidiMightyRawr Posts: 3,343 Member
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    I have found deadlifts the best for improving my forearm strength.
  • CorvusCorax77
    CorvusCorax77 Posts: 2,536 Member
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    Nothing makes my forearms turn to quivering sweaty vein bulging awesome like rock climbing.


    Added bonus: it's hella fun!
  • RECowgill
    RECowgill Posts: 881 Member
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    I have found deadlifts the best for improving my forearm strength.

    Yeah I'm sure. I think doing pullups again is accelerating my forearm strength rapidly. You have to be able to grab that bar! :drinker:
  • wmagoo27
    wmagoo27 Posts: 201 Member
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    For super powerful grip:

    - Start by deadhanging from a pullup bar.

    - Once that's easy switch from a standard grip to your middle knuckles.

    - Once that's easy switch to your first knuckles.

    - Once that's easy switch to your fingertips.

    - Once that's easy ditch the pullup bar and start using doorframes.

    - Win.

    This is good advice. Just doing pullups with your fingers instead of your entire hand will build the forearms. Don't neglect heavy deadlifts and barbell shrugs. Holding anything heavy in your hands will build grip and forearm size.
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
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    Hammer curls for sure!!!!!
  • demorelli
    demorelli Posts: 508 Member
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    Spring hand grips are great for hand and lower forearm strength.


    http://www.google.com/search?um=1&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=929&tbm=isch&sa=1&q=spring+hand+grip&oq=spring+hand+grip&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24l2.31710.33551.0.34328.2.2.0.0.0.0.75.146.2.2.0...0.0...1c.1.bR3A75ieVM0
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Grip strength: One-arm Dumbbell Rows or Rack Pulls

    You're back is much more powerful than your grip, so these two exercises will allow your grip to catch up to the strength of your back.

    I was just going to recommend some thigh high rack pulls for grip strength. Lift and hold for a few seconds, repeat. Forearm isolations are great but dont necessarily transfer to grip strength. You can also do weighted static hangs from a pull up bar but I like the rack pulls better.

    ^^seconded...or is that thirded...I get confused.

    fourth or ....third or whatever.

    But um, also I'm confused about the problem maybe. Is it that your forearms get TIRED or that your forearms lack the strength to complete movements with the weights you need for your routine?
  • jaysonhijinx
    jaysonhijinx Posts: 663 Member
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    I have found deadlifts the best for improving my forearm strength.

    Same. I used to hold onto the bar for as long as I could as well. 20-30 seconds later my forearms would be on fire! Unfortunately I can't keep doing that cause I use straps cause my fingers keep dislocating, lol.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i don't train my forearms. i find that with most compound exercises that require grip, such as overhead press, chest press, and dead lift, that it greatly improves my forearms and grip strength.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
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    For super powerful grip:

    - Start by deadhanging from a pullup bar.

    - Once that's easy switch from a standard grip to your middle knuckles.

    - Once that's easy switch to your first knuckles.

    - Once that's easy switch to your fingertips.

    - Once that's easy ditch the pullup bar and start using doorframes.

    - Win.

    Yep!
  • holly1283
    holly1283 Posts: 741 Member
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    Something different, swimming.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    Ummm.......ummmmm....yeah, I can't say what I originally wanted to say.

    Go with what @Troublemonster said.

    I think I get what you were going to say. :laugh: And that's funny!
  • ChrisLindsay9
    ChrisLindsay9 Posts: 837 Member
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    Deadlft, farmers walk, trap work holding DB's or a BB, any exercise where your holding a heavy *kitten* weight.

    This.
  • bcweisen
    bcweisen Posts: 118 Member
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    At my old gym they had a 20lb weight with a string tied to a piece of broom stick and you just start rolling the string up on the stick it was a great forearm exercise would burn like heck after a few times.

    This is one th we used at the Physical Therapy clinic I worked at in Ohio. Also holding a regular hammer in your hand and rotating back and forth across your whole range of motion.
  • nguk123
    nguk123 Posts: 223
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    ok, so I'm trying to think about this logically.
    Forearms giving out, is weaking your potential on other lifts....
    so would be great if your forearms were stronger, then you could max out those other lifts better...
    BUT
    how can you exercise your forearms more than you have been? The point of your story is that your forearms are getting fried and getting overstressed because they are being worked so much by all the lifts big and small.

    So maybe, the thing to do is lift as you have been. And when you (for example) can't bench press anymore, not because you don't have the chest or tri's for it, but just because your forearms give out. take it to a machine and do a pec fly, etc. i.e. keep on working those pecs now without the forearms.

    Am I way off here ?

    I guess, the approach might depend on your goals, i.e. body building versus powerlifting goals. I suppose my answer kind of assumes a bodybuilding standpoint.
  • username_misso
    username_misso Posts: 50 Member
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    deficit deadlifts off a ~3inch block coincidentally also fixed my grip issue. i didnt need to do any other accessory work in the end.

    other suggestions (some great ones already mentioned) - hold your last deadlift rep for as long as you can, hang off a bar, farmers walks, hold a dumbell or plates with your fingers for time, shrugs, rack pulls, or stick your hand in a bucket of sand or rice and dig out a small object.

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