Forearms

[Muay Jin]

Hi guys,
I am happy with my arms but i don't feel that my forearms are getting large enough...
Is it too much to do Bicep curls and hammer curls in one day?
Or should I do them separately?

Maybe I should make a day specifically for forearms:
Hammer Curls
Wrist Curls
Reverse Wrist Curls

What do you think? or will my forearms just catch up from doing more dumbbell curls?

[xJimx]

Basically any exercise that involves grip will work this area. Specific wrist exercises are a waste of time in my experience.

Today I did some weighted chin ups & then finished off with some static hangs on a shiny (& therefore slippery) bar. I could barely clench my fists afterwards due to the 'burn'

[joelk]

Often people with the biggest forearms don't really do much direct work for them, they just develop from holding heavy weights without abusing straps. You might want to try farmers walks or just hold some heavy dumbells and try to develop your grip strength that way- it should bring your forearms up a lot without needing to do too many different types of curls

[JP]

in strongman you end up using the grip a lot anyway, so never needed any direct work.

but having said that, i support forearm work They are one of the coolest muscles out there together with traps, and bigger the better.

It seems tho that genetics play a big part, and much like with calves, you can only improve so much from what you have (within reason - and comoparatively to many other muscles).

[gauze]

reverse curls
thick bar curls
behind the back wrist curls

[seitanic]

Heavy deadlifts.

[Kryptonite V]

My forearms suck, so maybe i'm not the best to give advice.

BUT from my attempts to get them bigger, i can tell you what does NOT work:

- wrist curls. They just fuck your wrists.
- No direct work, just heavy deads and rows. If your forearms are genetically small, like mine, that won't be enough. I never used straps and i can row pretty heavy, but the forearms don't grow.

I will try the following now:

Grip work after every workout. Grip work is safer for the wrist than wrist curls. I'll do hangs from the bar, finger curls and gripper. I'll tell you if it works

[seitanic]

Doesn't deadlifting heavy build grip strength, too?

I forgot to mention pull-ups. The movement of the arms for pull-ups and hammer curls is quite the same. Same for barbell rows, but I think pull-ups are harder on the forearms than rows.

[seitan]

Often people with the biggest forearms don't really do much direct work for them, they just develop from holding heavy weights without abusing straps. You might want to try farmers walks or just hold some heavy dumbells and try to develop your grip strength that way- it should bring your forearms up a lot without needing to do too many different types of curls

ive always has big forearms, but ive never done weights.
my forearms used to be bigger than the tops of my arms when i was in my 20s!

[SpugFab]

http://www.jokeroo.com/video/funny/family-guy-popeye.html

[^toby^]

Jin, you will have strong forearms if you train in Hung Gar.

[V VII Hero]

forearms:

-towel grip pullups (drape towel over a high bar, and hold each side of towel to do pullups

-plate pinch gripping (grip two plates back to back and hold)

-spider grip dumbells (grip top of dumbbells with fingertips and hold)

-deadlifts

-farmers walks (hold dumbbells in each hand and walk)

-finger tip pushups (pushups on your fingertips)

I found these things to build my forearms tremendously instantly. I have bad genetics for calves and forearms. but with these exercises made my forearms huge over the winter.
my forearms shrunk now because Im not training enough now or eating enough. but trust me. do a lot of heavy holds and grip work and your forearms will grow.

wrist curls do nothing but strain. your wrists and forearms grow when pinching or holding because thats how muscles there work.

goodluck!

[GrahamC]

Is there a link between the bulking tendency in the forearms and calves, then? Both my calves and forearms are a bit big (my forearms look bigger than my upper arms), but I just put his down to hill running, fixed gear bikes, climbing and a former career as a cellarman.

[Pete]

Lever bar work can work the forearms pretty hard

[human vegetable]

Using fat handles for pulling exercises (just slip pieces of 2'' or 3'' PVC pipes over the chinning bar, depending on the size of your hands).

Static fat bar holds/hangs

Building this weird pushup device - great for wrist stability:
http://www.ironcrane.com/html/irncrs.html

In general, the fatter the handle, the higher the demand placed on grip strength due to worse leverage. This provides an alternative means of progression from merely increasing load.[/code]