Almost everyone has seen the cartoon “Popeye the Sailor Man, in which” the main character has a massive set of forearms. Forearms contribute a lot to showcasing a muscular physique as they are almost always exposed, unlike other muscles that get covered by clothing.
Usually, when we train our back, the forearms are indirectly trained. The forearm muscle helps to increase the grip strength. A firm grip can be beneficial in both daily life and in the gym as well.
Having a strong grip helps you carry more weight, so in day-to-day life, you can do different chores very easily, like carrying groceries, opening jars, etc. If you are into sports like baseball, golf, etc., where you need grip strength, then muscular forearms will give you an edge. In the gym, you need a solid grip to perform many exercises efficiently, so forearms play an important role there, too.
There are mainly 3 muscles in the forearms:
- Forearm Flexors
- Forearm Extensors
- Brachioradialis
The forearm extensor and Brachioradialis are situated on the top of the arm, and the forearm flexor is at the bottom of the arm.
The primary functions of forearms are:
- Wrist Flexion: Bending the wrist downwards (Palm facing down)
- Wrist Extension: Raising the wrist upwards (Palm facing up)
- Rotation of the arm
Excercises
Now that you know the basics about forearms, let’s dive into how we can build them like Popeye, the Sailor Man. There are different types of forearm exercises; among them, we picked the exercises for which you will not require many types of equipment so that you can even perform them at home.
Reverse Curl
One of the top exercises for growing big forearms is reverse curl. It trains all three muscles of the forearms (Flexors, Extensors, and Brachioradialis) at once. It looks similar to a bicep’s curl, but it is performed with a pronated grip (Palm facing down).
Reverse curling can be performed using dumbbells, barbells, or even machines. However, we will discuss how you perform using dumbbells or barbells as it is the most convenient way to perform the exercise:
How to perform:
- Grab a pair of moderate-weight dumbbells or a barbell. Grab them on a shoulder-width grip.
- The grip should be pronated (Palm facing down). Rest the weights on the waistline, which will be the starting position.
- Curl the weight up and squeeze the forearm muscles.
- Slowly descend the weight down.
- To make the exercise more challenging, you can wrap a towel around the barbell or use the fat grips.
Farmers Carry/Walk
It is one of the most time convenient forearm exercises as you do not need any setup to perform this exercise. If you have some heavyweight dumbbells or weight plates, you are all set to perform this exercise.
You need a straight pathway. If you do not have that in the gym or at home, you can always do it outdoors.
How to perform:
- Grab a pair of heavyweight dumbbells or weight plates (By heavyweight, we mean that is in your capacity).
- Grip them on a neutral grip.
- Embrace the core and keep your back straight.
- Move forward by taking one step at a time. If the space is limited, then count steps (Take at least 15 steps in one lap)
- After completing one lap, rest and continue again.
Wrist Extension Curls
Wrist extension curls are very easy to perform. If you have access to a pair of dumbbells, you can do them anywhere. They mainly train the forearm extensors and Brachioradialis.
Usually, people perform it with both hands at the same time. However, we recommend doing one hand at a time to improve the mind-muscle connection and to get the full extension on each arm.
How to perform:
- Grab a moderately lightweight dumbbell.
- Place one arm on a bench or any flat surface, where only the wrist of your arm should be outside the bench (Palms facing down).
- Curl the weight up using only your wrist.
- Your hand should be fixed on the bench throughout the movement
- Descend the weight down till your wrist becomes entirely straight.
Wrist Flexion Curls
Like wrist extension curls, wrist flexion curls are very easy to perform. They mainly train the forearm flexor.
Both wrist extension and flexion curls are performed similarly. The main difference between the two is that the palm faces upward in the wrist flexion curl. It is almost identical to the biceps curl, but in it, you curl your wrist, not the elbow joint.
How to perform:
- Grab a moderately lightweight dumbbell.
- Place one arm on a bench or any flat surface, where only the wrist of your arm should be outside the bench (Palms facing upward).
- Curl the weight up using only using your wrist.
- Your hand should be fixed on the bench throughout the movement
- Descend the weight down till your wrist becomes entirely straight.
Pinch Holds
Pich holds are a great exercise to increase the strength and grip strength of your forearms. You can do pinch holds by using weight plates, Dumbbells, Barbells, or even heavy books.
If you are using dumbbells or barbells, then wrap a towel around the handle so that you can only grab them with your fingers.
It is a static hold that also increases the endurance of your forearms.
How to perform:
- Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells or weight plates.
- Grab the weights with only your fingers. It will look like you are pinching the weight plates or dumbbells.
- Hold for at least one or two minutes.
- Drop the weight and rest for some time.
- Again, perform using the same technique.
Dead hangs
Dead hangs are also a static hold. It can increase the strength of your forearms immensely.
It trains the forearm muscle as a whole as your entire arm gets engaged in the process, but the forearms carry the most load.
It is similar to pull-ups; however, in a dead hang, you hang throughout the exercise without pulling your body up.
How to perform:
- Grab the pull-up bars. Grab it on a shoulder-width grip.
- Keep your back straight and embrace the core to maintain stability throughout the exercise.
- You can cross your legs backward, or you can keep them straight, choose the one that is more comfortable for you.
- Try to hang for at least 2 minutes. If you cannot hang for 2 minutes at a time, then try for at least one minute and progress over time.
- Take some rest and perform it again.
Behind the Back Barbell Wrist Curl
Behind the back barbell wrist curl is an excellent exercise, as you cannot cheat because of the weight placement. The barbell is held on the hip height, and you need to curl from there, which forbids any other muscles to engage except your forearms.
How to perform:
- Grab a moderate-weight barbell behind your back. Pick it from the stand, or it may fall.
- Grab the barbell on a shoulder-width grip.
- Curl the barbell up using your wrist only.
- Slowly descend the weight until your wrist is entirely straight.
- Your elbow should always be fixed on the side of your hips throughout the movement.