Not only do thicker, fuller forearms give you a more aesthetically imposing look, but they increase your strength capacity in exercises like the deadlift. Your upper body will also look and function more symmetrically.
Failing to train forearms results in weak grip strength, and let’s cut to the chase, skinny-looking arms. Target yours with these 4 forearm exercises and sayonara to your skinny arms.
These workouts can be performed at the end of your regular training sessions. Perform them in a consecutive manner, completing all prescribed sets and reps of one exercise before moving to the next.
Workout 1:
1. Wrist roller- Grab a wrist roller with a pronated grip straight up and hold it out in front of your body.
- Make sure the rope is not wrapped around the roller, then roll your hands forward in an alternating fashion until the weight is raised and your arms are fully extended.
- Reverse the motion and return to the starting position.
- 3 sets x 4-5 reps, 90 second rest
- Place two dumbbells or rimmed weights facing outward in a standing position on the floor.
- Bend down and pinch the head of each weight with your fingers, lift them off the floor and hold.
- 3 sets x 15-30 second hold, 60 second rest
- Grab a thick towel and soak it in water, wring it out by twisting your wrists in both directions.
- 2 sets x 60 seconds, 0 second rest
4. Wrist flexion/extension stretch
- Slightly bend your left elbow and clasp your right hand over the fingers on your left hand, extend your left hand and gently bend the wrist back.
- Hold the stretch for 60 seconds.
- Perform the opposite movement to stretch the opposing muscles, bend your wrist and fingers in the opposite direction so that your palm comes closer to the forearm.
- 1 set x 60 second hold on each side, 0 second rest
Workout 2:
1. Farmer’s walk- Pick up a heavy set of dumbbells.
- Stand tall and walk with them as fast as you can, maintaining a neutral back.
- 3 sets x 20-second walks, 60 second rest
- Take a rubber band and put it around all of your fingers, then spread them apart as far as possible and hold for a second.
- 2 sets x 20-30 reps with each hand, 0 seconds rest
- Take a dumbbell in one hand and sit on a bench, allowing your elbow to rest on your thigh, bend at 90 degrees.
- Your working hand and the dumbbell should be loosely hanging off your knee with your palm up.
- Curl your wrist up so your palm faces your biceps.
- 2 sets x 15-20 reps on each side, 0 second rest
- Slightly bend your left elbow and clasp your right hand over the fingers on your left hand, then extend your left hand and gently bend the wrist back.
- Hold the stretch for 60 seconds, then perform the opposite movement to stretch the opposing muscles, bend your wrist and fingers in the opposite direction so that your palm comes closer to the forearm.
- 1 set x 60 second hold on each side, 0 second rest
Workout 3:
1. Kroc row- Place your left knee and hand on a bench and grab a dumbbell with your right hand.
- Maintaining a natural arch in the lower back, row the weight to your side in an explosive manner.
- To ensure maximum contraction, focus on getting a full range of motion by fully extending the shoulder at the bottom and forcefully pulling it up and back at the top.
- 3 sets x 15-20 reps on each side, 90 second rest
- Take a dumbbell in one hand and sit on a bench, placing your elbow and forearm on your thigh and allowing the working hand to loosely hang off your knee with the palm faced down.
- Curl your wrist up so that the back of your hand faces your biceps.
- 2 sets x 20-30 reps on each side, 0 second rest
- Place a lacrosse ball on a box and place your forearm on the ball with the palm of the hand facing down.
- Push your forearm into the ball, then slowly roll from the wrist to the elbow and back.
- As you roll, turn your wrist slightly on both sides to ensure that all of the tissues have been targeted.
- 2 sets x 30 seconds on each side, 0 second rest
4. Wrist flexion/extension stretch
- Slightly bend your left elbow and clasp your right hand over the fingers on your left hand, then extend your left hand and gently bend the wrist back.
- Hold the stretch for 60 seconds, then perform the opposite movement to stretch the opposing muscles, bend your wrist and fingers in the opposite direction so that your palm comes closer to the forearm.
- 1 set x 60-second hold on each side, 0 second rest
Workout 4:
1. Towel pull-up- Attach a towel to a pull-up bar, grab each end of it.
- As you hang from the towel, pull yourself up until your chin is raised above your hands.
- If this proves to be too hard, hang from the towel for as long as you can instead.
- 3 sets x As many reps as possible, 90 second rest
- Attach a rope handle to the pulley then grasp an end of it with your left hand and pull it to thread through the hole, so that you end up having one long rope.
- Take a step back so that your arm becomes fully extended then flex your wrist to bend the thumb back toward your forearm.
- After you complete all sets and reps with both hands, grasp the rope with your left hand again and perform the opposite motion by curling your pinkie toward the underside of your forearm.
- Repeat with the other hand.
- 2 sets x 15-20 reps on each side, 0 second rest
3. Cable supination/pronation
- Attach a rope handle to the pulley and make it thread through the hole as described in the exercise above.
- Grasp an end of it with your left hand, take a step back and sit on a bench.
- Maintaining a 90 degree bend in your elbow, rotate the wrist inward until your palm faces down.
- After completing all sets and reps with both hands, grasp the rope with your left hand again and perform the opposite motion by rotating the wrist outward until your palm faces up.
- 2 sets x 15-20 reps on each side, 0 second rest
- Slightly bend your left elbow and clasp your right hand over the fingers on your left hand, then extend your left hand and gently bend the wrist back.
- Hold the stretch for 60 seconds, then perform the opposite movement to stretch the opposing muscles, bend your wrist and fingers in the opposite direction so that your palm comes closer to the forearm.
- 1 set x 60-second hold on each side, 0 second rest
