Forearms are the muscles in the lower part of your arm, between your elbow and wrist and are one of the most neglected body parts when it comes to strength training, however, they’re actually one of the most important! Forearm workouts are an essential part of any serious weightlifter’s workout routine and can be a great way to have strong, sculpted forearms. A Pittsburgh chiropractor and certified strength and conditioning specialist, Tauberg says forearm muscles provide a strong base of support for the wrist.
Along with your back and chest muscles, they help you do day-to-day activities. Forearm strength is used for daily tasks like opening a glass jar or carrying a suitcase up a flight of stairs. Forearm strength is also integral to tasks such as hitting a golf ball or driving a racquetball over a net during a game of racquet. You do not need to perform forearm exercises every time you train, including them once or twice a week will ensure that your forearms remain strong and healthy.
Anatomy Of Forearm Muscles
The forearm complex is comprised of the proximal radioulnar joint, middle radioulnar joint/interosseous membrane, and the distal radioulnar joint. These three areas function in a coordinated manner to rotate the hand in space and allow the performance of functional tasks.
If you’re looking for a way to add some forearm strength to your regimen, here is a list of the top 5 expert-approved exercises forearm workouts and exercises for mass and strength.
# What You’ll Need:
You won’t need much more than a pair of dumbbells, a barbell and a pull-up bar for this workout, so grab those and let’s get started!
Workouts
1. Pull-up bar hang
Hang onto a pull-up bar with your palms facing forward and hands about shoulder-distance apart.
Hang for around 30 seconds with straight arms and legs crossed behind you.
Get down.
Repeat 3–4 times.
2. Wrist dumbbell curls
- While sitting on a bench, grab two moderately heavy dumbbells.
- With your forearms resting on your thighs, slowly lower the weights as far as you can while gripping the weights tightly, and moving only your hands.
- Curl the weights up as far as you can.
- Slowly return the weights to the starting position.
- Repeat until you’ve done 3 sets of 15 reps.
3. Farmer’s walks
- Hold a pair of heavy dumbbells or kettlebells at your sides while standing tall.
- Pick a long enough workout space (at least 20 steps) and slowly walk from one end to the other end and back.
- Aim for 30–45 seconds (or more) per set.
- Rest and repeat 3 times.
4. Reverse Curl
- Grasp the bar with an overhand grip at shoulder width while keeping the palms facing downward.
- Slowly bring the bar towards your shoulders, while keeping your upper arms against your sides.
- When the barbell reaches around your shoulders, squeeze for a brief moment
- Slowly lower the bar back to starting position under control
- Go for 3 sets of 15 reps.
5. Zottman Curl
The Zottman Curl is one of the best workouts you can perform to increase forearm muscle strength so we are gonna use it as a finisher.
- Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your sides.
- Curl the weights, keeping your upper arms in place.
- While lifting the dumbbells, rotate your palms to face your biceps in the top position.
- Turn your palms to face down.
- Lower the weights slowly, as in a reverse curl.
- Repeat
Pro tips
Don’t try to use the heaviest weights possible right at the beginning. Use weights that are challenging, but start out with light ones until you build up strength. Keep in mind to leave time for recovery as you have to use your forearms in your everyday routine, so don’t overdo it.
Conclusion
Building a bigger, stronger forearm is often seen as an afterthought. In reality, your forearms are one of the most important muscle groups in the arm complex
Forearm workouts are one of the most important aspects when it comes to strengthening the arms, improve muscular endurance and are essential for anyone who wants to have bigger forearms. A big, strong set of forearms is essential for balance when lifting heavy objects or for doing exercises like the barbell row.
You can combine forearm workout with other body parts or you can work them out separately. There are many benefits that come with exercising the forearms. The first is that forearm exercises will strengthen your wrist and increase stability in your joints. A second benefit is that you will have more control over objects with your hands, since these muscles help grip items tightly. Finally, you’ll have better dexterity since more blood flow will reach this area of your body when exercising it.
