How to train the forearm muscles

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When doing any kind of body building, whether for competition or general fitness, it is important to ensure you have proper balance among all muscle groups for ideal fitness in order to prevent injury. If you have very strong upper arms but weak forearms, you could pull a tendon or worse when trying to lift something. This article will show you how to strengthen your forearms by isolating the forearm muscles from your other arm muscles.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Hand weights, preferably adjustable plate weights
5 lb. to 15 lb. weight plate with hole in the middle
Strong wooden stick 1 to 3 inches in diameter and 8 to 12 inches long
Six feet of twine or strong rope
Weight bench or chair

Step1

Do the forearm curl. First, find a comfortable, sturdy chair or weight bench and sit all the way back with your knees touching the edge of the chair. Grab a hand weight that provides a medium amount of resistance when you pick it up. Make sure it isn't a strain to pick up but it doesn't feel empty in your hand. Place your elbow 3 to 5 inches from your knee towards your hip, hand holding the weight with your palms facing up. Make sure your arm is pointing about 45 degrees towards the outside of your leg.

Step2

Allow the hand weight to slowly roll to the edge of your fingertips between your first and second knuckle, not allowing it to fall out of your hand and onto the ground. Your wrist should be pointing towards the ground with the weight in your hand and your forearm still on your thigh. Let the hand weight rest in that position for two seconds. Then curl the weight into your hand towards your body as far as it can go without lifting your forearm off of your knee. Hold it here for two seconds, and then repeat. Do a set of 10 repetitions, rest one minute, then repeat. Switch arms after two sets.

Step3

The next exercise involves some McGyver-like construction. Tie the strong twine from the inside hole of a plate weight. Start with a 5 or 10 lb. weight. Make sure it is a strong knot with very minimal slippage. Tie the other end around the middle of the wooden stick with almost no slippage. If possible, tie the rope through a hole in the middle of the stick.

Step4

While standing with legs shoulder width apart, grab the stick and hold it straight in front of you at shoulder level. Grab the stick with your hands as close to the edges as possible with the string as close to the middle as possible. The weight should be directly under the stick on the ground with no tension from the rope pulling on it.

Step5

Without moving your arms out of position, begin to curl the rope on the stick, pulling the weight off of the ground. Curl the rope until the weight reaches at least 1 1/2 feet from the stick. Then slowly uncurl the rope until the weight is back on the ground. Repeat this procedure twice with two minutes of rest in between steps. The better you keep your form (feet in place, arms barely moving while curling, back straight), the more isolation on your forearm muscles.

Tips & Warnings

Maintain proper form throughout both exercises to emphasize work on the forearms.
Consult your physician before performing any new exercises or stretching routines.