Give these dumbbell workouts a try to make even Popeye jealous.
Our forearms. We often take these for granted, always working out biceps and triceps, chests, and back. But forearms add to the overall arm aesthetic of our physiques and shouldn’t be overlooked as effective ways to get things done. Necessary for both functional and sport specific movements, our forearms need as much love as anything else.
Now, we mentioned Popeye, our rugged, big armed sailor. You might not want to look like Popeye himself, but those forearms, if paired well with the rest of your arm muscles, will certainly show off a great physique. Someone could have showed Popeye the gym to at least fix a few of those muscle imbalances, but thankfully, you don’t have that problem.
The right workouts can greatly affect your muscle growth and how you actually see effective changes to your physique. Dumbbells are a great workout tool to use for they work to isolate out certain muscles, fix any muscle imbalances, and give you the best chance at seeing convenient gains with an easy to use piece of equipment.
Let’s take a look at some of the best forearm workouts with dumbbells so you can add these to your routine and see the right forearm strength start to unfold. Plus, all you need is a set of dumbbells to see great work done.
Benefits of Strong Forearms
- Improve grip strength: By working these muscles, you strengthen your grip which is essential for both functional and sport specific movements (1).
- Necessary for all lifts: Any lift where you hold a weight requires forearm strength and this is important as you look to get the most out of each and every exercise.
- Prevent injury: Strong forearms gives you better support as you lift big weight to avoid injury that can occur from weak muscles.
- Add to your physique: Bigger forearms can add to your physique to make those arms pop and add to an overall aesthetic.
Related: 10 Exercises for Thicker Forearms
Why Using Dumbbells Are So Effective
Using dumbbells is a great way to enhance strength in a convenient way that only requires one piece of equipment. Dumbbells have the ability to take our gains to new heights and with the right approach to dumbbell training, we better set ourselves up for success.
Benefits of dumbbells include:
- Effective muscle growth: Add good resistance and time under tension for great muscle building.
- Fix imbalances: Great for isolating muscle groups to enhance symmetry and even out those muscles.
- Good variety: Dumbbells allow for a host of workouts to take place and can add nice variety to your routine.
Best Forearm Workouts With Dumbbells
Now that we’ve covered the bases of what strong forearms and dumbbells can do for you, we can get into the best forearm workouts with dumbbells so you can add these to your routine and get the most out of each and every workout.
Farmer’s Walks
With farmer’s walks, you will carry a set of most likely heavier dumbbells a set distance or for a set amount of time. This is a great exercise to combine strength building with cardio and serves as a really nice conditioning exercise. Where your forearms come into play are with the grip necessary to hold the weight. Your core will be engaged to stabilize your body and your forearms will be engaged to really hold the weight and make it as effective as possible.
Zottoman Curls
Zottoman curls require a twisting motion during the actual movement which will work your forearm muscles and give them that bit of tension needed to grow. Designed to really enhance bicep strength and size, the use of your forearms and the nature of this movement, make this an effective exercise for building forearm strength.
Related: The Eight Best Bodyweight Exercises for Forearms
Wrist Curls
Wrist curls work to develop strength in the forearms but also your wrists. As vulnerable joints we need to keep these strong and stable and here is where your forearm grip is important. As an isolation exercise that mainly targets the forearms, this is a nice exercise to put into the mix to show those forearms some love.
Push-Up To Row
The push-up to row is a great exercise to work many muscles and your forearms are an important group to focus on. The movement of the push-up and then into the row all require different muscles, however, the constant is your forearm grip on the weight. A great exercise for those push days or those pull days, you can’t go wrong with the push-up to row exercise.
Best Dumbbells For Working Out
Finding a quality pair of dumbbells can be challenging, but it is certainly not impossible. With the right approach to looking, you can find a premium set of dumbbells that won’t break the bank. We wanted to share a great set with you so you could capitalize on those gains and see the best results possible.
papababe Dumbbells
papababe Dumbbells are perfect for free weight strength training. Made from solid cast iron with a rubber head, this ensures durability, longevity, and protection.
papababe Dumbbells are great workout equipment for those looking to build strength, burn fat, and create a stellar physique that others will envy. Perfect for free weight training, these can be stored easily for optimal convenience. Made from solid cast iron, these ensure durability and longevity and the rubber coating helps prevent damage to floors and other equipment. With a hexagon-shaped head to prevent rolling, the grip is also secure to prevent slipping and injury.
Price: $289.99
Check out our list of the Best Dumbbells for more great lifting products!
Wrap Up
The best forearm workouts with dumbbells can greatly enhance your lifting goals so you see effective growth and a real change to your physique. Strong forearms can add to your aesthetic and give you that bigger look you are striving for. Plus, by using dumbbells, you give yourself the benefit of using a quality set while reaping the pros of these lifting products. Give these forearm workouts a try and see what this can do for all those lifting and physique goals today.
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*Images courtesy of Envato
References
- Anakwe, R.; et al. (2007). “Grip strength and forearm circumference in a healthy population”. (source)