Workout for Building Big Forearms
Forearms are right beside the biceps but don’t get nearly the same love as the big guns. Most people do a couple of wrists curls to train their forearms in every few weeks. The overlooking of training the forearms is a big reason many people have skinny forearms.
Muscular forearms are a symbol of strength and can add functionality by improving your grip strength. Not to mention, chiseled forearms can add to the symmetry and aesthetics of the physique.
Behind the Back Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Since your forearms are a small muscles group, they will take relatively less time to recover from a working set as compared to your bis or tris. You should be able to complete your forearm workouts in 25-30 minutes.
Grab the barbell behind your back with an underhand grip. Maintain a full range of motion and curl up the barbell using your wrists. Let the barbell roll out to your fingertips at the bottom of the movement. Doing so will recruit all the muscle fibers in your forearms.
Superset
– Reverse Grip Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 10 Reps
– Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 10 Reps
The reverse grip wrist curls train the top of the forearms while the underhand grip wrist curls train the bottom of the forearm. Use a monkey grip while performing the reverse wrist curls to recruit higher muscle fibers.
Most people make the mistake of lifting too heavy weights in the wrist curls. Leave your ego out of the exercise and use weights you can lift with a full range of motion. You can perform both the superset exercise with your forearms placed on a flat bench or on your quads. Use the wrist curl machine if you have access to it at your gym.
Farmer’s Walk – 3 Sets Failure
You can do the farmer’s walk using dumbbells or a trap bar. In the farmer’s carry, you need to lift a couple of heavy dumbbells and walk around until you can’t hold onto the weights anymore.
The farmer’s carry is a great exercise to develop muscle mass and strength in your forearms. You can also perform the dumbbell or barbell holds to train your forearms. In these exercises, all you have to do is hold onto the bar for the longest time possible.
Wrist Roller – 3 Sets Failure
The wrist rollers look easier than they are. Maintaining a strict form throughout the exercise is an important factor in targeting your forearms. Extend your arms straight forward so they’re parallel to the floor while holding the wrist roller with both your hands.
Roll the weight plate up by rolling the bar towards yourself. While rolling down make sure you don’t let the weight drop by itself. Use a slow and controlled movement to lower the weight. Don’t let your arms lower down while performing the exercise.
Use Oversized Grips
One great way of targeting your forearms in every biceps exercise is to use oversized grips. Using oversized grips make it harder for you to hold onto the barbell or dumbbell and recruits your forearms into action.
If you don’t have oversized grips at your gym, you can wrap around towels around the bars to thicken the grip. If you have weak forearms, you can train them before you start your bi and tri workout as it will recruit your forearms in the arm exercises.
How often do you train your forearms? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.