The forearms are, without any doubt, the muscles to which less exercises are dedicated directly in the planning of any type of routine. In most grip exercises, its correct execution or weight gain will depend to a large extent on the capacity of our forearms. If external elements, such as handles, are not used, some exercises may not work due to the lack of maneuvering of the limbs.
What are forearm exercises?
Forearm exercises are all those movements aimed at strengthening the entire muscle complex that makes up the forearm. This muscle group consists of three compartments: the anterior, the lateral and the posterior. The anterior compartment has the function of allowing flexion of the hand, wrist and each of the five fingers of each hand. The side, on the other hand, allows the flexion of the entire part of the forearm near the elbow, as well as the rotation of the forearm in the middle position. Finally, the posterior compartment plays the function of allowing the extension of the fingers and elbows.
For aesthetics and for not being a too striking muscle group, the forearms are the great forgotten of any type of fitness routine. However, they play a fundamental role in all training. Except for the legs, in large part, the forearms act indirectly in the training of the rest of muscle groups such as the pectoral, biceps, triceps and even the back in the execution of a deadlift.
However, special care must be taken in the execution of all forearm exercises. It makes up a large number of nerves and fibers and are one of the main sources of injury in the body. As said above, they withstand a large amount of pressure indirectly and practically all the movements that are made pass through the forearms.
The advantages of training your forearms
As with the legs, a muscle group considered of minor importance by many, the forearms are of capital importance to facilitate the growth of other muscles that we take care of mostly. Therefore, training and performing forearm exercises has multiple advantages. The most prominent are the following:
- The forearms are responsible for supporting the development of other muscles such as the biceps, triceps, along with the pectorals, shoulders and back exercises.
- For some, forearms may have aesthetic significance. Surely it will be the least of the reasons to include them in the routine, but for others, this muscle group can be synonymous with giving a vision of strength to others.
- The forearms act as a connection between the hands and other muscle groups. Some exercises such as deadlifts require good strength in this muscle group.
- It helps prevent injuries and improves everything related to grip exercises outside the gym. The clearest example is climbing.
- Before any symptom of pain, it is highly recommended to go to a specialist in physiotherapy. An injury to the forearms can mean a long period of time without training and weigh down and penalize our routine and the objectives to be achieved in the medium and long term.
How to do forearm exercises
- Climbing a rope, performing rowing exercises, or simply carrying out a deadlift is synonymous with strengthening our forearms. These types of routines, in addition, are also the perfect complement to strengthen other muscle groups. The first exercise that is presented to us are some simple pull-ups, although we will add a towel. The towel will add a certain degree of difficulty in the grip and will have more impact on the target. The muscular area that will hold our body weight will be the same forearms. Giving frequency to this type of exercise will strengthen the forearms. In this same exercise there is another type of variable, which varies the type of grip. Instead of using a towel, we can also use the same shirt to perform the type of pull-up that is known as “Side-to-Side”, with a somewhat tighter grip. While in the first type of pull-up we will also affect the dorsal, in the second we will reinforce the triceps.
- The next exercise will be to perform what for many will be a normal biceps curl. However, instead of taking the small bar, or Z-type, it is advisable to use an Olympic bar. By weight and length, it will be better suited to the type of exercise we want to perform. The execution will be carried out with one hand and following the normal movement of a bicep curl. However, the goal is to try to maintain the balance of the forearm at all times and we will begin to notice the work. Once we have finished with one arm, we will perform the same exercise with the other. Continuing with the curl, and sitting on a bench, we will perform the wrist curl, a muscle part quite forgotten for most athletes. With a dumbbell, we will perform the movement of the bicep curl but with the wrist. In this type of exercise, you can also look for muscle failure. It is not difficult to find, since it will occur when we cannot hold the weight itself. Once we have finished with one arm, we will perform the same type of exercise with the other arm.
- In order to include some cardiovascular work in our forearm exercise routine, the farmer’s walk is the perfect example since it gives us both. Although the main work is focused on grip, it also includes isometric contractions and, therefore, the beats per minute of our body will begin to increase until they shoot up. The only requirement is that the weight loads must be large to enhance this grip work, such as dumbbells or farmer’s bars, special for this type of exercise. The execution will consist of lifting the weight from the ground slowly and with a correct technique and walking at a slow pace a few weights and leaving the weight on the ground, and repeating the process. It is a perfect exercise to include within a metabolic circuit.
- Another type of training that we can try to enhance our forearms is based on grip with utensils. In this facet, anything that is interposing an obstacle to increase grip will be beneficial to achieve our goals. In this sense, the so-called “Fatz Gripz” are ideal for forearm exercises. Thus, you can perform the exercises explained above as curls or oars with much less weight but getting muscle fatigue to arrive earlier. In addition, we will also find the “hand grip”, intended to perform exercises to work the strength of the hand in a specific way, but where the muscles of the forearms also intervene.
- Finally, grip exercises with kettlbell will allow us to increase the strength of our forearms, while improving our coordination. In turn, it is possible to perform this type of training progressively since it allows the possibility of increasing weight gradually. However, we have multiple ways to stimulate our forearms combined with the development of other muscle groups. There is no excuse to work what is, without any doubt, the forgotten muscle group of our body.