While there are muscles like the chest and biceps which garner all the attention from gym goers, targeting all the muscle groups to build overall strength and balanced musculature is important. Some of the muscles are important for performing other exercises. The forearm muscles, for instance. A weak forearm not only increases the chances of injury, but also hinders one from doing other strength training exercises effectively.
Strong forearm muscles are also directly linked to grip strength and wrist flexion in individuals. Muscles of the posterior compartment of the forearm are linked to the extension of the wrist and fingers.
“Forearm muscles not only get engaged during strength training exercises, but are also important in our day-to-day activities,” says Kishan Thapa, a senior fitness trainer from Ahmedabad. “Strengthening of the forearm muscles must be taken seriously.”
However, forearms generally tend to get ignored. Then again, targeted exercises for the forearms should be avoided on arm workout days, says Thapa.
“On the day when someone does workouts for biceps, the forearm muscles also get trained,” adds Thapa. “And if workouts for forearm muscles are done, then it can further strain the muscles. So, people tend to avoid doing it. Similar is the case with the workouts for the back muscles, as exercises for the back are pull workouts, the forearm muscles are primarily engaged. Thus, is it advisable to avoid forearm exercises on the biceps and back days.”
In a six-day-a-week workout schedule, forearm exercises can be done three times a week. But one needs to be conservative regarding the load. Though the wrist joint is strong and can take heavy weights, lifting unwanted weights increases the chances of injury to the intricate joint.
Forearm strengthening exercises
Here are some effective strengthening exercises for the forearm muscles:
1.Palms-up wrist url: Can be done with a dumbbell or barbell and helps in strengthening the forearm muscles, improves wrist flexibility and develops grip strength.
Hold a dumbbell or barbell with the forearm supported on a bench with palms facing upwards. Curl the wrist back and forth and repeat the movement. While doing the exercise, the hand should remain stable and avoid lifting heavy weights. Three sets with each set consisting of 12-16 counts can be done.
2. Reverse wrist curl: Can be done with a dumbbell or barbell. Just like the palms-up curl, this workout also helps strengthen the forearm muscle, improves wrist flexibility and develops grip strength.
Hold a dumbbell or a barbell with the forearm supported on a bench with palms facing downwards. Curl the wrist back and forth keeping the hand stabilized. Three sets with each set consisting of 12-16 counts can be done.
3. Grip strengtheners: Grip Strengtheners are great for targeting the forearms. However, select or set the appropriate tension in the spring to avoid overstraining the muscles.
Squeeze and release the strengthener to work the muscles. Apart from the involvement of the forearm muscles, it also helps in strengthening fingers and improving grip strength.
4. Reverse curl: Done with a cable or a barbell, this popular exercise for strengthening the biceps muscles engages the forearms too, besides improving wrist flexibility and grip strength.
5. Dead hang: It involves hanging freely from a bar for a specific duration.
You can do three sets of dead hang for a duration of five to 30 seconds each set. The duration for each hang depends on the person’s capacity and the exercise can be done two to three times a week.
Apart from decompressing the spine, dead hang engages the muscles of the arms, the forearms, and improves grip strength.
6. Farmer’s walk: The forearms along with the biceps and triceps are the major arm muscles involved in farmer’s walk. The exercise also improves the stability of the core and shoulder muscles.
The workout should be done only by holding a dumbbell, kettlebell or gym plate in both hands. It is important that the weight is balanced equally. And one should always walk in a straight line.
7. Towel squeeze: It is a great exercise to strengthen the forearms and is employed for injury rehab too.
Take a towel, twist and squeeze it as hard as you can. Then release the grip and squeeze it again. Repeat for the required number of times.
8. Knuckle pushups: This advanced level of pushups should be avoided by beginners.
Make a fist and place them (What are you referring to?) on the ground with the first two knuckles bearing the load while the body takes the tabletop plank position. Perform pushups. The exercise puts additional load on the forearm muscles.
9. Hammer curl: A simple exercise which targets the entire bicep muscles as well as forearms
Hold dumbbells and lift in a biceps curl motion, with the weights held in a neutral position, parallel to the body.
