Exercises on simulators for hands and forearms. How to build strong and voluminous forearms? Video with Denis Seminikhin: training forearms at home

The forearms are the most important part of harmoniously developed muscles. However, training these muscles requires special attention and discipline from the athlete. The muscles of the forearm are not always as easy to “pump up” as, for example, the pectoral or biceps. You need a well-thought-out program of special exercises to achieve qualitative changes in strength and volume. In this article we will take a closer look at how to pump up your forearms at home and more.

These muscles are among the so-called “small muscles” - they are not as visible as the shoulders, pectoral muscles and quadriceps (thigh muscles), but without them the bodybuilder’s body will not look proportionally developed. In addition, the strength of the forearms is important for the full training of other muscle groups: if the forearms are not sufficiently trained, it will not be easy to achieve progress in exercises.

Need for training

Powerful forearms will make you look more massive: the pumped up muscles of this group create the impression physical strength. In addition, developed forearms create a visual sensation of a symmetrical body (provided, of course, that the other muscle groups are also in order).

There is also a purely aesthetic aspect - when an athlete is dressed, often only his neck and forearms are visible: the desire to impress others even when dressed can also be called a fairly compelling reason.

Regular forearm training is recommended by bodybuilding experts also for safety reasons. Developed muscles This group allows you to perform complex complexes that were previously inaccessible without the risk of injury. For example, training your back with pull-ups extra weight: Without a strong and strong grip, for which the muscles of the forearm are responsible, such exercises are not easy to perform. And in general, any exercise with heavy weights is possible only thanks to strong arms.

Anatomical features

The forearm is part upper limb a person from the elbow joint to the hand.

Compound muscle group next:

• Brachialis (brachial muscle);
• Brachioradialis (brachioradialis muscle);
• Flexors;
• Extensors;
• Pronator teres.

All these small muscles are jointly responsible for flexion and extension of the arm at the elbow and wrist joints, as well as for rotational movements. It is also quite difficult to pump up your forearms because of their complex anatomical structure. Exercises should cover all 5 muscles that make up this anatomical group.

"Stubborn" muscles

Since the forearms work when performing exercises on other muscle groups and are involved in Everyday life, their resistance to loads is quite high. Therefore, these muscles are called “stubborn”, and their development is a very labor-intensive process that requires patience and perseverance.

First, let's decide how many times a week you can pump your forearms. For the harmonious development of this muscle group, you need to perform exercises twice a week. In this case, each exercise should be done in 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions each. Important nuance- before training your forearms, you should perform a full warm-up and warm-up: these muscles are quite often injured. You should also not allow excessive muscle stretching at the end points of the range of motion.

It is best to train your forearms in conjunction with training your arms and back. But exercises for the forearms should be done at the end of classes, when the muscles of the back and arms have already been worked out, otherwise there will be no full return from the training.

It is not recommended to train your forearms more than twice a week. These muscles require a minimum of 48 hours, preferably 72, to recover. If you regularly overexert your forearms, chronic pain in the wrist area may occur.

Set of exercises

And now directly about how to pump up your forearms. The training program must necessarily include exercises for the entire muscle group. It is advisable to change the choice of specific exercises and the sequence of their implementation from training to training - this will improve muscle growth.

We offer the most effective and available exercises for training your forearms at home, as well as in the gym.

Barbell exercises

Standing barbell curl. Performed similarly to biceps curls, only with a reverse (overhead) grip. Leaving your shoulders motionless, as you exhale, lift the barbell to shoulder level. As you inhale, slowly lower your arms to the starting position. The main load here falls on the brachyradialis; the biceps and brachialis are simultaneously involved. The weight of the barbell is taken less than when training biceps, since the brachyradialis is anatomically weaker.

Take the barbell underhand grip(palms up), resting your forearms on your hips. Holding the bar tightly, you need to slightly stretch your forearms forward and lower the load down. Then slowly bend and straighten your arms at the wrists. The range of motion when training your wrists is low, so do not jerk or swing the barbell to avoid sprains and injuries.

Stand with your back to the barbell rack, turn your palms back, take the apparatus and perform flexion-extension of your wrists without bending your elbow joints. This exercise It also develops the flexor-extensor muscles of the wrist itself. This type of training is suitable for those who find sitting exercises with a barbell somewhat uncomfortable.

Exercises with dumbbells

Primarily, forearm exercises with dumbbells include "Zottman bends". This is a variation of forearm exercises with a barbell, only instead of a barbell there are dumbbells. In the lower position, the dumbbells are held, as when lifting biceps; as you move up, the forearm pronates (palms turn down). Then the arms with dumbbells are lowered and turned to their original position - palms up.

The second exercise is similar to the wrist curl with a barbell while sitting, only, again, the apparatus changes. Also, when performing exercises with dumbbells in a sitting position, it will be effective to work each arm in turn.

Hanging on the horizontal bar

This is the most basic exercise for the forearm muscles: you simply hang on a horizontal bar, preferably with a load. Systematically completing this study in a couple of months will allow you to easily win a prize in a popular park attraction.

Advice: the load should be selected in such a way that it hangs for no more than 30 seconds, otherwise the muscles will develop for endurance, and not for mass and strength.

Exercises with an expander

A good alternative for regular forearm development at home is exercises with a super-rigid expander. The projectile must be exactly hard, since soft versions develop mainly the hand. So before buying a piece of equipment in a store, be sure to consult with the seller which expander is most suitable for training the muscles of the forearms.

Additional exercises

Good additional exercises for developing the forearm area:

• Jumping rope with weights in handles: This type of cardio exercise for 20 minutes is a good workout. outer surface forearms.
• Performing punches on a punching bag, especially in gloves with weights - an excellent load on the flexors.
• Wearing a special rubber bracelet during exercises it will increase muscle resistance and will work to develop mass and strength.

And one more piece of advice: regular training is not a reason to neglect the hard “male” housework. Moving furniture, working with a hammer, drill and screwdriver are in themselves excellent methods for developing the muscles of the forearms.

In the development of muscles, training the muscles of the forearm plays an important role and requires special attitude, organization and attention. The fact is that they are not so easy to pump up, unlike, for example, or muscles. To achieve results - high-quality strengthening and increase in volume - you need a well-designed set of special exercises. This material will discuss issues related to how to pump up your forearms, including the program home workouts.

In order for an athlete’s body to look proportionally developed, working out these muscles is mandatory, despite the fact that they belong to the “small” category and are not so noticeable compared to the pectoral, shoulder and quadriceps muscles. It is also impossible to fully and harmoniously develop other muscle groups without strengthening the forearms: insufficient training of the forearm significantly complicates the task of achieving progress in training.

In terms of appearance, developed forearms play an important role, providing the impression of massiveness, power, and physical strength. Also visually the body looks symmetrical (naturally, if other muscle groups are pumped up).

We should not forget about the impression on others that bodybuilders make in clothes, since in most cases it is the forearms and neck that are exposed. And this can be called a compelling argument, since a person with perfect body in any society he feels more confident and comfortable than others.

According to experts, regular training of this muscle group is also necessary from a safety point of view, since it minimizes the risk of injury during exercise. complex complexes. This applies, for example, to an exercise for the back such as pull-ups with additional weight, where you need a good grip, the strength and strength of which depends on the muscles of the forearm. This difficult exercise and it, like any other with heavy weight, can only be performed with strong hands.

Anatomy

The forearm is the part of the arms from the elbow to the hand. The muscle group consists of:

• brachial muscle - brachialis;
• flexors;
• pronator teres;
• brachioradialis muscle – brachioradialis;
• extensors.

These muscles are classified as “small” and are responsible for rotation, flexion/extension of the arms at the wrist and elbow joints. Not easy anatomical structure further complicates the task of pumping up the forearm. During the exercise, all the muscles of this anatomical group, of which there are only five, should be involved.

Your name "stubborn" muscles forearms were obtained due to their high resistance to stress. This is due to the fact that they are involved not only in everyday life, but also in the process of training other muscle groups. Therefore, developing the forearm is a labor-intensive task that requires perseverance, regular training and great patience.

First of all, you need to determine the number of classes per week: two workouts will be enough to harmoniously develop the muscles of the forearm. Each element of the complex is performed in three approaches, each repeated 10-15 times. It is important not to forget about warming up and warming up before training, since the likelihood of injury is high. Also, avoid overstretching the muscles at the peak range of motion.

The best option is to combine exercises for pumping up the forearm with a training complex for the back and arms. But they should be performed at the end of the program, after working out the muscle groups of the back and arms, otherwise the training will not be effective.

It is not recommended to conduct more than two sessions weekly, since the minimum period for recovery of this muscle group is two days, the best option- three days. With regular overstrain of the forearm, the risk of developing pain syndrome in chronic form in the wrist area.

Training program

In the training program for pumping up the forearm There must be exercises to work the entire muscle group. It is recommended to change specific elements and the sequence of execution from session to session in order to improve muscle growth.

Working with a barbell

Exercise No. 1

Performed in a standing position, similar to biceps training, but with reverse grip. The bar rises to the level of the shoulders, which must remain motionless. Then it goes down smoothly. In this case, the rise is done while exhaling, returning to the starting position is while inhaling. Unlike the biceps exercise, in this case a barbell with a lighter weight is used, since the brachyradialis is weaker, and it bears the main load.

Exercise No. 2. Seated Wrist Curl

Performed in a sitting position. The barbell is grasped with an underhand grip and the forearms are lowered onto the thighs. The projectile goes down, while the bar must be held firmly, and the forearms must be slightly extended forward. After this, the arms begin to work: slow flexion and extension at the wrists with a low amplitude. It is important that the movements are smooth, without jerking or swinging the barbell to avoid injuries and sprains.

Exercise No. 3. Standing behind-the-back wrist curl

Performed in a standing position, the barbell is behind the back. In this case, the palms are turned back. Take a barbell and perform flexion-extension of the arms at the wrists without the participation of the elbow joints. The exercise also allows you to develop your wrist muscles. If exercise No. 2 causes certain difficulties when performing, you can use this option.

Work with dumbbells

It is a mandatory component of a training complex with dumbbells for this muscle group. This is one of the options for working with a barbell on the forearms, only dumbbells are used instead of this apparatus. The latter are held in the lower position (like a hammer); during the upward movement, the forearm is pronated (turning the palms down). Then the projectiles are lowered in the reverse order of movements.

Another exercise - bending the arms in a sitting position - is performed like a similar training with a barbell, but with dumbbells. Also, training each arm in turn in a sitting position with dumbbells will be effective.

Working with an expander

A super-hard expander is used, exercise with which is a good alternative for regular home workouts to develop this muscle group. A soft projectile is used mainly for working on the hand, so in this case it is important that it be hard. It is also recommended that you consult with your retailer regarding the most suitable resistance band to use in forearm training.

Hanging on the horizontal bar

The simplest training for the muscles of the forearms is a regular hang on a horizontal bar (recommended with a load). Regular practice of this exercise will allow you to achieve tangible results in just a few months.

As for the load, it should be selected based on the hanging time - no more than half a minute, otherwise endurance will develop instead of volume and strength.

Along with biceps and triceps, a truly athletic look male hands gives powerful forearms. The muscles of this part of the arms work to one degree or another in many exercises, but their targeted development requires separate training. Today we will talk about how to pump up your forearms.

A little anatomy

Let's start with a quick anatomy. This will allow us to analyze the exercises later.

First of all, remember that the forearm is not what is below shoulder joint, that is, not biceps and triceps! This is the part of the arm from the hands to the elbow.

The forearm has an anatomically complex structure, containing two bones (the major and minor radials) and many muscles that allow the hands to make such precise and multidirectional movements.

Let us conditionally divide the muscles of this area into 2 groups: located on the back and on the outside of the palm.

If you look at the inside of your hand at the wrist, you will see many cords coming from the palm. There are similar strands on the other side. These are tendons that run from the muscles of the forearms to the fingers. The bulk of the muscles of the forearm are located in the elbow area, where this part of the arm is widest. There are not many muscles on the hand.

The strength of the forearms depends not only on the thickness of the muscles themselves, but also on the transverse diameter of the tendon. Practice has shown that thick tendons indicate serious strength in human hands. For example, the arms themselves may be thin, but due to the strength of the tendons and the large participation of muscles, the strength in them can be enormous.

Forearm strength and mass

Strong forearms are needed in certain types of martial arts, wrestling, and arm wrestling.

For those who are strengthening their grip, iron forearms are a must. IN the latter case the muscles are trained very actively, especially the inner part of the elbow.

Those who engage in arm wrestling also need to pump up this muscle group. These people fight on their hands, it is not so much the grip that decides, but the strength of the forearms, triceps and biceps.

Strong forearms, like all other muscles, are also needed by lifters who lift weights. In their body, every muscle that can be pumped up must be as strong as possible.

Among bodybuilders, the question of how to pump up your forearms is not heard so often. And there are two reasons. Half of the athletes do not know that these muscles can be specially pumped. And the other half believes that, for example, the brachioradialis muscle swings enough during exercises for other muscles. This is the one that is located on the outside of the forearm and allows you to bend the hand with the back side up.

Those who believe that you can pump up your forearm muscles without acupressure exercises are partly right. After all, all the exercises in which you pick up a dumbbell, a barbell, even a horizontal bar, use your forearms, mainly their inner part.

To engage the back of these muscles, you need to do, for example, a biceps curl with an overhand grip. Great exercise– after all, you get not only a pumped up arm flexor!

In general, any biceps exercise works well for the forearms. This is true and if this is enough for you, you can stop there.

If you want to target these muscles, in particular, learn how to pump up the brachioradialis muscle, read on. We will give several exercises for the muscles of the forearm.

Basic exercises with a barbell

To develop your forearm muscles, you need to lift a barbell. There are two main exercises here. Let’s conventionally call the first exercise flexion (on the inside), and the second – extension (on the outside). Let's look at the technique of these exercises in detail.

Barbell wrist curl

The inner part of the forearm is pumped up by performing wrist curls with a barbell.

The exercise is done like this:

1. Take an empty bar.
2. Sit on a bench, bring your knees together.
3. Place your elbows on your knees with your hands in the air and your palms facing up. Hands from the wrist and elbow should lie on the legs.
4. The bar is already in your hands, bend your hands, holding it in your palms. The movement should be smooth and measured.
5. You can do 10–15 repetitions in one approach. You need to do 4 approaches.

When performed correctly, you will feel how your forearms on the inside become stiff and enlarged.

There is an interesting nuance in the execution: to load your hands and forearms as much as possible, you can roll the bar in your palms. That is, when moving down, the bar rolls slightly towards the bent fingers. When moving upward, using the force of the fingers, the bar returns to the base of the palms. This method also allows you to improve your grip. By the way, it also depends on the capabilities of the forearm muscles. Due to this exercise, the inner side of the forearm will strengthen and grow.

Wrist extension with barbell

A more difficult and unloved type of exercise for the forearms.

The technique is as follows:

1. Take the bar in your hands. Sit on a bench.
2. Place your hands, palms down, on your knees. The legs contain everything from the wrist to the elbow. You can let your wrist hang slightly from your knees.
3. Now straighten your hands and lift the bar up, and then smoothly lower it down using the force of your forearms. Forearm training involves 10–15 repetitions in 4 sets.
4. If you experience wrist pain, avoid this type of exercise or reduce the weights. Vultures are different. Or did you immediately pick up the Olympic bar? Confess?

Try to diversify your muscles, then you will have pumped up large forearms. This means strong and muscular arms.

Now let's talk about how to strengthen your forearms with dumbbells.

Additional exercises with dumbbells

The barbell is not suitable for some exercises, so other sports equipment comes to the rescue.

Pumping up the forearms will not be as effective if you don’t pump up the sides of this part of the arms. And this implies movements in the wrist joint to the right and left in the plane of the palm, which is impossible to do with a bar.

So let's look at a couple of exercises for the forearms with dumbbells.

The first is done like this:

1. Sit on a bench, first holding a dumbbell in your hand. Place your hand on your knee so that the dumbbell is perpendicular to the floor. That is, pancakes up and down. If you take 2 dumbbells and place both hands in this way, your palms will face each other.
2. Move the hand and dumbbell up and down with maximum amplitude. The movements will be minor, but this helps to finish off the muscles and use certain bundles of the forearms.

To pump up the other side of your hand, you need to do this:

1. Take a dumbbell and sit on a bench.
2. Place one hand with your elbow on your knee, bending it.
3. Raise your other arm so that your elbow and shoulder are at the same level.
4. Place the second hand closer to the wrist in the first hand. That is, with the palm of your hand lower hand you have to grab top hand near the wrist. Thus, the elbow of the second hand will point slightly upward. If you raise your hand above your elbow, it will be even better.
5. Hold the dumbbell with your other hand and move your hand up and down. The amplitude will again be insignificant - this is normal. In this plane the joint has limited mobility.

In general, these two exercises are more about subtleties. You can limit yourself to just working with a barbell. This is enough to create muscle mass hands below the elbow.

If you don’t have a barbell, you can use dumbbells instead and do the same exercises, plus an option when your palms are oriented towards each other.

To have pumped up forearms, it is enough to work them out once a week. You can do this on any training day.

In what other cases do these muscles work?

As mentioned above, the arms from the elbow to the hand work in many exercises according to the additive principle.

Pull-ups

Pull-ups on the horizontal bar perfectly strengthen your grip and the back of your forearms. In order to achieve the desired effect, you need to pull yourself up in the opposite direction. narrow grip, bending your wrists towards you. This angle allows you to tighten the inner part of the muscles near the elbow. At the same time, the back, biceps and partially shoulders swing.

Barbell and dumbbells for biceps

When you hold a barbell or dumbbells, it is the forearm muscles that help stabilize your hands. If the biceps receive a dynamic load, then the forearms receive a static load.

If you take the barbell with an overhand grip, it will be harder to hold the weight. This is due to the fact that the extensor muscle of the hand is weaker than the flexor muscle. We need to pump him up!

When working with a barbell and dumbbells, do not forget to bend your hands towards yourself in order to better tense the muscles we need.

Triceps work

Exercises like French press and extension of the arms on the block perfectly strengthen the muscles of the forearm. The outer part is working.

If you take heavy weight when working on a block, your hands will sag. This means that their strength is not enough to handle the selected weight.

Raises and raises for shoulders and back

Raising dumbbells to the sides strains the muscles we need, and lifting the dumbbell in front of you strains them in the same way.

Bent-over barbell rows work the inner arms.

Pullover

An exercise such as a pullover involves the lateral part of the forearm.

Deadlift

Deadlifts strengthen your grip to an incredible degree. You have to hold a heavy barbell, which forces the muscles of the forearm and hand to work.

In order for the result of your work on your body to be most pronounced, work on all muscle groups.

The production of testosterone, necessary for muscle growth, is activated basic exercises. A isolated flexion hands in hands with a barbell without the support of testosterone will do little. You also need to pump your legs, shoulder girdle, chest and back.

To work out the forearm, muscle training can be carried out on any day, regardless of the overall workload.

Hello, dear fans of sports and bodybuilding in particular. Surely you remember that we have already done a single workout for the arms together: we pumped up the biceps, triceps, strengthened the hands and fingers, and worked on the shoulders. However, don't you think that there is something missing in this series? Seems? So do I. Therefore, I decided to urgently catch up and today we will do exercises for the forearms with dumbbells.

Those who didn’t miss it while performing the training described probably felt a considerable load on the muscles of the forearm. This is natural, because the hand and forearm are inextricably linked, and the basic exercises for this muscle group consist of flexion/extension of the hands.

If you have dumbbells, which, in theory, you should have had long ago, you can perform almost the entire range of exercises for developing and strengthening the muscles of the forearm at home. Therefore, I suggest you quickly start warming up before training, while I will tell you some of the anatomical features of the structure of this muscle group.

Anatomy of the forearms

The muscles of the forearm stretch from the wrist to the elbow and consist of four bundles, which are conventionally divided into flexors and extensors. The first group is on inside hands, the second - on the outside, respectively.

In principle, pumping up your arms as a whole, all the basic exercises that you perform also involve your forearms. At first they also develop. However, at some point there is a need to start doing them purposefully, since the loads being performed are no longer enough for development.

Today we will focus specifically on the flexors and extensors of the arms. And especially for this, I have prepared the best exercises for pumping up the lower arms.
So, have you warmed up? Then take the dumbbells and go ahead.

Set of exercises

Let's start, naturally, with the basics. For this we will need dumbbells. It is possible with a barbell, but it is believed that dumbbells will be more effective here.

Sit on a bench or chair. The knees are straight, slightly apart. Dumbbells are already in your hands. Place your hands on your knees so that your hands are free. We hold the dumbbells with our palms from below and begin to bend. Low point– the hands are lowered as much as possible, you can even straighten your fingers a little to increase the load on them. The top point is the wrist is straight.

Wait, don't get up. Now take the dumbbells from above. Let's do the extension. You do the same thing, only in the opposite direction. Working only with your wrists, without lifting your hands from your knees, lift the dumbbells up. Bottom position – the hand is in line with the arm. Do you feel your hands getting clogged? Still would!

These two exercises can be done standing. Stand straight, make sure your arms are relaxed. Depending on how you hold the dumbbells, perform either flexion or extension.

Standing is another very effective training for pumping up the muscle group we need, but here we will preferably need a barbell. You need to take it behind your back. It is performed exactly according to the same principle as the previous one with dumbbells. Depending on the grip of the barbell - forward or reverse - bend/extend your wrists. Make sure that when performing any load on your forearms, your hands are relaxed. This is an important factor on which the progress of your studies depends.

Another exercise with a barbell is the reverse grip. Hold the barbell with relaxed hands. And just lifting by bending/extending your elbows. Everything is simple here.

Let's now put the barbell down and get back to the dumbbells. Remember we already did the “hammer”? In principle, you can do it in a classic version. However, it will be more effective to perform it by bending your arms in turn towards the opposite shoulder. Look at the photos, they will help you do everything right.

This workout is effective for both men and women. The only difference is the weight of the equipment, that is, the load. Dear ladies, be sure to do this so that at some point it doesn’t turn out that the skin is sagging in some places. This happens very often, especially in the triceps area. It is not worth performing such isolating loads for the forearms all in a row. Just adopt them and add them to your training.

Training your grip

An important element of our training is exercises to increase grip strength. As you remember, for this purpose we used tennis ball, hand expanders, even a pancake from the barbell. For those who missed this lesson, let me remind you.

I think everyone knows what to do with an expander. Surely every man, at least in childhood, had this mini-simulator in his arsenal. Remember how your forearm got clogged when you exercised with it. This is despite the fact that its main focus is still the brush.

Now the ball. Just take it in your palm and press it in with your fingers. The same can be done with one thumb. In general, refer to our workout for the hand and fingers.

We need pancakes so that we can lift them with just our fingers. To do this, fold two pancakes, start with two 5gk each, take them on top with your fingers, lift them, and try to hold them for as long as possible. We considered this too.

What we haven't discussed yet is kettlebell exercises. Naturally, this requires an appropriate physical training, however better strength training for grip, it’s probably hard to come up with. So, grab a weight. Starting position: legs spread wide, butt sticking out, back arched. This position gives you stability. The weight stands between the legs. Grab a kettlebell and use your body momentum to lift it toward your chest. However, it is necessary not to press it, but to hold it outstretched arm, elbow bent at 90 degrees. Look at the photo to understand how everything needs to be done correctly. I hope everything works out for you.

Having sorted out all the really best and most effective exercises, let's try to create a program.

Training program

1. Start with dumbbell wrist curls overhand grip sitting on a bench. Do 3 sets of 12 reps each;
2. Now do the same, but hold the dumbbells with an underhand grip. Also 3 sets of 12 times each;
3. We continue by performing barbell curls with a reverse grip. By the way, for greater efficiency, this training can be done on a Scott bench. In general, the choice is yours - 3 sets of 12 repetitions;
4. Finish with a cross hammer. Also – 3 to 12.

You can train, I advise you to do so, regardless of working on the forearm. The ball and expander can be squeezed almost around the clock.

Before finishing today's training, I would like to remind you once again of the importance sports nutrition, which allows you to develop not only muscles but also our ligaments. I use quality protein nutrition you yourself will be amazed at the result.

This concludes our training. Don't forget about breathing, don't take long breaks between approaches - the workout should be as intense as possible. Take care of your health, shape beautiful body and see you at the next lesson.

Why is it important to develop your forearms? In this article, you will learn what role these muscles play, and also get acquainted with exercises that stimulate their growth, regardless of genetic characteristics.

Massive forearms are considered a sign and calling card of a real bodybuilder or athlete. Indeed, developed, muscular forearms create a feeling of gigantic strength. And from a functional point of view, they allow the athlete to work with ever-increasing weights. The forearms increase grip strength and are thus involved in pulling exercises. On stage, underdeveloped forearms immediately catch the eye and also disrupt the proportions of the body.

If you want bigger muscles, you will have to do specific exercises and workouts for your forearms. In addition to being one of the most difficult muscles to grow, their shape and size limit are determined by genetics. And those whom nature has not endowed with good heredity will have to work hard during training.

Arm muscle anatomy

The arm muscles have many large, visible muscles that help us with everyday activities, such as changing clothes or lifting weights.

The complex design of the forearms allows us to perform completely different movements of our hands. Our fingers are also amazingly designed to allow us to grip barbells and dumbbells. All parts of the forearm, hand, fingers interact so harmoniously with each other that it is a real ensemble of bones, ligaments and tendons.

34 complex muscles provide varied mobility of our fingers and hands. They are so strong that trained people can support their weight by grasping something with a few fingertips.

The same as in the case with calf muscles, the forearms require frequent and heavy loads. Despite the fact that when working with heavy weights (especially with various rows without wrist belts), the forearms are also involved, it is still better to do special exercises.

Why pump up your forearms?

Statistics show that one of the first things girls pay attention to in a man when meeting or getting to know him is his hands, and this is not surprising.

Reason #1. Aesthetic

Let's speak frankly. Most bodybuilders develop their forearms to make them look bigger and ultimately balance out their physique. Massive forearms give the impression of enormous strength, that is, they reflect physical abilities person. In addition, the forearms, as well as the neck, are often the only visible parts of the body. But when athletes start doing wrist curls, few of them think about effectiveness and safety.

Reason #2. Safety and grip strength

Strong forearms allow you to perform various exercises to other muscle groups. Often the forearms can be a bit of a weak link, limiting your exercise options. For example, to properly work your back, you need reverse-grip pull-ups and bent-over barbell rows, in which strong forearms play a leading role.

Reverse grip pull-ups

Strong forearms require development of the entire upper body, and the athlete can lift more weight without risk of injury. Thus, forearm exercises are the key to safe and more effective training.

Bent-over barbell row

As with the calf muscles, the forearms require frequent and heavy loads. Although the forearms are involved when lifting heavy weights (especially during various deadlifts without wrist straps), it is better to perform specific exercises for the forearms.

The best forearm exercises in the gym

The forearms are a fairly complex group of small muscles with several functions. The brachialis and brachioradialis muscles help flex the arm elbow joint and help the forearm during bends. Pronator teres muscle helps the forearm in the prone position, as well as when bending the arm at the elbow joint. Flexor muscles - longus palmaris muscle, flexor radialis the wrists and flexor carpi ulnaris flex the palm, and the extensor carpi ulnaris and extensor carpi radialis brevis muscles extend it. And each of these muscles must be loaded to one degree or another with special exercises.

Extensor exercises

These muscles consist of eight heads: extensor digitorum, extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi ulnaris, extensor index finger, extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis. These muscles extend beyond the forearm, so it is very important to develop them with the following exercises

Barbell Palms Down Wrist Curl

Standing Pronated Grip Dumbbell Raise

To vary the work and stimulate further growth of the extensor muscles, perform one of these exercises each workout with a palms-down grip on the bar. Your forearms should rest completely on your knees. Lower the weight so that the muscles are greatly stretched. Then extend your wrists for maximum contraction. If you're using dumbbells, work with each arm in turn.

Extensor exercises

This is the largest muscle of the forearm, stretching along the entire length of its inner part. The flexors consist of six heads: flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus, flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, palmaris longus and flexor longus thumb. Best exercises for the forearm flexor muscles:

Wrist curl with a barbell while sitting on a bench, palms up

Bend the wrists on the lower block while sitting on a bench

Wrist curl while sitting on a bench with dumbbells, palms up

To perform this movement, hold the bar as you would for a normal barbell lift. Place your forearms on your thighs and bend your wrists upward maximum effort. Tighten your muscles and return to the starting position.

Exercises on the brachioradialis muscle

The brachioradialis muscle is located on the outside of the forearm and is a thick, rope-like muscle that can be easily seen when the arm is fully extended. It consists of only one head - the brachioradialis. Recommended exercises for the brachioradialis muscle:

Reverse grip barbell lift

Biceps curls on a Scott bench with an EZ barbell with a reverse grip

Reverse grip biceps curl

Alternating dumbbell curls while standing

Eventually you will find your own perfect exercises, having tried all of the above. We are completely sure of one thing, they definitely work.

Ways to enlarge your forearm at home

Forget wrist straps. Wrist straps relieve the load on the forearms and compensate for a weak grip, but in this case the muscles of the forearms are weakly loaded. To properly work out the forearms, maximum muscle contraction is necessary, which is impossible with belts.

Buy collapsible dumbbells. With this amazing equipment, you will have a lot of opportunities to quickly build up your arm muscles at home, diversify the number of available movements with new exercises and complexes with dumbbells for the arms.

Use a thick bar. This will make your grip more difficult, and as a result of regular training, the size of your forearm will increase. If you don't have a thick bar at hand, simply wrap a towel around a regular bar. Similar equipment can be thought of at home.

Useful video from Yuri Spasokukotsky on developing grip and forearm strength using the Axel Apollo deadlift.

Wind the rope onto a weighted roller. Stand up straight and grab the roller with your palms facing down. Raise your arms parallel to the floor. Start winding the rope onto the roller by turning each hand up and down in turn. When the weight reaches the roller, slowly unwind the rope using the same wrist movements.

Winding rope onto a wrist roller

Essentially, this device is a heavy plate attached to a small handle with a thin rope. Slowly raise the handle with straight arms to shoulder level and begin to wind the rope onto the roller by turning your hands. When the weight reaches the roller, slowly unwind the rope with reverse movements of your wrists. Then relax and repeat the exercise.

Box. Hitting the punching bag repeatedly will also help develop forearm strength. Incorporate these exercises into your program from time to time and you will soon see progress. For example, 50 uppercuts with each hand perfectly develop the forearm flexors.

Use isometric exercises. Sets of isometric exercises for the forearms help strengthen muscular frame, increase strength and improve athletic performance without grueling hours of training in the gym. Its effectiveness and accessibility to everyone has been proven over time, as well as its widespread use in yoga, bodybuilding, fitness, rehabilitation programs, martial arts and strength training.

Training programs in the gym for forearm growth

As with any other muscle group, the rule of thumb applies to the forearms: change training program will enhance muscle growth. Therefore, mix up the suggested exercises periodically to increase their effectiveness. The following three programs can be included in your workouts at your discretion. The main thing is not to forget and mix exercises - to avoid boredom and growth inhibition.

As for the timing of working on the forearms, that is a completely different story: it is better to train them once a week, preferably at the end of the biceps workout.

You can also work on the muscles of the forearms on separate days, for example, 2 times a week, or combine them with calf training.

Conclusion

There are many reasons to build powerful forearms: they create an impression of strength, provide full physical development, create visual balance of the bodybuilder’s body and, most importantly, strengthen the grip, promoting strength work on all muscle groups. Thanks to the proposed exercises for the forearms, you can develop these muscle groups and create a harmonious and muscular body.