Basic Training For Building Muscular, Powerful Forearms
From an anatomical standpoint, the forearm is your arm's most complex muscle area.
Unlike your biceps and triceps, which essentially have the single function of flexing and extending your lower arm, your forearms contain many intricate muscles and tendons that control individual flexion and extension of our fingers, thumbs and wrists.
In fact, the forearms are so complex that this article could easily become overrun with anatomical and medical jargon.
But since this article is about building muscular forearms rather than dissecting them, I'll limit my discussion to the best training techniques for developing your major (i.
e.
, most visible) forearm muscles.
As noted above, your forearms control flexion and extension of your fingers, thumbs and wrists.
Indeed whenever you squeeze or release an object, your forearms are at work.
Your forearms also control your ability to bend your hands forward and backward.
Since your hands are involved in every aspect of any upper-body exercise program, your forearms automatically get secondary training in all of your arm workouts.
For example, the forearm's "flexor" muscles which flex the fingers and wrists are active in all biceps curling movements.
On the other hand, the "extensor" muscles in the forearm affect your ability to complete such triceps exercises as EZ Bar extensions, cable press-downs, seated dips and straight-armed pushdowns.
Since the forearms control flexion and rotation of your fingers and hands, developing this muscle area will certainly increase your grip strength.
Such power is particularly important to bodybuilders and powerlifters when doing pulley rows, barbell rows or deadlifts.
Wrestlers and martial artists need powerful forearms and hands to grip and throw competitors to the mat.
Linebackers and defensive linemen in football have this same need in order to win their battles with behemoth offensive linemen.
Powerful forearms mean powerful hands - and grip strength is an important aspect of all power sports.
Since your forearms receive so much secondary work during your biceps and triceps workouts, you may be wondering why it is necessary to train them separately.
The simple answer is completion.
Your forearms are part of your "total package" and should therefore get the same attention as your biceps and triceps in a complete arm building program.
Additionally, building massive and powerful forearms will improve your grip strength and ensure symmetrical development of your arms.
While secondary training benefits are nice, targeted bodybuilding works best.
This way, you won't have any weak or lagging body parts, especially among the ones hanging from your shoulders! The most visible portions of your forearms consist of the outer section dominated by the brachioradialis and various finger extensors, and the large flexors on the inside of each arm that run from your wrists to your elbows.
When these inner and outer portions of your forearms are fully and equally developed they'll look like upside down bowling pins - and you'll definitely be throwing strikes when it comes to making a visual impression!The key to getting this type of symmetrical forearm development is balanced training of both the inner and outer muscle groupings of your forearms.
Basic Training For Muscular, Powerful Forearms 1.
Reverse-Grip EZ Bar Curls This exercise puts primary stress on the brachioradialis and extensor muscles of the dorsal or outer surface of your forearms.
Since your hands are pronated in the narrow-grip position, your wrists are extended which forces involvement of the extensor carpi radialis and extensor carpi ulnaris.
This pronated or "palms down" positioning of the hands also takes the biceps out of this exercise, which isolates the brachioradialis as the primary forearm flexor.
If you're serious about building big, muscular forearms, reverse-grip EZ bar curls are a good first step.
2.
Wrist Curls Wrist curls work to develop the two large muscles on the inside portion of the anterior surface of the forearm.
These muscles, the flexor carpi ulnaris and flexor carpi radialis, are the wrist flexors and combine to form a thick, muscular region from the elbow to the lower forearm.
While these muscles do considerable work during your biceps curling movements, wrist curls isolate these flexors so as to maximize resistance on this section of your forearms.
If you want to add thickness and power to your inner forearms, heavy wrist curls will do the job.
3.
Alternating Hammer Curls This exercise is identical to seated alternating dumbbell curls except for your hand position.
The difference lies in changing your hand/forearm position from supinated to neutral.
This minor adjustment in your hand/forearm position effectively removes the biceps from the exercise to isolate the brachioradialis as the primary power source.
The brachialis also provides some assistance here, but the brachioradialis is the real workhorse that completes this exercise.
4.
Two-Armed Hammer Curls I recommend this exercise as an occasional substitute for alternating hammer curls.
The key to effective two-armed hammer curls is keeping your hands and forearms in a neutral position throughout each repetition.
Here again, this hand/forearm position effectively removes the biceps from the exercise to isolate the brachioradialis as the primary forearm flexor.
5.
EZ Bar Upright Rows The upright row offers tremendous mass building and shaping benefits for your forearms.
Although this exercise is usually part of a shoulder building program, EZ Bar upright rows also produce superior development of the forearms.
Specifically, the upright lifting motion places heavy stress on the brachioradialis and extensor muscles of the outer forearm.
This effect results from the pronated hand position you maintain by using the narrow-grip portion of the EZ Bar.
In addition to crowning your GUNS with dynamite deltoid development, upright rows can give you a set of absolutely fearsome forearms.
Each of the exercises provided above will challenge the flexor and extensor muscles of your forearms.
You can use these exercises to create workouts that will ensure balanced and symmetrical development of this complex and vital muscle group.
With careful attention to performing these exercises with proper training technique, you're certain to build balanced, symmetrical and Truly Awesome forearms.
Unlike your biceps and triceps, which essentially have the single function of flexing and extending your lower arm, your forearms contain many intricate muscles and tendons that control individual flexion and extension of our fingers, thumbs and wrists.
In fact, the forearms are so complex that this article could easily become overrun with anatomical and medical jargon.
But since this article is about building muscular forearms rather than dissecting them, I'll limit my discussion to the best training techniques for developing your major (i.
e.
, most visible) forearm muscles.
As noted above, your forearms control flexion and extension of your fingers, thumbs and wrists.
Indeed whenever you squeeze or release an object, your forearms are at work.
Your forearms also control your ability to bend your hands forward and backward.
Since your hands are involved in every aspect of any upper-body exercise program, your forearms automatically get secondary training in all of your arm workouts.
For example, the forearm's "flexor" muscles which flex the fingers and wrists are active in all biceps curling movements.
On the other hand, the "extensor" muscles in the forearm affect your ability to complete such triceps exercises as EZ Bar extensions, cable press-downs, seated dips and straight-armed pushdowns.
Since the forearms control flexion and rotation of your fingers and hands, developing this muscle area will certainly increase your grip strength.
Such power is particularly important to bodybuilders and powerlifters when doing pulley rows, barbell rows or deadlifts.
Wrestlers and martial artists need powerful forearms and hands to grip and throw competitors to the mat.
Linebackers and defensive linemen in football have this same need in order to win their battles with behemoth offensive linemen.
Powerful forearms mean powerful hands - and grip strength is an important aspect of all power sports.
Since your forearms receive so much secondary work during your biceps and triceps workouts, you may be wondering why it is necessary to train them separately.
The simple answer is completion.
Your forearms are part of your "total package" and should therefore get the same attention as your biceps and triceps in a complete arm building program.
Additionally, building massive and powerful forearms will improve your grip strength and ensure symmetrical development of your arms.
While secondary training benefits are nice, targeted bodybuilding works best.
This way, you won't have any weak or lagging body parts, especially among the ones hanging from your shoulders! The most visible portions of your forearms consist of the outer section dominated by the brachioradialis and various finger extensors, and the large flexors on the inside of each arm that run from your wrists to your elbows.
When these inner and outer portions of your forearms are fully and equally developed they'll look like upside down bowling pins - and you'll definitely be throwing strikes when it comes to making a visual impression!The key to getting this type of symmetrical forearm development is balanced training of both the inner and outer muscle groupings of your forearms.
Basic Training For Muscular, Powerful Forearms 1.
Reverse-Grip EZ Bar Curls This exercise puts primary stress on the brachioradialis and extensor muscles of the dorsal or outer surface of your forearms.
Since your hands are pronated in the narrow-grip position, your wrists are extended which forces involvement of the extensor carpi radialis and extensor carpi ulnaris.
This pronated or "palms down" positioning of the hands also takes the biceps out of this exercise, which isolates the brachioradialis as the primary forearm flexor.
If you're serious about building big, muscular forearms, reverse-grip EZ bar curls are a good first step.
2.
Wrist Curls Wrist curls work to develop the two large muscles on the inside portion of the anterior surface of the forearm.
These muscles, the flexor carpi ulnaris and flexor carpi radialis, are the wrist flexors and combine to form a thick, muscular region from the elbow to the lower forearm.
While these muscles do considerable work during your biceps curling movements, wrist curls isolate these flexors so as to maximize resistance on this section of your forearms.
If you want to add thickness and power to your inner forearms, heavy wrist curls will do the job.
3.
Alternating Hammer Curls This exercise is identical to seated alternating dumbbell curls except for your hand position.
The difference lies in changing your hand/forearm position from supinated to neutral.
This minor adjustment in your hand/forearm position effectively removes the biceps from the exercise to isolate the brachioradialis as the primary power source.
The brachialis also provides some assistance here, but the brachioradialis is the real workhorse that completes this exercise.
4.
Two-Armed Hammer Curls I recommend this exercise as an occasional substitute for alternating hammer curls.
The key to effective two-armed hammer curls is keeping your hands and forearms in a neutral position throughout each repetition.
Here again, this hand/forearm position effectively removes the biceps from the exercise to isolate the brachioradialis as the primary forearm flexor.
5.
EZ Bar Upright Rows The upright row offers tremendous mass building and shaping benefits for your forearms.
Although this exercise is usually part of a shoulder building program, EZ Bar upright rows also produce superior development of the forearms.
Specifically, the upright lifting motion places heavy stress on the brachioradialis and extensor muscles of the outer forearm.
This effect results from the pronated hand position you maintain by using the narrow-grip portion of the EZ Bar.
In addition to crowning your GUNS with dynamite deltoid development, upright rows can give you a set of absolutely fearsome forearms.
Each of the exercises provided above will challenge the flexor and extensor muscles of your forearms.
You can use these exercises to create workouts that will ensure balanced and symmetrical development of this complex and vital muscle group.
With careful attention to performing these exercises with proper training technique, you're certain to build balanced, symmetrical and Truly Awesome forearms.