Forearm Exercises: How to Get Great Results
We do not give these muscles enough attention, but forearm exercises can be very helpful in your daily life. In this article, we will tell you about the best forearm exercises to do at home or at the gym.
Forearm exercises: beyond aesthetics
When we go to the gym, we generally focus on working out the shoulders, biceps, and triceps. Women also pay attention to the legs and glutes. However, we should not neglect our forearms. We recommend doing the following forearm exercises at home or at the gym:
1. Forearm curls with bar
To do this exercise, you should use the olympic bar (perfect in terms of weight and longitude). The idea is to maintain balance the entire time, ensuring that the bar does not tilt to either side. This stability forces us to exert the forearm more, as only one forearm is worked at a time.
While the principle behind the forearm curl may seem a bit basic, the exercise is a fundamental part of getting started. Keep your back straight, grab the bar with one hand (wrists out), and bend the elbow until your hand touches your shoulder.
2. Forearm plank
While this exercise is related to the abs and glutes, it is also ideal for the forearms. This is because they are the only parts – along with the toes, that touch the ground, supporting the full weight of the body.
The goal is to keep the torso and the legs parallel to the ground. Maintain the position for 30 seconds to start. Then try doubling that to one minute!
3. Pull-ups
This is another highly efficient forearm exercise. You will need quite a bit of arm strength in order to life the weight of your body. As such, if you are just starting, we recommend you try the Australian version, which features a lower bar.
Grab the bar with both hands and stretch out your arms. Keep your body diagonal to the ground, with your feet as far from the bar as possible. When you flex your elbows, your torso and legs are lifted away from the floor. The idea is to keep your head between both hands on the way up.
4. Curls with dumbbells
This is a forearm exercise you can do sitting down. However, this does not mean it is not efficient, or that the muscle will be worked out any less. On the contrary! Do five repetitions per set.
Sit on the edge of a bench and rest your right elbow on your right thigh. Grab the dumbbell (of the desired weight) with your wrist facing up. Flex the elbow until your hand touches your shoulder. The movement needs to be slow and very controlled.
5. Swing bar
You are no doubt familiar with this exercise, where you hang from an elevated bar for as long as your arms can carry your weight. In this case, we are making things a bit more complicated: you will have to swing back and forth. Of course, you should start slow and gradually add more force to your movements. You also can cross your legs.
6. Push-ups
Finally, this is an essential forearm exercise to add to your routine. You will get to work out both at the same time! You almost definitely know how to do a push-up.
The goal should be for the body’s weight to rest on the hands. Position yourself face down and stretch out your body. The only other part of your body to touch the ground should be your toes. There are different variables we can add for a tougher workout: using one hand, clapping between repetitions and using a kettlebell.