The Best Exercises To Increase Forearm Strength
Sport & Activity
Experts explain why including forearm exercises into your fitness routine is critical to improving overall strength.
When it comes to crafting an effective strength-training plan for your arms, the biceps and triceps are often the two major focal points. But acquiring good forearm strength can play a crucial role in athletic performance, primarily in sports like tennis, baseball and golf. This is what makes forearm exercises so important.
"Strong forearms translate to stronger grip strength", said Ocho, a NASM-CPT, and that "allows you to engage more muscles and generate more force while playing".
In a lot of sports, forearms are "your connection to whatever you're trying to do and provide an important element of control", said Albert Matheny, RD, CSCS. "If you don't have strong forearms, you're not going to be able to have the control you want".
Matheny recommended thinking of your arms like a whip. "The power has to come out of somewhere", he said. If your forearms—along with your biceps—are strong, you can deliver more power out from your hands when playing sports, he said.
For example, in tennis, having good forearm strength allows you to strike the ball and easily move the racket to get the shot you want, Matheny said. Forearm strength in rock-climbing lets you hoist yourself up with more power, and having strong forearms in rowing, baseball and golf allows you to "transfer power efficiently", Matheny said.
To build additional forearm strength, you'll need to do certain workouts that target this muscle group for maximum benefit. With that in mind, these are the best forearm exercises to do, along with how to incorporate them into your life.
What are your forearm muscles?
Your forearms are the area of your arms that run from your elbow to your wrist. They contain two bones—the radius and the ulna—along with two compartments, the anterior (flexor) muscles and posterior (extensor) muscles. Together, both compartments have 20 muscles.
How can you determine your forearm strength?
Your forearms "naturally get a lot of work" if you're physically active and do upper body exercises, Matheny said. "When you're lifting weights, you're usually also using your forearms", he said. "In a lot of sports and activities, they're getting worked".
But that doesn't necessarily mean that you have strong forearms. "If you feel weakness or an inability to grip stuff over time, or that you just don't want to hold weights any more during arm exercises, that can be a sign of weak forearms", Matheny said.
Ocho agreed. "When you have weak forearms or wrists, those muscles may be the first group to tire out" during activities, he said. And, as a result, he noted that a "lack of forearm strength lowers the ability to build strength in other parts of the body". For example, if your forearms can't support the weight of the kettlebell for your squats, then you may have to perform bodyweight squats without any resistance.
What exercises are good to build forearm strength?
Again, your forearms typically get some work when you do arm exercises. But, if you specifically want to build forearm strength, experts say there are forearm exercises you can do.
1.Ball squeezes.
This exercise is simple and good for beginners. Grip a tennis ball in one hand, extend your arm out in front of you or with your elbow resting on a surface, and squeeze. Hold the squeeze for a second and release. Repeat. You can add variations to this by squeezing the ball for longer periods of time or doing "lightning" rounds where you squeeze and release quickly.
2.Barbell reverse curls.
Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing down. Start with the weights on your thighs and then bend your elbows to pull the weights up. Pause, then lower the weights back to the starting position.
3.Fat grip bicep curls.
Using a "fatter" grip on your dumbbells will help activate your forearms and biceps more than a regular grip, Ocho explained. To make the grip thicker, you can wrap a small towel around your dumbbells' handles.
4.Wrist roller.
A wrist roller is a special tool that features a bar with a cord or rope attached that you roll and unroll. Typically, people add weights to the bottom of the cord or rope. To use it, you hold your arms out straight in front of you, while gripping the bar. Then, slowly unroll and roll the bar to lift the cord up and down.
5.Battle ropes.
Battle ropes work your biceps (and many other areas of your body), but you can also use them to target your forearms. Try doing vertical and horizontal waves and reverse curl-style moves to focus on the area.
6.Farmer carries.
This exercise can be done with weights in the gym or just by lifting bags of groceries around your home. Grip a dumbbell or a heavy bag in each hand and stand upright, with your elbows slightly bent.
7.Towel pull-up.
Regular pull-ups will work your forearms, but a towel pull-up will target the area even more. To do it, drape a towel around a bar so that both ends hang down. Grip one side in each hand, with your palms facing each other, and pull yourself up by bending at the elbow, just like you would do with a "regular" pull-up. Hold at the top for a second and then slowly lower yourself down. Repeat. If you're a beginner, doing a standard pull-up or assisted pull-up can work, too.
If you're doing forearm exercises with dumbbells or other weights, Ocho said he recommended easing into it: "Start off slow and then start to progress to [more] weights".
How often should you be doing forearm exercises?
Forearm exercises don't necessarily need to be your main focus at the gym.
Matheny stressed that you don't want to obsess or spend multiple hours on forearm work in the gym. "You can do better things that challenge you", he said.
But, if you're looking to improve your forearm strength, Ocho said that you can do these exercises almost every day. "That's something that you can work on while on the sofa", he said. "Very simple".
Words by Korin Miller