When building up your physique, which muscle groups do you prefer to train? Some people look forward to chest day, whereas others prefer to train the back. Then there are those savages that actually look forward to leg day!
While we all have our own personal preferences of which muscle groups to train, the vast majority of people out there will very rarely train their forearms specifically, and even fewer will train the wrists.
Having strong wrists and forearms will not only assist with functional strength and mobility, it will also help you with your training as well.
One of the main issues with training the wrists and forearms is knowing which exercises to perform, so to help you out we’ve compiled a few suggestions below.
The Prayer Stretch
The first exercise we have for you today is one for the wrists that is known as the Prayer Stretch.
It is a very simple stretch, but don’t let that fool you, because it works wonders for strengthening your wrist and improving its mobility.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Begin by standing up straight with your palms together and your elbows bent.
- Your fingertips should point up and should be placed just below your chin.
- Now, slowly lower your hands downwards towards the waist, making sure to keep your hands pressed together and close towards your abdomen.
- You should begin to feel a slight stretch just in the underside of the forearms.
- Once you feel this stretch, hold the pose for 30 seconds and release.
- Repeat for a further 2 – 3 sets.
Farmer’s Walks
Next up we have an exercise that is a staple in strongman sports, but is not quite as common in your typical bodybuilding style workouts. Yes, we’re talking about Farmer’s Walks.
This is an exercise that primarily targets the forearms, though your wrist strength will also improve drastically when you perform it.
Here’s what to do:
- Begin by taking a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand, and standing up straight, with your feet hip-width apart.
- Making sure to grip the weights firmly, engage your core, keep your head up straight, and pull your shoulders back in order to active muscles in and around the rotator cuff area.
- Now, gripping the weights firmly, take a series of slow steps forwards, making sure to brace the core, keep your head up straight, and the shoulders slightly back.
- Walk a set distance, and then turn around and walk back to the starting position.
- Repeat as necessary.
Barbell reverse curls
If you’ve a barbell handy, barbell reverse curls are a fantastic exercise for increasing wrist and forearm strength and size respectively.
Here’s what to do:
- Grab a barbell of EZ bar with your hands shoulder-width apart.
- When you grab the barbell, though, instead of taking an underhand grip, take your hands and place them on the top of the bar with your palms facing downwards in what is known as a pronated grip.
- Keep your elbows close to your sides, bend the knees slightly, and slowly curl the bar like you would with a regular curl, except now you’re using an overhand grip and are working the forearms much more.
Repeat for as many reps as required!
