Forearm workouts are great for strengthening your whole body. When you engage in these exercises, you work on not just your forearms but also other parts of your body like your shoulders, back, and calves. These workouts help you improve at other exercises and strengthen your grip, which is important for lifting weights.
Adding these exercises to your routine helps you focus on muscles that don’t always get a lot of attention. Think of Popeye and how strong his forearms are that’s what you can achieve with consistent practice. Plus, using weights and chalk can make these exercises even more effective.
Every time you engage in these workouts, you’re not only strengthening your forearms but also helping the rest of your body. A strong grip enables you to perform better in other exercises, like back workouts, making Forearm workouts a key part of getting fit and gaining muscle.
List of Top Forearm Workouts
The top Forearm workouts include Farmer’s Carry, Wrist Curls, Reverse Curls, Hammer Curls, and Static Holds. These exercises effectively build strength, endurance, and muscle mass in the forearms.
1. Incline Dumbbell Curl
For the incline dumbbell curl, set an incline bench between 45 and 60 degrees. Sit back with your shoulders against the pad and your feet firmly on the floor. Hold dumbbells with an underhand grip, letting your arms hang down on both sides.
Curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, turning your palms up as you lift. This angle and position effectively target the biceps, enhancing both strength and muscle definition. The isolation and focus on the biceps make this exercise a staple for those looking to enhance their arm aesthetics and strength.
2. Trap Bar Carry
The trap bar carry is essential for enhancing forearm strength, shoulder stability, and overall core health. A trap bar allows for a more neutral hand position. Load the bar with a challenging but manageable weight and carry it for short distances.
Like the farmer’s carry, this variant emphasizes the same muscle groups but with a slightly different weight distribution, making it an excellent alternative for those seeking variety in their routine.
3. Towel Pullups
Towel Pullups are a dynamic part of Forearm Workouts, designed to dramatically boost forearm and grip strength. Dressing towels over a pullup bar creates an unstable grip surface that forces your hands, arms, and shoulders to work harder.
Aim for at least two sets of pullups, using the towels to challenge and build the muscles along your arms and chest. This exercise is a great way to incorporate instability and additional grip work into your upper body training.
4. Plate Curls
Plate Curls, a significant component of Forearm workouts, focus on the forearms and biceps through an unconventional bicep curl. Hold a weight plate with both hands and perform curls to work the grip and increase forearm size.
These curls, usually done in sets of 4 to 8 reps, challenge your fingers and forearms in a unique way that traditional dumbbell curls might not, providing a comprehensive forearm workout.
5. Farmer’s Carry
Forearm workouts often include the Farmer’s Carry, which significantly strengthens the forearms, shoulders, and core. To perform the Farmer’s Carry effectively, grab weights like dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand and walk for about 20 meters.
Aim to complete around three sets of these, each pushing you to maintain shoulder stability and grip strength. This exercise acts as a powerful finisher in a workout session and doubles as a warmup drill to prepare the abs, chest, and other muscle groups for more intense activities.
6. Single Arm Bottoms Up Kettlebell Press
In Forearm Workouts, the Single-Arm Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Press is a standout exercise that targets your abs, glutes, and especially your forearms.
To start, you grab the kettlebell by the handle with one hand and flip it so the bottom is facing up, requiring intense grip and force to keep it stable.
Position your feet firmly on the ground and press the kettlebell overhead, keeping your body straight. This exercise, typically performed in sets of 3 with four reps on each side, not only works the targeted muscles but also improves overall body stability.
7. Pinch Carries
Pinch Carries are an innovative exercise within Forearm Workouts that targets the forearms and core by utilizing the pinching grip of the fingers.
This exercise involves carrying plates pinched together without any support from the hands. Typically, three sets of these carries are sufficient to induce significant gains in forearm size and grip strength. This method is straightforward but effective for enhancing muscular endurance and stability.
8. Plate Tosses
Forearm workouts include dynamic exercises like plate tosses to build forearm and grip strength. Holding a bumper plate in both hands, assume a strong stance with feet shoulder width apart.
Toss the plate into the air before you and catch it as it comes down, ensuring you maintain a tight grip. Aim for three sets of 10 reps each, focusing on the target and the controlled movement to effectively work out the forearms and add an engaging element to your workout.
9. Grip Crushers
In Forearm workouts, Grip Crushers are essential for developing crushing strength. This exercise involves using a gripper tool to squeeze the handles together with one hand at a time.
The gripper’s resistance challenges your forearms and muscles, enhancing your grip capability. Typically, you would do three sets of five times per hand, with varying resistances, to continually challenge your muscles and ensure growth and strength in your forearms during the workout.
10. Fat Grip Dumbbell Rows
Forearm workouts often incorporate Fat Grip Dumbbell Rows to enhance forearm strength and neural drive. Place one knee and hand on a bench, holding a dumbbell with a Fat Grip attached in the opposite hand.
This grip makes the dumbbell handle thicker, increasing the amount of effort your forearms have to exert. Row the dumbbell towards your ribcage, keeping your elbow close to your side. Perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions to target the muscles and build strength effectively.
11. Hammer Cheat Curl
The Hammer Cheat Curl is an important exercise in Forearm workouts, focusing on both the forearms and biceps. To begin, hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with your palms facing your hips.
Use a slight momentum from your hips to curl the weights up while maintaining a clean and controlled form. Perform five sets of exercises, utilizing the position and weight to maximize tension and enhance muscle growth in the forearms and biceps.
12. Reverse Grip Barbell Curl
The Reverse Grip Barbell Curl is a powerful exercise for strengthening the arms. Start by grabbing a barbell with a reverse grip, where your palms face the ground. Position your hands about shoulder width apart on the bar, ensuring they align with the sides of your body.
Keep your arms tight and focused as you curl the barbell, preventing any sway or unnecessary movement. This exercise is excellent for developing forearm strength and enhancing the overall muscle tone of your upper arms.
13. Towel Curl
Towel Curl Loop is a great addition to Forearm workouts, focusing on the arms and enhancing grip strength. Loop a towel over a barbell, hold each end with your hands, and perform curls.
Stand with your thighs just behind the bar, ensuring the weight is balanced and the grip is firm. Curl the weight towards your shoulder, squeezing at the top. Aim for three sets of 8 reps, challenging your arms and forearms through this unique and effective exercise.
14. Preacher Curl
The Preacher Curl is designed to isolate the biceps by stabilizing the arms against a pad on a preacher’s bench. Sit on the bench and place the backs of your upper arms on the pad, ensuring your elbows are snugly in place.
Grip a barbell or dumbbell with an underhand grip and curl the weight towards your shoulders. The controlled contraction and top position focus on bicep development while maintaining control throughout the exercise.
This setup helps to prevent other muscles from assisting in the curl, ensuring the biceps receive maximum benefit.
15. Towel Cable Row
In the Towel Cable Row, a towel is used as the gripping tool to enhance forearm engagement. Attach a towel to the cable pulley and stand firmly planted on the ground a few feet before the machine.
Grab each end of the towel with your hands and pull towards your rib cage, ensuring your shoulder blades are pulled back at the end of the motion.
Due to the towel’s instability, this exercise not only strengthens the back but also increases grip strength, making it a challenging yet beneficial rowing variation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Forearm Workouts Should I Do?
Forearm exercises should be done 2 to 3 times a week. They can be done alone, before your main workout, or as part of a longer routine. Before starting, warm up your wrists by rotating them and moving them side to side and up and down to get the blood flowing.
Can I Train Forearms Every Day?
Training your forearms every day is not a good idea because your muscles need time to rest and grow. To help your forearms get stronger, it’s best to do basic forearm exercises 1 2 times a week during your arm workouts.
Is 4 Exercises Enough For Arm Day?
Yes, doing 2 4 different exercises for each muscle group in a single workout is enough. Over a week, try to do 4 12 different exercises for each muscle group to ensure you’re working your muscles enough.