How to pump up your forearms

Basic principles of forearm training

An important nuance of proper forearm training is taking into account the anatomical features and functions of this muscle group. From the point of view of anatomy, the forearms are a complex of small muscle groups that, in combination with each other, perform similar functions: rotation of the hand, compression of the fingers, their extension, and fixation of the wrist.

It is fashionable to mention various names from anatomy or corresponding terms. This trend is especially evident in forearm training. You do not need to meticulously study the name of each segment of the forearm. A significant contribution to the appearance and strength potential includes the brachioradialis muscle, better known as the brachioradialis.

Specialization of the training process in such segments is not necessary for the average fitness enthusiast. These details scatter attention and do not bring practical benefit. The main principle of progressive forearm training is simple: a long-term load of a large coefficient is needed. Short power sets do not stimulate the development of forearms.

Let's return to anatomy: the lion's share of muscle fibers of the forearms, including the brachialis, belong to the red type . Let's remember that these fibers are filled with hemoglobin, which carries blood, which colors them red. The peculiarity of such skeletal muscles is the ability to resist the load for a long time, due to regular contractions from energy obtained from oxygen, fats and other nutrients that are transported through the blood.

Red fibers are a mirror image of white strength fibers, which are needed for sets with a small number of repetitions and a large load. Therefore, loading the forearms with a huge weight in a small range of repetitions is a mistake . The stereotype is widespread due to the banal lack of necessary information from physiology and anatomy. However, in fairness, we note that many athletes intuitively come to multi-repetition sets for the forearms. At the same time, they consider themselves an exception to the rule, although in practice, this is just the application of the correct technique.

How to pump up forearms - exercises

To pump up your forearms, you need to teach them to work in a static mode for a long time, and exhaustingly. The static-dynamic mode will also work. Any exercises that involve this kind of load will serve as an excellent tool.

The most effective:

Deadlift ;
Pull-ups ;
Dumbbell Hammer Curls;
Deadlift;
Maintaining a position on the bar.

From this list, only the last one is a specialized exercise for the forearms. You try to hang on the bar and hold on as long as possible. At the same time, you need to shorten the shoulder girdle in order to avoid the shoulder joint being pulled out of the corresponding bag.

During the deadlift and other variations, the weight is held only by the strength endurance of the forearms. Often, the weakness of this muscle group puts an end to increasing the working weight. The athlete has to use wrist straps and ties, and this spoils the biomechanics of the complex exercise. Straps are not a solution; it is necessary to train the strength of the grip and its endurance.

Hammer Curls - A variation of the parallel grip dumbbell curl. Great for developing the brachioradialis, but don't put too much emphasis on it.

The key factor is a long-term static load that matches the physiological function of the hand muscles. Deadlifts with a decent weight for 12 reps are the best exercise for the forearms.

Wrist expanders are worth mentioning separately, as they develop small muscle segments of the forearms quite well. However, their training will only be beneficial if repeated regularly. Stop training with expanders, and you will return the muscles to their original state. Sets should be long, 1-2 minutes.

Forearm Training Mistakes

Wrist curls, Zotman curls, and other variations of strength exercises for the forearms are useless in the context of increasing muscle size, since slow-twitch fibers increase in size only under a load that corresponds to their task.

The maximum that these exercises can do is increase the strength potential of the forearms in the context of a low-repetition set. The only exercise that deserves attention is the rotation of the handle of the cable block. Here the load is of a static-dynamic nature of a long format. But not all fitness centers have such a machine.

How to pump up your forearms correctly?

Forearm training in the usual sense is wrong. You will find it difficult to accept this fact, but specialized exercises, for example with an expander, are needed not so much to increase the forearms, but to develop specific characteristics. This is relevant in various sports, for example in powerlifting or martial arts, where the final result of the competition depends on the condition of the forearms.

It is enough to do basic exercises for the muscles of the torso, which will additionally include the forearms in the work. Build strength and strength endurance. The forearms are a small muscle group consisting of smaller segments. It will grow only after the larger ones - such as the back, chest, legs. When your body has an urgent need for a strong grip, it will launch a number of processes, including hormonal ones, for the progress of the forearms.

Where have you seen a gymnast, boxer or powerlifter with small forearms? Only in fitness is such a problem common, because basic strength training for large muscles is often excluded.