When it comes to fitness, bigger forearms boast a special importance, especially in the everyday life of common men to athletes. By enhancing grip strength, it betters performance in different activities including weightlifting, sports, and hiking among others that involve holding or gripping objects. Those who aim to perform the most effective exercises to strengthen their forearm can go through this article and the guide explained by Tennessee Men’s Clinic to explore different types of forearm exercises alongside the precautionary measures to be taken to get the best outcome.
Major Muscles of Forearm and Their Purposes
The anterior forearm consists of 8 muscles that help in
- Wrist flexion: helps to curve the palm at the wrist inward
- Wrist extension: helps extend the hand backward or towards the posterior part of the forearm
- Forearm pronation: helps rotate the palm downward
- Forearm supination: helps rotate the palm upward
Performing exercises involving all these ranges of actions ensure proper and well-balanced forearm development. Thereby, workouts for solidifying and developing the interior forearm should be consisting of a collection of forearm exercises. Doing so will manipulate various muscle groups to ensure all-around growth, making stronger, bigger, and tougher forearms.
As per Tennessee Men’s Clinic, the forearm exercises can be categorized into two sections. One is without equipment and the other one is with equipment. According to them, to begin with, it makes sense to start the activity without equipment, which is explained here:
Forearm Exercises without Equipment
One can initiate these workouts at their home or yard
Fingertip Push-ups
Fingertip push-ups are an advanced form of traditional push-ups and especially target developing the forearm along with palm and finger muscles. The workout typically needs sufficient strength of the wrist and finger.
The Steps
- Get into a posture by keeping the hands under the shoulders;
- Extend the fingers slowly and place the fingertips over the ground;
- Keep the lower part of the body in the direction of the ground while having a straight line from the head to the heels;
- Push back up to the earlier position by extending the arms fully;
- Repeat the steps 5 to 10 times gradually as per capability.
Crab Walk
The crab walk is a highly dynamic exercise targeting strengthening multiple muscle groups consisting of the forearms, glutes, and triceps.
The Steps:
- Start with a seating position with the knees bent, flat feet, and hands behind the fingers directed toward the feet;
- Lift hips a few inches off the base taking a bridge stance;
- Step forward with the left hand and foot followed by the right hand and left foot;
- Keep on walking forward while hoisting your hips lifted and activating the hands and feet;
- Maintaining a steady pace is vital to get the best outcome;
- Repeat the steps, as per the fitness level;
- Also reverse the direction, by altering the hand and foot that leads.
Plank with Shoulder Taps
It is a well-planned challenging exercise targeting the shoulders, core, and forearms to improve their balance and stability.
The Steps:
- Take a high plank posture by keeping the hands under the shoulders and the body fully straight;
- Rise the right hand to tap the left shoulder, retaining the hips square-shaped;
- Take the right hand to an earlier position, while start lifting the left hand to tap the right shoulder;
- Alter the steps while having stability;
- Repeat the process with 8 to 10 on each side and gradually increase the process.
Starting with these three workouts will increase the strength of your forearm and its associated muscles. After practicing the exercises for a few months, then one can get started with workouts with equipment.
