Martial artists and bodybuilders are both interested in developing huge forearms. You need them for gripping heavy weights or for many aspects of combat. One of the best ways to develop a big and strong set of forearms is to work with the reverse wrist curl.

How to do proper forearm reverse wrist curls

In this post I will talk about how to correctly do the reverse wirst curl. I have seen all sorts of variations to this exercise; some of them good, some of them bad.

In my years of training martial arts and bodybuilding I have developed a few tricks that allows you to get the most out of this basic exercise.

1. Pick the right weighted barbell
First you need to get the right weighted barbell. If you go to heavy you will not be able to do the curl properly and run the risk of damaging your wrists. If it is too light it will not do the job. I am to get a weight that will allow me to do about 5 to 8 reps per set.

2. Get the right height seat
You want to be sitting on a seat that allows your arms to be on a downward sloap slightly. At the minimum your forearms should be parallel to the ground. This is important. Continue Reading

Rope climbing is one of the best ways to build your forearms

As a martial artist I am always searching for new ways to build my forearms. When I was in high school I was obsessed with rope climbing as I saw it as a natural and very powerful way to develop my grip and forearm muscles. If you want to develop some upper body strength as well as blast your forearms to the next level then you should give it a try.

Rope climbing videos

I came across this video of a rope climbing contest in the Czech Republic and thought I would share it with you as it shows how good you can get at rope climbing. I was a little shocked to see how lean these guys were as I know when I was doing a lot of climbing my forearms size increased dramatically. Regardless of their size, however, they look like pretty strong dudes.

Cheap home gym equipment must haves - the good old gripper!

I am big on cheap home gym equipment. I like to have workout stuff lying around the house so I can pick up something and do a workout whenever I want. The hand gripper, used for building grip and forearms strength, is one of my favorites.

What is a hand gripper?

The hand gripper is a small device made from tough steel or some other kind of metal that you hold in your hand and use your fingers to squeeze it closed. The squeezing is designed to be very hard so that your forearms, fingers and wrist get stronger and tougher. It is an excellent tool for bodybuilder and martial artists.

Captains of Crush - the BEST hand grippers

In my opinion the Captains of Crush hand gripper is the best on the market. They are hard and heavy unlike some other weak ones you find at sport stores that my grandmother could squeeze in. These really help you build big forearms and a stronger grip. You will find your lifting technique becomes much better and you will not fatige as early. All good things! You can get the Captains of Crush Trainer Gripper at Amazon for less than $20 here.

Why do I need a hand gripper?

Everyone who needs to use their forearms for their sport needs to use a hand gripper. Think about it. A bodybuilder or weight lifter needs to lift heavy weights to grow their bigger muscles. For example, a heavy deadlift might be a hundred kilograms and to lift that weight you need to rely on the small finger muscles. You can, of course, cheat by using gloves that hold the weight for you but then you miss out on the benefit the deadlift has on the forearms muscles. Similarly, when you do a chin up you have to hold yourself up using your hands. This can become quite difficult as you start to add weight onto your waist to increase the intensity of the exercise. It is for these reasons that you need to start training with a gripper. You need to bring the forearms and fingers up to a level of strength where they can handle bigger and bigger weights. This will lead to increase muscle growth on your whole body, not just your forearms.