Build some huge forearms in part 3 of this 4 part guide

This is the 3rd part of this highly popular 4 part series on building huge arms. In this post we will look at how to build huge forearms.

The full series is: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3 and PART 4.

Part 3 of Building Huge Arms - Giant Baseball Bat Forearms

Strong forearms are important for almost everyone who is involved in a sport. They are important for martial artists in terms of grip or punching strength, bodybuilders so you can hold heavy weights as well as developing a well rounded look… the list goes on.

The great thing about the forearms is they are easy to train. The respond very well to almost any type of exercise and as such it really isn’t all that hard to get huge ones.

Where is the forearm and how does it work?
This is simple, we all know it. The forearm is the muscle that runs from the elbow to the hand and is involved with any movement of the lower arm or the hand. If you want to grab onto a bar with your fingers, for example, you will need the help of your forearm muscles.

The best forearms exercises

As with the other parts in the series we have looked at the best three exercises for developing that particular muscle. I have had extensive martial arts training and it was there that I found some of the best exercises for the forearms. This was surprising to me as I thought bodybuilders would always have stronger forearms. However, try supplementing your regular forearms work out with these exercises and see how you go.

1. Heavy bar bell holding
One of the best ways you can pump up your forearms and add some serious size and strength is by simply holding a heavy bar bell. All you have to do is pack some weight on a bar bell and pick it up and hold it in your fingers. Use every ounce of strength you have to hold it for as long as you can.

Once you cannot hold it anymore drop it down, shake out your hands and pick it up and do the same thing. Each time you do it try to reduce the amount of rest time you have inbetween sets.

2. Reverse bar bell curls
This is an exercise that Sly Stallone says he used to build his massive forearms in the hit movie Rocky. I have used it for years now and find it is an excellent way to develop some real size and strength.

The idea behind the reverse bar bell curl is simple. You are basically doing a regular bar bell curl but with a reverse grip so that your hands are on top of the bar and your palms are facing down. This means that your upper forearms have to work extra hard to hold on to the bar during the motion.

To do a reverse bar bell curl:

- load up a medium heavy bar bell
- pick it up with an over hand grip
- hoist the bar up on to your chest like you would a normal curl or a clean and press
- slowly lower the bar down as per the negative motion of a bar bell curl making sure to keep your forearms tight
- once you reach the lowest point without stopping for a rest curl the weight back up.

Sly gave the advice that this movement should be a bit quicker than other bodybuilding movements and that you should keep arms quite loose when you are doing it. Don’t try and keep everything stiff.

3. Reverse wrist curls
This is an old classic exercise but it brings wonderful results. When you start to add some weight to these exercises and give your forearms some extra work to do you will really start to see results.

To do a reverse wrist curl:

- load up a heavy bar bell
- sit on a bench
- lift the bar bell up and place your wrists on your knees so that your hands hang off the edge holding the bar bell
- tense your forearms and curl the weight up in your fingers and then curl your hands up towards your elbows
- tense at this top point
- slowly lower it back down and when there is no room left to lower your hand allow the weight to roll down into your fingers.

The extra movement you can get by allowing the weight to drop down into your fingers really challenges the forearm muscles.

Conclusion
In the fourth and final chapter in this series we will bring all of the muscles together into a workout and look at the other elements that are essential for building huge arms such as diet and rest.

I am a big fan of big, powerful, baseball bat size forearms!

Coming from a martial arts background I have always known the importance of training the forearms. Here are some little tips and exercises I picked up from martial arts training and along the way for building bigger forearms.

Chin up bar hanging

This has got to be one of the best ways to boost your forearm strength quickly. It is so simple and has been used by martial artists for hundreds of years.

All you do is jump up and hold onto a chin up bar, tree branch or beam and stay there for as long as you can. You are allowed to re-adjust your grip, wriggle around, scream, kick, fight - whatever you have to do to hold on. Many people know about this exercise but few of them have the strength to carry it on to full fruition.

However, there is a nice little secret you can use to increase your progress - jumping straight back up! As soon as you can’t hang on any more you should jump right back up there as if the ground is made of hot lava. If you fall down again after only five seconds then jump straight back up. Continue this for as long as you can.

Within a week you will be crushing bricks with your grip (well, maybe not)!

Gripping

One of the best movements for developing strong and larger forearms is to use your fingers in a more energetic way. The fingers have an intimate relationship with the forearms but they rarely get pushed out of their comfort zone.

Get a shoe bag or a large sock and fill it as full as it will go with sand. Simply grip the sock with the tips of your fingers and squeeze as tight as you can. Every time you breathe out you should squeeze harder. This is a great way to improve your grip and is a fantastic training tip for martial artists.

What does everyone else use to develop their grip and forearms?

These exercises will blast your forearms so hard that they will grow beyond belief! A lot of people neglect their forearms but it is important for all bodybuilders and sports people. Check them out!

Forearms Training
Training the forearms is easy. You train then anytime your fingers grip anything. As I have said in previous posts, there are three general forearms motions:

1. Gripping - holding on to a bar or chin up pole;
2. Squeezing - squeezing a gripping machine;
3. Twisting - normal movements like in reverse wrist curls.

A successful forearms workout will use all of these motions in the one workout.

The Top 5 Forearms Exercises
Here are the top 5 forearms exercises for adding mass and strength quickly. You will start to see results within a week or two of training them as they respond very quickly to new stimulus.

1 - Heavy Bar Bell Holding
This is one of my all time favourite ways to blast my forearms. Stack on as much weight as you can handle and simply hold on to the bar bell while you stand still. When you don’t think you can hold it any longer, hold it for a few more seconds. Then drop the bar, shake your hands out for 15 seconds and pick up the bar again and aim to hold it longer then the last time.

Do this for 5 sets and you will find some amazing strength gains happening. This is especially good for martial artists who want to improve their gripping power. You will also notice that bar bell exercises become easier during other workout at the gym due to the added forearm strength and stamina.

2 - Chin Up Bar Holding
Same as before, hold yourself from a chin up bar for as long as you can. Strap a weight to your legs or waist and keep adding it during the workout.

Use this exercise in a pyramid style of training so that you add more and more weight as the sets go on.

3 - Reverse Wrist Curls
This is the all time classic forearms exercise. Here are some tips to make it more effective.

The secret I use is to do as many reps as you can with a medium to heavy weight with your fingers gripped tight around the bar bell. As you get tired, roll the bar down to the tips of your fingers and use your fingers to complete the set. This will give you a deep burn in your forearms. Do 5 sets for this exercise.

4 - Reverse Bar Bell Curls
Many people neglect this exercise because of some fears that it will work out your biceps too. However, it is such a good exercise that it should be used weekly. If you don’t want to work out your biceps twice then perform your forearms training after your biceps! Simple.

Keep your grip loose with this one. Sly Stallone used this to build his forearms when training for Rocky and said that the best results came when he relaxed the upward motion and kept it slow on the downward motion. This will pack on forearm size fast. Do 5 sets.

See Arnold doing some reverse wrist curls in this excellent old school image from www.illpumpyouup.com.

5 - Hammer Twists
This exercise is not so popular as it is a little hard to set up but it really does work wonders. I use this as a warm down after performing the other 4 forearms exercises.

You need an adjustable dumb bell where you can take all the weight off of one side. Put a heavy weight on the other side and sit on a bench. With your arm resting on your knee and your palm facing down gripping the dumb bell, twist the dumb bell over until your palm almost faces the roof. Keep it slow and steady.

Forearms Warm Down
After your forearms workout stretch your muscles as much as you can and shake out your hands and fingers as much as possible. It is very annoying to come into the gym the next day and not be able to pick anything up because they are too sore!

Does anyone have any exercises they really love?