Forearm Training, Wrist Curls and Other Tricks

This is as good a time as any to talk about forearm training and silly training tricks. Help us get a grip on ourselves. There are those rare days when you absolutely don't want to be in the gym. You've been there. A common experience we all share. Excuses abound; it's crowded, it's Wednesday, it's empty, it's Tuesday, it's hot, it's cold, I forgot my rubber duckie. Unless you're overtrained (unlikely), you're being just plain lazy, downhearted and undisciplined. An ugly combination and missing a workout will not help. I'm telling 'ya I'm lookin' out for 'ya, kid. Next it'll be pizza and beerskees.

My strategy to overcome this cowardly enemy is to sneak up on him and play dead. Nonchalantly as if I don't really care, I apply myself to my favorite exercise, keeping in mind I can leave whenever I choose. No big deal. Just a few wrist curls to get a quick pump, a little blood goin' and I'm outta here. Better than nothin', right? Little do I know that this is just a trick, a clever distraction from the truth I have conjured up. This is really going to be a mean, nasty, very cool workout to surpass all workouts of the most recently inspired past. Stand back, guns. No pressure of a predetermined workout, no heavy poundages to disappoint my expectations, no repetition and no limitations. Just invention, improvising and honesty. Freedom. For a moment I feel like Van Gough or Mozart. I could paint a fence or move a piano. I could paint a piano.

I begin with wrist curls, choosing an Olympic bar for balance and smooth plate rotation. I straddle a bench, grasp the bar with a complete finger and thumb undergrip and rest the forearms on my thighs for cushion and stability. The bar in hand extends just over the knees and is slowly lowered to a full and safe range and curled back up to a tight contracted position. This is done with concentrated might, not sloppy contortions that indicate cheating and wrist damage. After 12-15 reps I release the thumb and allow the bar to roll down the length of the fingers and up again for a pumping and burning 4-6 reps, engaging complete hand, wrist and forearm mechanics. I'm cryin'.

With the inertia overcome and momentum building, I move directly to the Thumbs-up curl. Starting out with dumbbells hanging at my side, palms inward, feet close together, knees slightly bent, back and shoulders erect, I draw the dumbbells up as if the flat of the plates were to whack me in the cheekbones. I reverse and slowly lower the DBs to the starting position - full extension, lats flexed, chest out and repeat. Another rep, focusing on the outer forearm, lower bicep. Tug up and slowly lower, the negative rep being the critical action. Fight the dumbbell going down locating and determining the resistance. Full extension, deep breath and repeat. Heading for 8 or 10 reps, you fight fatigue with an appropriate body thrust to bring the dumbbells to position and again lower with accent on the negative.

This exercise gets to be quite an upper body workout if you should ascend the dumbbell rack. The exaggerated reps on heavy days resemble almighty dumbbell cleans. Not a bad transaction. This engages back, erectors, deltoids, pecs, traps, heart and lungs. Serious movement.

Wild, yet still in control I proceed to the Universal for pulley pushdowns. Use your favorite handle. I've been using a rope since Muscle Beach, allowing me a variety of body positions to pinpoint different parts of the triceps and engage accommodating muscle groups. I position myself a foot or so beyond the overhead pulley, crouch slightly, and as if my elbows were pinned to my ribcage, I extend the gripped rope fully, recruiting the triceps. Leaning forward, minor thrusting, focusing on the eccentric and finesse all assist me in fully involving the upper torso.

Three to four circuits of this compound set will give you an entire upper body pump with the major focus on biceps, triceps, forearm and grip. At this point you could leave the gym fully satisfied that you almost worked out.

Or you could go on and complete your arm training with a mighty slug-fest.

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This bit's about grip work

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