Forearm Training
I personally have always struggled with developing my
forearms to match my upper arms. I have recently started
to use one of the oldest forearm development tools, called
the wrist roller. This is a simple device that can be made
with things that most people can find around the house, and
yet in my opinion is one of most effective forearm
developers ever devised. As you'll soon see, the reason a
lot of people don't use this exercise is because it is
quite painful to perform as it develops a deep burn in the
forearm muscles very quickly!
This simple device can be made with a broom handle and a 5
foot length of rope.You can see pictures by clicking the
link at the bottom of this article.
You can also go to Home Depot or your nearest home center
and buy and 18 inch long wooden dowel that is between one
and 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Drill a hole through the
center of the dowel about 1/4" in diameter. Now take one
end of a 5 foot piece of rope and feed it through the hole
in the dowel and tie in a nice big knot on the other and so
it can't be pulled back through. The next thing you're
going to do is to tie either a small dumbbell or a 5 - 10
pound barbell plate to the other end of the rope. Adjust
the length of the rope so that when you hold the dowel in
your hands and extend your hands straight out in front of
your body, the dumbbell or barbell plate is just barely
touching the floor.
Now you have made yourself your very own wrist roller
exercise device! To perform the exercise, hold the dowel
straight out in front of you with both hands and start to
roll it either way, moving only at the wrist until the rope
is wrapped completely around the dowel and the weight has
been lifted all the way up until it stops. Now slowly roll
the dowel the opposite way to lower the weight.
It is very important that you keep the weight under
control, and do the movement relatively slowly. Do not move
your arms, only your wrists for maximum effect.
When the weight is lowered all the way down to the bottom,
keep turning the dowel in the same direction, and it will
start to roll back up. Keep rolling it in that direction
until the weight comes up to the top once again. Now
reverse the direction and lower it to the bottom. This
completes one rep.
There are several variations in the way you can perform
this exercise. The method outlined above is my preferred
technique. It can also be performed while resting your
elbows on something to support your arms so that you can
focus more on your forearms and leave your deltoids out of
it. Another method is to stand on a chair or bench, and
instead of extending your arms out in front of you just
allow your arms to hang down in front of you and roll the
weight up and down in that manner. If you follow the
rolling technique I have outlined above, you'll get a
thorough workout of both the back and front of your
forearms. If you do it correctly, you will quickly start to
feel the pump and the burn that is so effective in building
forearm strength using this device.
Unless you already have incredible forearm strength and
endurance, you will notice that it doesn't take much weight
to fry your forearm muscles! I would recommend performing
three or four complete reps of this exercise at least three
times a week at the end of your workouts. Always do this
workout last because you will greatly diminish your ability
to lift weights for any other exercise! Or if you don't
have a workout that day, just do it before you go to bed.
Just make sure you don't do it right before you're going to
need your hands for something like typing!
I also recommend that you do not use this exercise as your
entire forearm workout. I only suggest that this is an
excellent additional movement that will really add mass and
strength to your forearms if that is a problem area for you
or if you really need to increase your forearm strength for
some kind of sports activity.
A good complete forearm workout should include standard
wrist curls and reverse wrist curls for three sets of 12-15
reps for each of the two exercises. Finish the workout with
wrist rollers and you will experience a most incredible
pump that will trigger new muscle growth!
I personally have noticed greater endurance, strength and
size in my forearms in just a few short weeks of performing
this exercise. Try it for a month and see if you experience
similar results. you won't be disappointed!
Please keep in mind that successful bodybuilding training
requires proper nutrition. You must provide your growing
muscles with the proper vitamins, minerals and protein.
Protein is by far the most important nutrient to a
bodybuilder. You must consume 1 to 1.5 grams of high
quality protein per pound of bodyweight every day to make
quality muscle gains. This could mean 200-300 grams per day
for most bodybuilders. This protein should come from
chicken, beef, turkey, eggs, milk, and other animal sources.
----------------------------------------------------
David Monyer has been bodybuilding for more than 20 years
and has written numerous articles on supplements, training
and equipment. Please visit his website for more
information and sources for all your bodybuilding needs.
http://www.rocksolidbodybuilding.com
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