Official: Building MASSIVE Forearms

[MonStar1023]

Official: Building MASSIVE Forearms / Increasing Grip Strength

I wanted to know how on these boards has dramatically increased their forearm mass/development? I really wanted to thicken up my forearms as much as possible during the next 3-4 months and I wanted to know the best way to go about doing this?

What I have decided to do was buy a small hand gripper from a local sporting goods store and squeeze that throughout the day. This seems to help my forearms stay rather pumped and really keep my hands working all day long.

I am thinking about going with this type of routine..
1) training my forearms 1-2x per week depending on soreness really flaming them with a bunch of different exercises on a day by themselves or with another weak muscle group like traps and neck that need individual attention
2) working my forearms with a non-weight exercise (hand-gripper) everyday throughout the day to help with blood-flow and/or recovery

Anyone that knows a lot about grip-strength and/or really thickening up forearms please REPLY ASAP!

 

[MonStar1023]

Also I was thinking about including direct grip work like holding 3 10 lbs. plated (smooth side out) for as long as possible to really focus on grip strength along with direct forearm development.

 

[mekannik]

Goto http://www.ironmind.com/ and look up the book MASTERY OF HAND STRENGTH by John Brookfield. Really cool excercises and "how to" make your own at home equipment. I've made some decent strides in strength and size after a month or two using different excercises from his book.

He outlines general programs, lists alot of different excercises (grip, crush, finger, pinch), and alsot groups excercises by sport specific needs.

The book reads on a 6th grade level (which will be a challenge for some on this board- j/k) - but the illustrations and excercises are pretty cool and damn effective.

 

[big calvin]

i like rev. curls and static holds.

 

[MonStar1023]

Yeah I definitely would rank reverse ez-bar curls WAY up there on the list of BEST forearm exericises!


Ill give that book a shot maybe... please post some instructions on how to build homeade forearm exercises!!

 

[MonStar1023]

Re: Official: Building MASSIVE Forearms / Increasing Grip Strength

I am thinking about going with this type of routine..
1) training my forearms 1-2x per week depending on soreness really flaming them with a bunch of different exercises on a day by themselves or with another weak muscle group like traps and neck that need individual attention
2) working my forearms with a non-weight exercise (hand-gripper) everyday throughout the day to help with blood-flow and/or recovery

BUMP... critique!

 

[ballast]

Monstar-your program looks ok.If you really want to blow up your forearms, try so real heavy exercises.Here are a few favorites I have used:
1)One-Arm Hangs from a chin bar, using extra weight if possible.-This is one of the most productive exercises I have used to increase size and strength in the forearms.You are basically supporting your entire bodyweight with one arm.Shoot for 60 sec with each hand starting with the weak side first.
2)Farmers Walks for distance.
3)One-Arm Deadlifts using an olympic bar-low reps
4)Wrist Roller
5)Plate Pinch Gripping
6)Standing Curls with a sandbag gripping the fabric of the bag instead of handles or a strap.
Through experimentation, I've found that the forearms respond best to long times under tension.Also, if you are going to get a hand gripper, go to the Ironmind site and order their Captains of Crush Grippers.Those sporting goods models will have you bored to tears.
A few of my old training partners and I use to train on strongman like routines and included atleast two grip exercises for each workout.Our forearms increased strength dramatically.

 

[Welsh power house]

what is the best forearm developer?????
I am already deading, benching and rowing twice a week, so i only want one exercies to do!

all veiws will be cool!!!!!
cheers!

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast...

Thanks for the great reply bro. Definitely appreciated.. today I am going to do traps, bis, and forearms and Ill be doing one-arm hangs like you said, then a giant set that consists of seated barbell wrist curls, reverse wrist roller, and dumbbell twists, and finishing with pinching plates for time. If I dont feel like this is enough I might add another exercise.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Sounds good.I think you'll like the one-arm hangs.They are a very humbling exercise.I saw a rock climber doing these in the gym once.Can't remember for sure, but I think he was also holding a 50-ib dumbell in has other hand and he hung for atleast a minute.

 

[MonStar1023]

69Muscle

Please post instructions on how to make a forearm gadget!!

 

[MonStar1023]

Thanks bro that seems like it would work pretty well.

 

[MonStar1023]

I just blasted my forearms yesterday and they have never been so beat up ever.. I started of trying to do one-arm hangs and that didnt work because I couldnt hold more than maybe 5 seconds!!


Ridiculous I know. I did two arm hangs though for maybe 60 seconds... I did 5 sets of two arm hangs which really burnt out my forearms really well.. then I moved onto a giant set consisting of seated bb wrist curls, reverse wrist roller, db twsits, and finished with pinching plates. That totally MURDERED my forearms!!

GREAT workout!

 

[ballast]

Monstar-when I first tried one-arm hangs, I couldn't even support my bodyweight.I had to use the two arm version for a few weeks to build up.Like I said, they are a very humbling exercise.Good job just the same.

 

[MonStar1023]

Yeah bro theyre definitely a humble exercise.

One that should be included in everyone's forearm routine in my opinion. Weighing around 240 lbs. makes it very difficult though!!

 

[edgecrusher]

Nothing beats reverse curls w/ an "Appolan's Axle." (IMO)

 

[MonStar1023]

Nothing beats reverse curls w/ an "Appolan's Axle." (IMO)

????

 

[Elite_Fry]

put arm over a bench, wrist over edge, heavy weight, just move the wrist
you can really feel it

 

[MonStar1023]

Nothing beats reverse curls w/ an "Appolan's Axle." (IMO)

What is an Appolan's Axle???

 

[MonStar1023]

BUMP for kracker..

Good luck with making your forearms look like bowling pins bro.

 

[edgecrusher]

What is an Appolan's Axle???

What is an Apollan's Axle you say??? (j/k) An apollan's axle, is a bar that is about 2 inches in diameter. Meaning the middle part of the bar is as thick as the ends.

 

[MonStar1023]

I am curious where could I find something like that?

 

[edgecrusher]

Ironmind.com carries that and an assortment of power products.

 

[MonStar1023]

I hammered my forearms last night and I am going to post what I did because they got a GREAT pump along with a terrific burn..

I started off with 5-6 sets of hangs from a chin-up bar. Just hung my bodyweight (240 lbs.) until my grip just totally gave out. Then I moved onto 2 giant sets of one-db reverse wrist curls, one-db wrist curls, one-db twists, and finished with a towel wrapped around a 40 lbs. db and gripped that for 60 seconds. BURNT OUT one forearm at a time. GREAT pump and burn throughout forearms and fingers... Then I finished with 2 supersets of reverse wrist roller followed by bodyweight hangs.


Quick question for ballast or other forearm experts... is it okay to train forearms every other day? I think that every other day training will work best for me.. what do you think? Is this too much or too little?

 

[ballast]

Monstar-You flatter me.I'm no expert ,but, I think training the forearms 3x week on non-consecutive days is a beneficial training frequency.The forearm muscles seem to recover quite quickly, but it also depends on the intensity of the movements you are doing.It would be hard to recover from bar hangs and farmers walks if they were done 3x per week.Here is a useful and often overlooked training system to be used for muscle groups that are being trained 3 times per week:The heavy-light-medium day system.Bill Starr pulled this one out of the mothballs and brought it to the attention of many who read his articles in Ironman Magazine and some of his other publications.What you do is take the exercises you are doing for this particular muscle group and categorize them according to their intensity levels.As an example using forearms, lets say you choose four exercises to do during the week:bar hangs,thick bar reverse curls,wrist rollers,captains of crush grippers.Obviously, the most demanding exercise out of these four would be bar hangs because of the amount of weight that can be used.You perform these on your heavy day(say monday).The light day(wednesday) follows the heavy day in order to allow for a bit of recovery before hitting them hard again.On the light day you could probably do the wrist roller and the grippers.Both are pretty tame compared to bar hangs.This leaves the thick bar reverse curls(which are fairly demanding) for your medium day on Friday.This is just a suggestion that will potentially allow you to avoid overtraining frequently trained muscle groups.You can get a better grasp of this system by reading Starr's stuff.In short, yes.I think 3x per week is fine in my opinion.BTW Monstar-I just started doing one-arm hangs again.At 183 and holding a 15 ib dumbell in the other hand, I got 36 sec with the right hand and 27 with the left.That was four days ago and my forearms still have that deep ache in them.Thanks for reminding me of good old grip work!

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-

Whatsup bro? Yeah I honestly think that going hard and heavy blasting your forearms the way that I do 3x a week is definitely overtraining... mine look like theyve shrunk!! Its such a shame haha I thought they were growing and today they looked puny as fucking hell.

Anyway I am probably going to go with something like 1 day on, 2 days off for my forearms. Really kill them one day then maybe take 2 days off from them. This might even be too much I dont know yet.

I know that the natural bodybuilder with the biggest pair of forearms I have ever seen belonged to this guy Matt from my gym. His upper arms probably measured around 16" inches and I swear to god his forearms were 15.5" plus and SHREDDED. His method of training forearms were HARD & HEAVY once a week then using non-weight exercises every other day. Obviously worked for him because his were blown up like bowling pins!!


Whatd you think?

 

[ballast]

Monstar- Yeah, 1 on 2 off for forearms sounds better for recovery purposes.Of all my bodyparts, my forearms recover the quickest.I'm going to give 3x per week a try, and if recovery is a problem, I'll give your 1 on 2 off a try.Thanks for the idea.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Yeah Ill prolly end up sticking with an every other, or an every 2 days forearm split. Well see what happens. Anyway I wanted to tell you that I dont do any kinda light workout. My forearm workout lasts around 20-30 minutes and its INTENSE. Hangs, wrist roller, all kinds of shit like that ya know what I am saying bro? Its heavy & intense with a lotta volume.

I dont know I mean I want my forearms to really grow big time so I dont know what else I can do!

 

[ballast]

Monstar-sounds like you are using some good exercises with good intensity.Just experiment around a bit, you'll find what works for you.Like I said before, forearms respond rather quickly.Good luck brother.

 

[MonStar1023]

Yeah I know haha I honestly cant decide what to do.. I know that forearms definitely recover and respond quickly to intense workouts. I guess just because their used so often on a daily basis.

Its really confusing if you ask me I cant decide what to do for them!!


I am thinking about going with the every other day thing like you said you did... I dont know if that will be overtraining or not. Do you think its even possible to seriously overtrain the forearms I mean hitting them hard & heavy every other day might be enough to really make them grow.. same goes for calves, traps, and/or abs.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Yes, I think it is possible to overtrain the forearms, just like any other bodypart.But, I think it takes more work to overtrain them.I don't think training them every other day for 3 days a week is too much, unless you have limited recovery ability, in which case, you're 1 on 2 off would be a good idea.I have trouble finding a good routine as well.The best thing to do is pick a few exercises you like and can progress on and do them.I've alternated my forearm/grip routine somewhat.I do one-arm bar hangs on one day,sandbag curls on the next training day and farmer's walks on the third training day.Those are my core movements.Once I have finished the core movement for that day, I'll experiment with a few other minor grip moves.Experiment being the key word.I might do supersets of towel chins and pinch gripping or reverse curls supersetted with hammer curls with thick dumbells.As long as the core movements are progressing, I can have fun with the other exercises.Kinda just tinkering around to see what works good.I don't want to do too many grip exercises as it will detract from my other weight exercises.Keep at it.I'm sure you'll find a productive routine.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Whatup bro? Yeah defintely I am going to give farmer's walks a try tonight and see what happens.. also I wanted to ask you how your forearms are responding to really hitting them hard and heavy again? Looking like Popeye yet?

Ill be doing farmer's walks, then some wrist curls and some more isolative forearm work rather than direct grip work.


Also where do you find sandbags cheap? And how do you curl them?

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
I fucking murdered my forearms yesterday boy! Damn! I started off with 5 sets of farmer's walks in the backyard for as long as I could go. FLAMED my forearms.. then I moved onto a triset of seated bb wrist curls, reverse wrist roller, db twists, and finished with holding 40 lbs. dbs with the handles covered in Vaseline. Damn was it slippery!! Fucking burned the hell outta my grip bro.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Good workout!For the sandbags-I always go to the local army/navy surplus store.The best type of bag to get are the old canvas seabags that are loaded from the top.You don't want the kind with the zipper across the length.The top loading ones are better suited for sandbag exercises.You can get the sand from anywhere, but try to get the kind you put in a sandbox for a child.Be sure to put the sand inside a HEAVY DUTY trashbag or two.Most seabags will allow you to put atleast three or four 50-ib bags of sand inside it, but for curls, you will probably only need to start out with between 50-75 ibs.So be sure to purchase atleast that much sand.For extra weight, throw a dime or quarter plate on top.
To do the sandbag curls, grab the fabric of the bag, not the straps.Use a hammer grip(palms facing each other).The lower down the bag you grab, the more difficult the curl becomes.Start out by grabbing the bag near the top and to increase the difficulty, work your grip down the bag(optional).
Keep at it.My forearms are already blowing up.I'm doing farmer's walks tonight.Can't wait.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
I have a few questions though bro... the first being that is it okay to train biceps the day after a grueling forearm workout? Like is that okay to do? I am doing my forearms 3x per week now and I am wondering also.. how do I know if I am overtraining them or not?

I really want to make sure I pushing for growth not making them smaller. I definitely gotta giev sandbag curls a try..

I want to make sure that I am not overtraining though..
HELP

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Because the forearm muscles are involved in all biceps exercises, I don't think it would be a good idea to do biceps one day and forearms the next or vice versa.Because the forearms are involved in alot of exercises(deadlifts,chins,rows,curls), you are probably going to have to dump most of your pulling exercises into one day per week i.e. doing back/bis on the same day.This might cause some problems in regards to your training split, depending on how it is layed out and what exercises you use.But, if you want to specialize on your forearms for a while, you will have too make adjustments like these.I don't know what your current routine is, but, to give you an example of a good back/bi routine that involves most pulling exercises:

1)Chins or Rows
2)Deadlifts
3)Curls
4)Forearm exercise

Then on two other non-consecutive days per week, you can do additional grip work.This type of scheduling is the best way I know of to reduce overlapping days that involve the pulling muscles and is just an example.Another thing you may want to try is the heavy-light-medium system I told you about earlier.Just figure out your priorities and schedule your workouts/exercises accordingly.The primary thing you want to avoid while specializing on the forearms is too many consecutive workouts involving pulling exercises.Also,Start out with a low overall volume and GRADUALLY build your way up.Too much volume right away, and you'll probably overtrain.On the overtraining issue, you should be able to tell when you are overtrained.One thing to look for is if you are having trouble using poundages one week that you handled easily the previous week.For forearms, if you have that deep ache in them, they are probably in need of additional recovery.Let me know if you need any other suggestions or ideas.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Yeah I definitely think that I am overtraining my forearms like BIG TIME. Today when doing arms I was trying vigorously to get a pump in my upper forearms (the main muscle used in hammer curls) and it wouldnt pump @ all.

That really got to me because that muscle always explodes into Popeye-sized. I am going to take a few days off from forearms and maybe lifting all together and do some cardio and start back again with a lot less frequency for forearms, traps, etc.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Sounds good.Trying to figure out a productive training frequency and level of volume is always a bitch.It can change from day to day depending on your activity and energy levels.Once you can nail it down however, you should experience rapid gains.Good luck.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Check out this split bro I havnt decided on which one to go with!! I am REALLY seriously trying to find a good split thats definitely NOT overtraining my traps, forearms, calves, or abs... I kinda wanna hit my forearms 2x per week, and maybe traps 2... I dont know calves 1-2 also.

 

[ballast]

Post your entire routine.It's easier to help figure in the auxillairy moves if I can see how you place your exercises in your routine.

 

[MonStar1023]

I dont know I mean I honestly dont have too specific of a routine.. I really like using volume.. I mean for back I might do-
5 sets chins
5 sets bentover rows
5 sets seated cable rows
And my back will be sore for days and days. Seems to work great for me even though I know a lot of people need a lot less volume. For arms yesterday I really blasted my arms from a ton of angles, with a lot of different exercises and rep schemes. Seems to work great for me.


I am just looking for a routine that will NOT overtrain my forearms ya know? Like I am thinking day 1 should be something like back, traps, and forearms, then day 2 chest & delts or something where my grip isnt involved too much. But when I do delts & my traps were worked the day before theyre like dead!

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Here is a good way to group the muscles in order to avoid overtraining the pulling muscles:
Day 1-Back/Traps/Biceps
Day 2-Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Day 3-Quads/Hams/Calves
*Try not to do too much overall volume in each workout.I.E.-If you were to do 15 sets for chest,15 for shoulders and 10 for tris, thats 40 sets that involve your pushing muscles, specifically the tris.Unless you are on the juice, this is way too much total volume, and will lead to overtraining and injury.The key to this type of routine is to have a limited amount of total sets, either by focusing on just one or at most two exercises per muscle group or by only doing 1 or 2 sets for each exercise*
The frequency you choose should depend on your personal recovery ability.If your recovery is slow, try an every other day routine, where a training day is alternated with a rest day.If your recovery is about average, try a Poliquin-style 2on-1off-1on-1off routine.If you are using the needle or have superb recovery, a 3on-1off should be fine.You are the only one who can decide the optimal frequency, everyone's different.
In regards to forearms and using the above routine, you can train forearms on any training day, as long as they arent trained on consecutive days or on the day immediately before or after your pull day.If you use the 1 on 1 off routine, you can work forearms every training day.On the 2-1-1-1 routine, you could do forearms on day 1(back) and day 4(legs).This is just an example.

 

[MonStar1023]

Yeah bro thats looks alright.. thanks!


Hows the foream development looking?

 

[MonStar1023]

I am thinking 5 ON / 2 OFF..

Following this type of split...
day 1- back, traps, bis, forearms
day 2- chest, delts, tris
day 3- quads, hamstrings, calves, abs

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Looks good, brother.Forearms are getting some good definition.

 

[MonStar1023]

I am thinking of doing the following..
Day 1- back, traps, bis, forearms
Day 2- chest, delts, tris
Day 3- calves, abs

I am probably going to be doing something like a 5 on/1 off routine or something very similar to those lines. Ill be hitting each muscle group approximately 2x per week. If I dont feel recovered on the specific day Ill end up taking a day off.

 

[MonStar1023]

Today for forearms I am going 5 sets of farmer's walks and then a 3 trisets I think.. is this too much volume!!

ballast reply ASAP..

 

[ballast]

Depends on how well recovered you are from your last forearm workout and how much total volume(sets/reps/distance) you plan on doing today.How far do you walk for farmer's walks?5 farmers walks and three tri-sets?Sounds like high volume but not excessive.You are focusing on forearms now so I don't think it will be too much.Try it out.If you don't feel recovered at your next forearm workout, you'll know it was too much and you can reduce your workload accordingly.Make sure you are keeping a log so you can track your progress.I keep my log in a big cardboard box and it goes back almost 5 years.It has been invaluable in showing me what worked and what didn't and looking through it, I've noticed that I need less volume now than I did last year at this time.

 

[DaCypher]

I found a pretty good article over at cyberpump.com on increasing grip strength. It talks about many methods of increasing grip strength like wrist curls, etc, as well as some rather unusual stuff like drying a towel with your hands and popping bubble wrap (fun stuff). Anyways, here the address: http://www.cyberpump.com/features/lastrep/lastrep007.html

 

[MonStar1023]

DaCypher-
Thanks bro I am going to print it out right now and read it and see what I think. Thanks for the link though bro.

 

[MonStar1023]

Excellent information on that link DaCypher thanks for the link definitely appreciated.

The only thing that I really didnt agree with was simply the theory of training forearms every single time that you train. Its my belief that training forearms every other, or every 2 days will accomplish the best results.

I am thinking tomorrrow starting off my grip workout with chin-up bar hangs, then finishing with a giant set of something involving wrist curls, reverse cable wrist curls, and maybe pinching plates and a few others well see what happens.

 

[DaCypher]

I guess everyone is a bit different so the high frequency of forearms may not work for everyone. Maybe you might want to try only doing one or two high intensity sets of forearms each workout and change which exercise you do each time to shock the forearms a bit. Good luck...

 

[MonStar1023]

Yeah bro I seriosuly want to thicken up and develop my forearms big time.. I am really doing whatever it takes. As of now I am doing forearms approximately 2x a week and really hitting them hard with 3-4 sets of one prime mass-building exercise.. for example farmer's walks, or hangs from the chin-bar. Then I am doing 2-3 giant sets consisting of wrist curls and reverse wrist curls and things of that nature.

 

[DaCypher]

Sounds pretty intense. Lately I've been doing hanging chins with a towel wrapped several times around the bar (thicker grips are a lot tougher). I also do some db finger rolls where you stand with the dbs next to you and let them roll to the ends of your fingers (without letting them drop of course) and pull them back up to your palms. I also work in some of the more traditional stuff like wrist curls and reverse bicep curls. I try to vary up the routine each workout so I only repeat maybe one of the exercises I did from the last workout.

I think the best thing for improving grip strength are static holds (that will help in heavy lifts and pulls). The best thing for increasing forearm muscle developement is doing stuff with the most ROM. So I try to do some of both.

Anyways, keep me posting on your results.

 

[MonStar1023]

Yeah alright bro I am training foreamrs tomorrow so well see what happens..

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Have you ever heard of an exercise called plate curls? I just read about it being a great exercise for the forearms. You pinch 2 (or 3) 10 lbs. plates together and keeping your wrists locked you hammer curl the weights up. Supposedly a good all around forearm mass-builder. I am going to include those and db finger flexions..

Finger flexions are simply lowering the db into your finger tips as far as possible then squeezing the weight up into the palm of your hand and squeezing as hard as possible.

 

[T-Max]

If you read last months Flex Magazine (Novemeber with Dorian Yates and Ronnie Coleman on the front, lingerie issue), Tom Prince wrote a good article about Forearms. I pretty much do the same workout.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Yes .I've heard of plate curls.There are a couple of variations though.The ones I did were pinch gripping 3 10-ib plates and doing regular curls with the wrists cocked back.Just before you finish the curl portion, you flex your wrist from a cocked back position to a palm forward position(like a regular wrist curl is done).These work the fingers,wrists,forearms and biceps.A friend of mine who is heavy into judo and jujitsu swears by these and does this variation every other day.They are a little awkward at first though.
That dumbell finger flexion exercise sounds interesting.Never done those so I'll have to give them a try.Usually for finger flexion I'll use my captains of crush grippers.Also, I've started doing farmers walks with thick handled(2 in) dumbells.Talk about a forearm pump!Keep me posted on your progress.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
So wait a minute for your plate curls that you are talking about your saying to start off with a regular curl position and flex your wrist back like in a reverse wrist curl postion and then switch over to a wrist curl position when you finish? I am thinking about doing them maybe like zottman curls or whatever.. or even like hammer curls. Starting by pinching 2 or 3 tens and then just hammer curling it up with your wrist cocked back and then lowering it down with your wrist flexed in a wrist curl position.. does that sound okay?

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
I might just include the first exercise that I am doing in the giant set that I am doing for forearms... 3 giant sets of farmer's walks, seated bb wrist curls, reverse ez-bar wrist curls, plate curls, db towel holds, db finger flexion, and finish with hanging from a chin-bar.

This seems like it would be more intense..

 

[k1401]

Bro's
just read the entire thread, a lot of GREAT info
monstar have you had any forearm growth? seems as if you're changing your workouts without giving them a chance to work
just an observation
can you post any size progress you've had?

 

[MonStar1023]

I have had some more definintion in my forearms ESPECIALLY in the outer forearms that I usually hit hard with reverse bb wrist curls... well see what happens though I really am hoping for some growth and development!!



ballast-
I might just include the first exercise that I am doing in the giant set that I am doing for forearms... 3 giant sets of farmer's walks, seated bb wrist curls, reverse ez-bar wrist curls, plate curls, db towel holds, db finger flexion, and finish with hanging from a chin-bar.

So wait a minute for your plate curls that you are talking about your saying to start off with a regular curl position and flex your wrist back like in a reverse wrist curl postion and then switch over to a wrist curl position when you finish? I am thinking about doing them maybe like zottman curls or whatever.. or even like hammer curls. Starting by pinching 2 or 3 tens and then just hammer curling it up with your wrist cocked back and then lowering it down with your wrist flexed in a wrist curl position.. does that sound okay?

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Your description for plate curls would work.Like I said, there are several variations.It's basically an all in one exercise for the grip(which not only includes the biceps and forearms, but the wrists and fingers as well).In regards to your routine, it's good to have a wide variety of exercises,just be sure to focus on one or two core exercises and concentrate on increasing your reps or poundage.The additional exercises you can use for variation or experimentation.
Heres another website you might find useful:
http://www.grippage.com/
Check out the discussion board and the training section.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Thanks for the GREAT link bro haha I have never seen so many people so interested in their grip strength and forearm development!! Thats fucking nuts dude!

 

[ballast]

Keep in mind, most of those people are fanatics about grip training because they have to be.Grapplers,martial artists,rock climbers,etc.These people depend on their grip strength, and therefore they have many innovative and productive training methods.I like grip training because it builds functional strength.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Yeah also the ratio of grip strength in relation to forearm development/mass isnt too great I dont think. I read numerous messages on that board that says theyve dramatically increased their grip strength but not really increased their forearm development/mass...

Kinda dissapointing I think.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Don't be too disappointed.It all depends on how you go about it.People like grapplers/wrestlers need to maintain weight in order to stay in their weight division, and most rock climbers tend to focus on strength rather than weight gain so muscular development isn't a real priority for them.However, if you look at guys who train and compete in strongman events, they all sport huge forearms and grip work is definetly a priority with them.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Thats very true bro I was watching a World's Strongest Man contest and DAMN they had some big ass forearms. Looked like bowling pins rather then lower arms.

Anyway I just FLAMED my forearms and grip competely yesterday.. I did back, traps, and bis without wraps which pretty much preexausted my grip with the heavy partial deads etc. Anyway I started off my forearm routine with one-arm hangs from the chin-bar and only lasted around 12 seconds with each arm for 3 sets. My hands were KILLLING along with my forearms and fingers. Then I went through 3 giant sets which pumped my forearms up completely. The first being seated bb wrist curls, reverse ez-bar wrist curls, plate curls, db finger flexions, and finished with db towel holds.. DAMN! Great workout.

But yeah well see what happens with the one-arm hangs I am trying hard to get my strength up on them. I had a few guys in my gym give them a shot and they lasted around 1-2 seconds so that made me feel better.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Good job on the one-arm hangs.They are definetly a humbling exercise.Keep at them.My forearms and grip are steadily improving.

 

[MonStar1023]

Yeah I am hoping that one-arm hangs are as good as you and other members make them out to be... I am really trying to increase my forearm strength along with my grip strength.. I just hope that I am not doing all this for nothing ya know?

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Like my pop use to say;you get out of it what you put into it.I just got done doing some thick bar chins(actually,it is just 2 2x4's laid across the top of my rack), and these blew my forearms up!These were so tough, I could only get 8 reps with bodyweight .After my last rep, I hung there for almost 30 sec.My forearms are still pumped up!

"My father was a gambler,a drunk and a womanizer.I worshipped him!"

 

[BodybuildingUniverse]

You might also want to try the IVANKO Super Gripper at www.monstermuscle.com

It has 2 adjustable springs, I can only close it at the halfway mark, very cool.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Yeah thats the truth? I coulda guessed that considering you were doing them with 2x4's damn boy! Anyway.. my forearms are aching pretty badly and theyre really looking thick and ripped today. I have been tanning lately and Ill tell you that has had a TREMENDOUS effect on the appearance of them honest to God. I am curious do you shave your forearms by any chance? Last year I did and my girlfriend really liked it. Shaved forearms definitely make them look a LOT more ripped and veiny.

 

[MonStar1023]

BUMP for ballast.. the expert on lower arms.

 

[KConan]

Disconnect the power steering on your car. Not really an excercise, but it'll work 'em good.

 

[The mann]

KConan.......good one....

 

[DaCypher]

Disconnect the power steering on your car. Not really an excercise, but it'll work 'em good.

Not a bad idea, it'll also free up some horsepower so your car will go a little faster too, cool.

 

[KConan]

Or you could try wearing a weighted glove while beating off. Slightly unconventional, but it might work.

 

[MonStar1023]

BUMP for ballast..

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Sorry it took so long to reply.Lost power for 4 days due to bad storms that came tear assing through here.No need to shave my forearms, as I have fairly hairless arms.Chinning off 2x4's and farmers walking thick handled dumbells have been working great.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Whatsup bro? Yeah I really don’t have too hairy forearms either I was just curious because I know that that can really improve them visually. I am up to around 15 second one-arm hangs at the end of a grueling back, trap, and bicep workout. They are really a GREAT exercise. I had a guy at my gym who was fairly small do them for around 20 seconds and he was practically crying afterwards. How is your forearm development coming along.

PLEASE do me a favor and check out my training journal in the Journal’s section of Elite.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-Sorry, but I don't have access to the training journals.From the routine you posted, looks like a productive schedule.Keep at it.Here is a new exercise for you-two arm hangs from a thick bar.I just cut a length of 2 1/2 inch pipe and slid it over my chin bar.This exercise is a bastard.I'm trying to use one hand at a time, but I can't even hang for a second yet.Chins from 2 2x4's are killing my grip as well.Almost time to add weight.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Yeah Ill have to try that soon.. thick bar I have never done before but it sounds like it would be TOUGH as shit.. well see..


My upper forearms are REAL sore from reverse curls yesterday..

 

[MonStar1023]

I just recently did standing bb reverse curls with a VERY slow negative.. and my forearms have been ACHING for days.. those along with incline alt. zottman curls and plate curls have MURDERED my forearms...

 

[MonStar1023]

I have lowered my volume on all of my bodyparts and I am going to lower my volume on forearms as well.. however I cant decide what I should do for them..

I might just do 2 sets of one-arm chin-bar hangs.. at the end of my back, trap, and bi routine.. then maybe 2 sets of wrist roller ext. I might alternate every other week between them and farmer's walks.. is that a enough or no??


I usually do 3 sets of one-arm hangs then 2 giant sets of 3-4 direct forearms exercises. But I am thinking this is definitely too much for a natural..

HELP!

 

[ballast]

Bar hangs and wrist roller sound good.If you can, use or fashion a thick handle for the wrist roller.Michigan winter is approaching so I've had to abondon my outdoor farmers walks.All I do now is one- and two-arm thick bar hangs and chin ups from 2 2x4's.Been working great.

 

[DaCypher]

I've had some success with training forearms twice a week. When I do bis I'll finish up with some heavy reverse ez bar curls and when I do back I'll do a slow set of wide grip chins and when I reach failure I'll just hang for a while to continue to work my grip. In addition I'll do some wrist curls or finger flexions depending on what mood I'm in.

 

[MonStar1023]

bump..

Has anyone made any type of gains in development and/or stregth in the forearms/grip..

ballast-
How are your forearms coming along.. mine havnt really changed much.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-I've temporarily dropped all forearm work and replaced it with more bicep work as my biceps are looking quite underdeveloped because of the increase in forearm size.I'm still doing a bit of grip work twice per week using the Captains of Crush Grippers from Ironmind and some pinch-grip deadlifts.I've always had problems getting my bi's to grow and I hate doing curls, so I hope they improve soon.Keep at it.Maybe you're overtraining your forearms?

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Actually I am definitely not overtraining them at all.. I havnt been training them. Well to be honest the past month or 2 has consisted of binge days and lack of training. I dont know what my problem is.. Im the fattest now that I have ever been before, and I just dont have the4 discipline or the desire lately..

I am going to try and get back into the swing of things.. bro you keep talking about some Captain Crusher gripper from Ironmind.. can you tell me a little bit about this? Is it a worthy product to consider buying to increase my forearm development?

Help me out bro with some info.

 

[ballast]

Monstar-The gripper I'm talking about is a high-quality type and Ironmind makes several models from the trainer version on up to the #4 gripper(which very few people have ever closed).The model I use, the #2, takes 195 ibs of pressure to close and is extremely difficult for me to do reps.I'd definetly recommend you get one if you are serious about grip work.They only cost 19 dollars US + s&h.Look here:
http://www.ironmind.com/
Search their store for Captains of Crush Gripper.Also, take a look at John Brookfield's grip tips.You might find it interesting.Sorry to hear you're training isn't going well, but thats to be expected this time of year with the holidays.If you lack the desire or time to train, maybe you could do an abbreviated routine for now.I've been following one for the past month or so, and will continue to do so until the holidays are over with.I've been making good gains in size and strength on a basic limited lifting schedule.I don't know about you, but I get alot of motivation from just reading and responding to a few different message boards.That and looking at my skinny little self in the mirror.Stay positive brother.

 

[MonStar1023]

Maybe you look at your skinny self in the mirror bro but damn I look at my blob self in the mirror... haha. I dont know how strong my grip is bro if you are using a #2 which one would you recommend for me.. I will probably get 2 so many a #1 and a #2.. or what? Help me out and thanks for the link.

Would you recommend me getting 2 grippers or 1? Does it really help your forearm development or what?

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
I just checked out that link and they have a LIST of people who have sucessfully closed the #3 and #4 grippers!?? How hard are these things to close? How can you even get a workout if you cant close it..

Maybe Ill go with a #1.. haha.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Crushing - Captains of Crush® Grippers, Hardy Handshake

Pinching - Titan’s Telegraph Key, Hub-Style Pinch Gripper, Pinch Grip Block

Supporting - Rolling Thunder, Eagle Loops, Finger Ring, Husky Handle Dumbbell Bars, Apollon’s Axle

Active Rest/Recovery - Snowball

Wrist/Forearm - One Wicked Wrist Roller, Heavy Hammer II Leverage Bar, Husky Handle Dumbbell Bars, Apollons Axle

These are the products reccomended for different aspects of your grip strength I guess.. I am wondering would the Captains of Crush be my best bet for increasing my forearm development and my grip strength? There are so many products and I want the best bang for my buck..

Also does Ironmind.com sell that book Mastery of Grip Strength or whatever? How much is it?

 

[ballast]

Monstar-The grippers are good for the grip, but they won't do too much for your forearms and they are a bitch to work with.If you get two grippers, I'd go with the trainer and the #1.Once you can close the #1 for 10 consecutive reps, or you can hold it closed for 30 seconds, it's time for the #2.I think they are a good investment.For forearms, if you want to order a product from Ironmind, try the wrist roller or a thick bar.You can also make your own thick bar.Go to an automotive parts store and buy some of that rubber hose they sell.I think it's about 2 inches in diameter.Cut a piece that is the length of an olympic bar or the length of a dumbell handle.Then cut it open lengthwise.Now you've got portable thick grips.You just wrap the section of hose around a bar(that's why you slit it open lengthwise, so a bar can be fitted inside), grip it with the slitted section lying in your palms so the bar can't roll out, and do your curls or deadlifts or whatever.I don't know about the price of the book you're talking about, but a friend of mine purchased it a while ago and said he loved it.I went back to Phoenix recently for a visit and a workout and the bastard almost broke my hand when he shook it.I don't know if he got all his grip info from that book, but he has a hell of alot of knowledge on the subject.you might want to check it out.Let me know if you do.

 

[DaCypher]

Anyone ever use this gripper? It seems pretty adjustable so you won't need to buy a new one if you outgrow the easier one.

MonStar,
If you are feeling a lack of desire you might try to take a week off. I took last week off because of Thanksgiving and everything. All throughout the week I couldn't wait until today to get back to the gym. This morning I had the most unbelievable workout ever. I increased the poundages of several of my lifts as well. Very intense, I'm sore already...

Good luck bro...

 

[MonStar1023]

Yeah I have seen that Ivanko gripper before I cant decide what the hell I want to do yet...

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
I am curious what you think of my order... I am wondering though do I need the One Wicked Wrist Roller... it uses a thicker bar I think but I have a wrist roller at home bro. I dont think that one would be a benefit since I already have one.

I am thinking of maybe buying...
#1) Mastery of Hand Strength
#2) Captains of Crush #1
#3) Captains of Crush #2


Would this be a good investment for really thickening up my forearms/grip?

 

[ballast]

Monstar-I've never read Mastery of Hand Strength, so I don't know how valuable the information it contains is.If the author is as knowledgeable as some people say, I'm sure you could gain some useful training tips.The two grippers will be good for improving your grip, but won't develop your forearms as much as thick bar or wrist roller work will.Like I said earlier, you can make your own thick grips if you'd like to implement that kind of thing into your training.Start out with the grippers for a month and see how much your forearms are affected.If they don't improve, you can move on to something else, but I'm positive your grip strength will improve if you use them correctly.If you do get the book, I'd be very interested to hear a few of the exercises he recommends.

 

[MonStar1023]

ballast-
Yeah well definitely see what happens.. how does a #1 gripper compare to a cheap gripper for $5 that you can buy at a local sporting goods store out of curiousity....


Just curious and yeah Ill definitely keep you posted on what that book is all about.