Arm wrestling is one of the more basic feats of strength. The mano y mano, or armo y armo, activity consists of two sitting competitors attempting to "pin" the other's arm. Perhaps more than any other muscle, arm wrestling makes considerable use of the forearm. Thus, performing forearm exercises can drastically improve your chances when it comes to the sport.
Benefits
Aside from pure power, one of the primary benefits of developing strong forearms is leverage. According to Ultimate Arm Wrestling, one of the biggest advantages an arm wrestler can obtain is the ability to curve his wrist. This action, largely based on the strength of your forearms, allows you to exert a greater amount of force on your opponent's arm.
Types
Most of the common forearm exercises involve weighted dumbbell lifts. The lever lift involves a lever with a weight at one end. The device is held down at your side, and then raised either forward or backward by pivoting your wrist. General wrist and forearm curls come in a number of different shapes and sizes, and can all contribute to improved forearm strength and endurance.
Significance
Building strong forearms can be critical in an arm wrestling match, particularly one in which the two competitors are evenly matched from a pure strength standpoint. More developed forearms can give you an advantage in establishing leverage with your wrist. If you're able to utilize and your forearms and curl your wrist effectively over your opponent's wrist, you are in a good spot.
Considerations
While forearms are important in arm wrestling, it's important to build all-around strength, not just in the arms but also in the shoulders and core. If you are training for a serious schedule of arm wrestling, exercise your entire body to avoid injury and be better equipped for strenuous activity.
Expert Insight
Linda Cusmano of ShapeFit says that, on top of the standard weight-lifting exercise, she "would also add some boxing for isometric spurts of repetitive wrist strengthening" when training for arm-wrestling. On "The Art of Manliness," Brett and Kate McKay suggest that you not only do strength exercises, but also invest time in working with an arm wrestling machine to better develop strength and technique.
Member Comments