Dominate arm wrestlers have strong wrists, fingers and forearms. While strength is a big part of the sport, leverage is also key to winning matches. In order to have enough strength and leverage, you need to regularly work out your arms and hands. However, typical arm exercises are not necessarily the best workouts for this sport.
Lever Lifts
Lever lifts are an effective method of strengthening your wrist and forearm. For this exercise, use something with a weight on one end. A sledge hammer could be used or you could use a hammer bar, which is designed for this exercise. It has a 2-1/2 inch thick grip with a changeable weight on the end. While standing with your arm down by your side, grab the handle with your palm pointing inward. Slowly lift the weight upward in front of you using only your wrist. Do not bend your elbow or move your shoulder. You can also reverse the exercise by lifting the weight in the same way, except behind you.
Wrist Curls
Wrist curls strengthen your forearms. You can use a regular barbell with weights for this exercise or use something called a Hercules Bar. It has padding that goes across the back of your hands and helps keep the bar in your hands without slipping out. While in the seated position, rest your forearms on your thighs while you hold the bar in both hands. Your palms should be facing down. Once you have a firm grip, slowly lift the weight upward, using only your wrists. If using a barbell, you will only be able to lift halfway up. With the Hercules Bar, you should be able to flex your wrists higher, giving your forearms a full workout.
Lying Lever Lifts
Lying lever lifts require you to lie supine on the floor. You can use a baseball bat or your Hammer Bar for this workout. With your arms by your side, grab the item by the handle and rest the back of your hand and the item on the floor. Then slowly lift the item up, using only our wrist. Keep your arm as flat on the ground as possible as your turn your wrist and continue to lift the object up and over to your opposite side. Then slowly return it to the starting position. Repeat the exercise several times.
Gripping Exercises
In order to strengthen your hands and fingers, you need to do some regular gripping exercises. The best way to do this is with grippers, which are two connected handles that provide resistance when squeezed in your hand. Typical grippers will give you between 10 and 50 lbs. of resistance. Once you have mastered that, you might want to switch to a heavier grip that can give as much as 300 lbs. of resistance. Hold your grippers in your hand and squeeze the handles together tightly. Repeat the exercise several times. Then rest and repeat again.
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