Performing weightlifting exercises that target your forearms on a regular basis strengthens the involved bones and connective tissues and increases the endurance, power and strength of your forearm muscles. Achieving these benefits can help you perform a number of athletic and occupational tasks and keep the involved tissues generally healthy. Consult a strength-training professional for guidance.
Anatomy
Seven muscles contribute to wrist extension, which occurs when you move your fingers forward while standing with your arms at your sides and your palms facing backward. The extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi radialis longus and extensor carpi ulnaris are the major extensors, with the extensor digitorum, extensor digiti minimi, extensor indicis and extensor pollicis assisting.
The primary wrist flexors are the flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexor digitorum profundus, flexor digitorum superficialis and palmaris longus, which are located on the palm side of your forearm.
Finally, the muscles responsible for rotating your forearm, hand and wrist are the pronator quadratus and pronator teres, which turn your forearm so your thumb faces backward when you're standing with your arms at your sides, and the supinator and biceps brachii, which twist your forearm in the opposite direction.
Wrist-extension Exercise
Both sitting and standing variations of the wrist-extension exercise are effective for strengthening the muscles on top of your forearm. The first version involves holding a barbell or dumbbells and extending your wrists while sitting on a bench or chair with your forearms resting on your thighs and your hands hanging over your knees. The standing version involves the same movement, but instead you are standing and holding the weight or weights in front of your thighs with your palms facing your body.
Wrist-flexion Exercise
The wrist-flexion exercise targets the muscles under your forearm. This is just like the wrist-extension exercise, but you curl your wrists in the opposite direction. Additionally, if desired, you can perform the standing variation with the barbell behind your thighs instead of in front.
Wrist-rotation Exercises
The wrist-rotation, or pronation and supination, exercises require a dumbbell that's weighted on only one end. The pronation exercise involves sitting on a chair with your forearm extended over the back, holding the dumbbell with the weight on the little-finger side of your hand and repeatedly twisting your arm to lift and lower the weight. The supination exercise is exactly the same, but you hold the dumbbell with the weight on the thumb-side of your hand.
Considerations
Perform one variation of each exercise three times per week, allowing at least one day of rest between sessions. Complete three sets of eight to 12 repetitions, increasing the weight if you can easily complete 12 repetitions per set and decreasing the weight if you can't complete eight repetitions. Rest for at least one minute between sets and exercises. Consult your doctor if any exercise causes pain.
References
- "NSCA's Essentials of Personal Training"; Roger Earle and Thomas Baechle; 2004
- "Basic Biomechanics"; Susan J. Hall; 2007
- ExRx.net: Forearms Exercise Menu
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