by When we think of training, it is mainly the stomach, arms and thighs that we target. The forearm, which is the part of the arm that starts from the elbow and continues to the wrist, should not be ignored. This is because when you do exercises to strengthen your forearms, you are essentially improving your grip strength, which is very important. Researchers measured grip strength in nearly 140,000 people in 17 countries as part of the Prospective Urban-Rural Epidemiological Study published in 2015. During the study, for which researchers tracked participants’ health For about four years, a device called a dynamometer was used to assess their grip strength. It was found that every five kg decrease in grip strength during the study was linked to a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease. So it’s time to do forearm exercises to improve grip.
A well-developed forearm is a clear indication that the person is engaged in physical activities, especially resistance training. This is due to its basic function which is gripping, notes certified trainer Rachit Dua.
Exercises to strengthen the forearms
Stronger grip means you can lift, hold or move objects easily. So, make these exercises part of your workout routine.
1. Wrist curls
• Grab some dumbbells or a weighted barbell and kneel behind a bench.
• Lean forward and rest your forearms on the bench, with your wrists in a neutral position that is neither raised nor lowered.
• Curl your wrists upward, but do so slowly to engage your forearms and prevent the weights from straining your wrists.
• Extend your wrists down, then return them to a neutral position.
2. Reverse Dumbbell Curl
• Stand with your back straight and your head held high.
• Hold the bar with your hands while keeping your palms down.
• Start with the bar at arm’s length against your upper thighs and curl the bar toward your shoulders.
• Keep your upper elbows close to the side, then lower the bar to the starting position.
3. Hammer Dumbbell Curls
In barbell hammer curls, which work our brachioradialis which is one of the main muscles of the forearm, simply hold the dumbbells in a neutral position like a hammer and perform the curls, explains the expert.
4. Farmer’s walk
In farmers walk, just hold the dumbbells or plates and walk. This exercise imitates the movement of carrying a suitcase that we often do when traveling. If you have lower back problems, avoid lifting weights off the floor. You can place them on a bench or choose them from the stand itself.
5. Hanging Death
Dead Hang simply means you have to hold on to a pull-up bar for as long as you can or you will fail. Failure here means you start to lose grip after a while while hanging from the bar.
6. Crab walk
• Start in an inverted position on the table with your feet placed under your knees.
• Keep your hands under your shoulders. Your fingers should be facing your feet.
• Move forward by moving your hands and feet forward.
7. Tap the shoulder of the plank
• Get into a plank position with your shoulders over your wrists and spread your fingers wide.
• Put your weight on your left hand as you lift your right hand, then tap your left shoulder.
• Place your right hand down and lift your left hand to tap your right shoulder.
