Strengthening outer forearm muscles with five exercises
What's the story
Strong outer forearm muscles are crucial for increasing grip strength, optimizing athletic performance, and preventing injuries.
This article highlights five powerful exercises that specifically target these muscles, offering a simple yet effective strategy for forearm conditioning.
Each exercise requires minimal equipment and can be easily adapted for individuals of all fitness levels.
Wrist extension
Wrist extension with dumbbells
Wrist extensions isolate and strengthen the outer forearm muscles.
Sit holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms down. Rest your forearms on your thighs with your wrists hanging off the edge.
Raise the dumbbells by extending your wrists, then lower them after a brief pause.
Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Reverse curl
Reverse curl technique
The reverse curl is a great exercise because it targets both the biceps and the outer forearm muscles.
Stand with a barbell or a pair of dumbbells in your hands, palms facing down.
Keeping your elbows close to your body, curl the weights up towards your shoulders, then slowly lower them back down.
Three sets of eight to 10 reps will be enough to fire up those muscles!
Static hold
Static holds for grip strength
Static holds are a great way to build grip strength and endurance in the forearms.
You can do this with a barbell, dumbbells, or even a couple of heavy grocery bags.
Just grab the weight with both hands and hold on for dear life until you can't anymore (that's what they call "failure" in weightlifting terms).
Try to hold on longer each time to keep pushing and strengthening your forearms.
Hammer curl
Hammer curls variation
Hammer curls isolate the brachioradialis muscle in your forearms and biceps.
Holding dumbbells at your side with your palms facing each other, curl the weights up towards your shoulders by bending at the elbow.
Then, slowly lower them back down, pausing at the top before releasing.
You should aim for three sets of 10 reps for this exercise.
Farmer's walk
Farmer's walk challenge
The farmer's walk is a highly effective exercise for building grip and forearm strength.
Simply grab heavy weights (such as kettlebells or dumbbells) in each hand.
Stand tall, then walk for either time or distance.
Start with 30 seconds or 20 meters, and progress as you get stronger.
This exercise requires constant static contraction of the forearm muscles, improving both strength and endurance.