Arm Wrestling Training For Forearms

 

Arm Wrestlers have freakishly huge arms. I don’t even have anything to compare this statement with because it’s just a fact….like the sky being blue. They have to have tree logs for forearms because the performance in their sport depends on it. In order to create those giant forearms that could create diamonds just by squeezing a piece of coal, they developed some interesting training techniques.

Barbell Finger Curls

Pick up a barbell with a moderately heavy weight and start doing curling the weight just with your fingers-your forearms will burn like hell itself. The exercise is designed to get that finger strength which can carry over in arm wrestling when you grab or “cup” your opponent’s hand.

Hammer Curl Grip Preacher Lowers

This one is a  very specific arm wrestling exercise. It mimics the arm position when pinning down your opponent’s hand. You can go heavy on this one because it’s a static exercise and it forces you to use your whole body. Keep your wrist straight and your entire arm tight. It will work your biceps, shoulders, and forearms. Heads up though, the exercise is very weird looking and there’s a slight chance you might end up on a fitness fails compilation clip on youtube or Instagram.

Barbell Wrist Curls

Sit on a bench with a barbell with somewhat light weight on it. Ok, place your elbows either between your legs or on your knees. Depends on the barbell and your overall comfort in each position. Now start curling the barbell towards your wrist. A bit harder variation of this is the reverse wrist curl where you grip the barbell with an overhand grip and raise your fist towards your wrist. Incorporate both for wrist mobility and strength along with forearms size.

 

Pronation Forearm Flex

I couldn’t find a “cool” sounding name for this exercise, so you’re stuck with this one. Here’s the deal, you can do this with a smaller dumbbell or with a belt and a plate. If you choose to do this with a dumbbell, it would be best to have an adjustable dumbbell where you can load one side and leave the other empty. If you don’t just grab a smaller dumbbell. Sit down with your arm resting on a bench, then grab the dumbbell by one end and turn it over to the other side. Rinse and repeat about ten times per side. The belt variation is super easy, wrap a belt around a heavy plate then grip the rest in your hand and turn your wrists from one side to another. Arm Wrestling titan Devon Larratt uses this technique in his training sessions.

Sand Grabbing

This one is used by Shaolin Monks(yes, I’m being serious) and various strength athletes around the world. Fill a big bucket with as much sand as you have and start grabbing it. The more you dig in, the harder it will be to grab the sand and even when you grab it, it fall out of your hand. This develops grip strength and forearm size.