Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Results
      • Mr. Olympia 2022
      • 2022 WSM
      • Arnold Classic
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Food Facts
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
    • Deals
  • Reviews
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • Workouts
    • Training
    • Exercise Guides
    • Workout Plans
    • Celebrity Workouts
    • Training Programs
  • Nutrition
    • Supplements
    • Diet
    • Diet Plans
    • Nutrition Tips
  • More
    • CrossFit
    • News
      • Results
      • Mr. Olympia 2022
      • 2022 WSM
      • Arnold Classic
    • Fitness Calculator
    • Food Facts
    • Profiles
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • MMA
    • Deals
  • Reviews
No Result
View All Result
Fitness Volt
No Result
View All Result
Training
Fact Checked
Fact Checked
This article was written by one of our qualified writers, and fact-checked by our experts. The numbers in parentheses (e.g. 1, 2, 3, etc.) throughout the article, are reference links to peer-reviewed studies.
Our team of experts include a board-certified physician, nutritionists, dietitians, certified personal trainers, strength training experts, and exercise specialists.
Read Our Editorial Process

Skinny Forearms? Build Your Lower Arms with These 13 Exercises and Workout!

Beef up your lower arms and build a vice-like grip with the best forearm exercises and workout.

Patrick Dale, PT, ex-Marine

Written by Patrick Dale, PT, ex-Marine

Last Updated onJune 1, 2022

Skinny Forearms Solution

Skinny Forearms Solution

While your biceps and triceps make up the bulk of your arm mass, your forearms are probably the most visible arm muscle group. After all, whether you’re wearing a T-shirt or have your sleeves rolled up, your forearms are on show.

So, why is it that so many lifters pay so little attention to their lower arm development? It’s no wonder that skinny forearms are such a common sight.

As well as being an aesthetic issue, skinny forearms often lead to a weak grip, and a weak grip can affect many aspects of your workout. For example, if you want to deadlift big or do heavy rows, your grip is critical.

Yes, you COULD wear lifting straps to bolster your grip, but that’s a way around the problem rather than a fix. Once the straps come off, your grip will still be weak, and your forearms will still be skinny.

In this article, we reveal 13 of the best forearm and grip exercises and provide you with a workout that’ll turn your skinny forearms into massive, strong bowling pins!

Table of Contents
  • Forearm Muscles Anatomy
  • Best Exercises for Curing Skinny Forearms and Building a Stronger Grip
    • 1. Barbell wrist curls
    • 2. Behind the back wrist curls
    • 3. Reverse wrist curls
    • 4. Barbell reverse curls
    • 5. Hammer curls
    • 6. Farmer’s walk
    • 7. Plate pinch
    • 8. Towel pull-ups
    • 9. Deadlift holds
    • 10. Dead hangs
    • 11. Wrist roller
    • 12. Tennis ball squeeze
    • 13. Rubber band finger extensions
  • Workout for Bigger Forearms and A Stronger Grip
    • Workout for Bigger Forearms and A Stronger Grip
    • More on Forearms:
  • Wrapping Up
  • References:

Forearm Muscles Anatomy

Unlike your upper arms, which are mainly made up of your biceps and triceps, your forearms are much more complex. That’s because they control all of your fingers as well as your wrists. Some forearm muscles cross your elbows, too.

Broadly speaking, the muscles of the forearms can be categorized as flexors or extensors. The flexors are responsible for closing your fingers into a fist and curling your wrist downward. In contrast, the extensors open your fingers and pull your wrist upward.

The muscles that make up the forearm are (1):

Posterior Forearm

Flexors: Flexor carpi ulnaris, palmaris longus, flexor carpi radialis, pronator teres, flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus, flexor pollicis longus, and pronator quadratus.

Extensors: Brachioradialis, extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor digitorum, extensor digiti minimi, extensor carpi ulnaris, anconeus, supinator, abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, extensor pollicis longus, and extensor indicis.

Do you need to know all these names? Definitely not! But it does illustrate that the forearms are a complicated body part, and you can’t just hope that they’ll get bigger and stronger.

Instead, you need to choose the best forearm exercises and train them hard and often – just like any other muscle group.

Best Exercises for Curing Skinny Forearms and Building a Stronger Grip

Beef up your lower arms and turn your hands into powerful talons with the 13 best forearm and grip exercises!

1. Barbell wrist curls

This classic, old-school exercise is an excellent way to build up your forearm flexors and strengthen your wrists. With no special equipment required, you can easily add this exercise to your biceps workout to finish off your arm training.

How to do it:

  1. Grab a barbell with an underhand, narrow grip. Sit on an exercise bench and lean forward. Rest your forearms and the back of your wrists on the bench so your palms are facing upward.
  2. Keep your forearms flat on the bench, extend your wrists, and lower the weight toward the floor. Open your fingers and let the bar roll down as far as possible without dropping it.
  3. Close your fingers, and then curl your wrists to lift the weight back up.
  4. You can also do this exercise with dumbbells.

 

Important note: Rolling the weight down to your fingertips may cause elbow pain, especially if you do this exercise too often or with too much weight. If you experience any elbow pain, stop short of extending your fingers and just focus on the wrist part of the movement. You’ll still get a great forearm workout but without the discomfort. 

 

2. Behind the back wrist curls

No bench? No problem! You can still train your forearms even if you only have a barbell to train with. This exercise can also be done in a Smith machine. However, because of the behind-the-back position, some lifters find this exercise a little hard on the shoulders, so skip it if you have a history of shoulder pain.

How to do it:

  1. Hold a barbell behind you using a shoulder-width grip and your palms facing backward.
  2. Flex your wrists and curl the bar up and away from your legs/butt.
  3. Lower the bar and repeat.

 

3. Reverse wrist curls

Where regular wrist curls work your forearm flexors, this exercise works the extensors. Training these muscles will not just add size to your forearms; it will also help keep your forearms muscles balanced, which may help reduce your risk of injury.

How to do it:

  1. Grab a barbell with a narrow, overhand grip. Sit on an exercise bench and lean forward. Place the underside of your forearms on your thighs so your palms are facing the floor.
  2. With your forearms on your legs, flex your wrists, and lower the weight down toward the floor.
  3. Extend your wrists and lift the weight back up. Bend your wrists as far back as you can.
  4. Alternatively, you can sit on or kneel behind a bench and place your forearms on the backrest.
  5. You can also do this exercise with dumbbells.

 

4. Barbell reverse curls

Barbell reverse curls are often thought of as a biceps exercise. While this is true, barbell reverse curls are also an effective forearm extensor exercise. Studies have shown that reverse curls target the brachialis and brachioradialis while providing plenty of work for your biceps (2).

How to do barbell reverse curls:

  1. Grip and hold a barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Place your thumb on top of the bar to maximize forearm activation.
  2. With your elbows tucked in close to your sides, bend your arms and curl the bar up to your shoulders.
  3. Lower the weight and repeat.
  4. You can also do this exercise with a cable machine or a thick barbell, which is much more challenging.

 

5. Hammer curls

Like reverse curls, hammer curls are often thought of as a biceps exercise, but they’re also good for your forearms.

Hammer curls target the brachioradialis, which is the largest of the forearm muscles, and the brachialis, which is a forearm muscle that also flexes the elbow. It was a favorite of old-school bodybuilding legend Larry Scott, who had some of the best biceps and forearms in the history of the sport. 

How to do it:

  1. Seated or standing, hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms by your sides. Make sure your hands are in a neutral position.
  2. With your upper arms close to your sides, bend your arms and curl the weights up to your shoulders.
  3. Slowly lower your weights and repeat.
  4. You can also do this exercise using a cable machine, i.e., hammer cable curls.

 

6. Farmer’s walk

The farmer’s walk is a popular conditioning exercise that also happens to be a great way to build bigger forearms and a vice-like grip. It’s a very straightforward exercise that requires nothing but a heavy pair of dumbbells and some space to walk.

Farmer's Walk Exercise
Farmer’s Walk Exercise

How to do it:

  1. Lift and hold a heavy dumbbell in each hand. With your arms by your sides, pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
  2. Walk around your training area for a predetermined time or distance. Alternatively, continue until your grip gives out.
  3. You can also do this exercise using kettlebells or a trap bar.
  4. Use just one weight implement to get a core workout as you build your forearms and grip.

Read more about farmer’s walks in our in-depth guide to this excellent exercise.

 

7. Plate pinch

This unusual exercise is excellent for building bigger forearms and an unbreakable grip. Unlike most forearm exercises, your fingers are kept relatively straight, so it’s a good way to add variety to your forearm-building workouts.

How to do it:

  1. Place two equally sized weight plates back to back.
  2. Pinch them together with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other.
  3. Pick the plates up and hold them for as long as possible, squeezing them as hard as possible, taking care not to drop the weights on your toes.
  4. Continue until your grip gives out.

 

8. Towel pull-ups

Pull-ups are an excellent lat exercise. But, by swapping the bar for two towels, you can turn this popular bodyweight back builder into a killer forearm workout. This exercise won’t just bulk up your forearms; it will turn your hands into unbreakable vices!

How to do it:

  1. Hang two towels over your pull-up bar and hold the ends together as tightly as possible.
  2. Starting with your arms straight and your feet off the floor, bend your elbows and pull yourself up as high as you can. Keep crushing those towel ends together!
  3. Extend your arms, and then repeat.
  4. Can’t do full pull-ups? Use an assisted chin/dip machine.

 

You can use the towel grip method on other exercises to increase forearm activation, including curls, rows, and pulldowns.

 

9. Deadlift holds

This exercise turns one of the best posterior chain exercises into a challenging but effective forearm and grip builder. You may have seen this exercise on the World’s Strongest Man, where competitors lift and hold enormous weights. However, unlike Eddie Hall and his friends, you should NOT use straps for this forearm exercise.

How to do it:

  1. Place a loaded barbell on the floor. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, toes under the bar. Squat down and grip the bar with a double overhand grip.
  2. Straighten your arms, drop your hips, and lift your chest. Brace your abs and slightly arch your lower back.
  3. Drive your feet into the floor and, without rounding your lower back, stand up straight.
  4. Gripping the bar as tightly as you can, hold it until you feel your hands starting to fail.
  5. Before dropping the weight, push your hips, bend your knees, and place the barbell back on the floor.
  6. You can also do this exercise with the bar raised up to about knee height in a squat rack or resting on blocks. This will save you from having to perform a full deadlift.

 

10. Dead hangs

While the deadlift hold (exercise #9) is a great forearm and grip exercise, it’s not necessarily the most practical. For a start, you’ll need access to a barbell and plenty of weights. You’ll also need to be able to do a perfect deadlift.

The dead hang works the same muscles, but it’s a more straightforward exercise to master. Plus, all you need is somewhere to hang from, such as a pull-up bar or even a tree branch. This is a favorite exercise for climbers, who are renowned for their muscular forearms and fantastic grip strength.

How to do it:

  1. Grip and hold a suitable pull-up bar.
  2. Keeping your arms straight, hang from the bar for as long as possible.
  3. Drop from the bar just before your grip fails.

 

11. Wrist roller

Whether you make yourself a DIY wrist roller or use a commercial model, this old-school exercise is a tried-and-tested forearm and grip builder. A few sets of wrist rolls will leave your lower arms pumped and swollen.

How to do it:

  1. Hold your wrist roller with an overhand grip and extend your arms out in front of you.
  2. Keeping your arms up, roll the rope around the roller, and lift the weight off the floor. Keep going until all the rope/strap is all gathered in.
  3. Without lowering your arms, unroll the rope and lower the weight back to the floor.
  4. Take your shoulders out of this exercise by resting your forearms on a barbell set to shoulder height in a squat rack.

 

12. Tennis ball squeeze

Tennis balls are ideal for grip strength training. They yield slightly when you squeeze them but don’t compress completely. This means you can crush them as hard as you like (or can) to give your hands and forearms a great workout.

How to do it:

  1. Squeeze the ball as hard as possible for five to ten seconds, rest a minute, and repeat.
  2. Longer, less intense efforts won’t build strength. Instead, they’ll build grip endurance. This may also be useful if you find your hands get tired fast.

 

13. Rubber band finger extensions

This resistance band exercise specifically targets your finger extensors. While these muscles won’t add a lot to the size of your forearms, training them may help prevent the imbalances that can lead to problems like carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injuries (RSIs).

How to do it:

  1. With your fingers straight and together, take a large rubber band and loop it around your fingertips and thumb. A standard stationary-type band should suffice.
  2. Open your hand and spread your fingers and thumb apart as far as you can.
  3. Slowly close your hand and repeat.

 

Workout for Bigger Forearms and A Stronger Grip

 

Add any of the above exercises to your arm workouts to build bigger, more muscular forearms. Better yet, dedicate one or two workouts a week to forearm training. Add this workout to the end of your upper arm workout, or do it on a separate day.

However, it’s best NOT to train your grip the day before your back workout, as your fatigued forearms could make your back workout less effective.

Workout for Bigger Forearms and A Stronger Grip

#Exercise SetsRepsRecovery 
1aWrist curl38-1090 seconds 
1bBarbell reverse curl 
2Hammer curl310-1260 seconds 
3Dead hang2Max’ time60 seconds 
4Farmer’s walk1Max’ distanceN/A 

Exercises 1a and 1b are to be done as a superset. Do 8-10 wrist curls followed immediately by 8-10 reverse curls. Rest for 90 seconds, and then repeat the pairing. Do three supersets in total.

More on Forearms:

  • 9 Benefits of Hand Grip Strengthener
  • Finger Curls Exercise Guide and Videos
  • Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curl Exercise Guide and Video
  • Dumbbell Lying Pronation Exercise Guide and Videos
  • Cable Wrist Curl Exercise Guide and Videos
  • How To Build A Cast-Iron Grip
  • Best Forearm Exercises
  • Training The Brachioradialis For Extra Arm Mass

Wrapping Up

While the forearms aren’t the most glamorous muscle group, they can be one of the most impressive when properly developed. They’re also the muscle that people are most likely to notice when you are wearing a T-shirt.

Strong forearms will add a lot to your workout, too, especially during exercises like deadlifts, pull-ups, pulldowns, and rows. The more unbreakable your grip is, the more weight you’ll be able to lift, the more reps you’ll be able to perform, and the better your results will be.

So, don’t leave your forearm development to chance. Instead, train them hard and often using these 13 excellent exercises and our tried-and-tested forearm workout.

References:

1 –PubMed: Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Forearm Muscles  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

2 –PubMed: Muscular Coordination of Biceps Brachii And Brachioradialis In Elbow Flexion with Respect to Hand Position https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

For the latest news and updates please follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard LinkedIn
Categories: Training Training Exercises
Previous Post

86 Best Isolation Exercises By Muscle Groups

Next Post

Bodybuilder Derek Lunsford Shares Full Day of Eating in Off-Season

Patrick Dale, PT, ex-Marine

Patrick Dale, PT, ex-Marine

Patrick Dale is an ex-British Royal Marine, gym owner, and fitness qualifications tutor and assessor. In addition, Patrick is a freelance writer who has authored three fitness and exercise books, dozens of e-books, thousands of articles, and several fitness videos. He’s not just an armchair fitness expert; Patrick practices what he preaches! He has competed at a high level in numerous sports, including rugby, triathlon, rock climbing, trampolining, powerlifting, and, most recently, stand up paddleboarding. When not lecturing, training, researching, or writing, Patrick is busy enjoying the sunny climate of Cyprus, where he has lived for the last 20-years.

Recommended For You

Dumbbell Forearm Exercises

Best Dumbbell Forearm Exercises and Workouts

There ain’t nothing dumb about dumbbells! In fact, armed with nothing but your trusty hand weights, you can train every...

Forearm Splints

Forearm Splints — All You Need to Know

Most people have heard of shin splints. Well, we can splint our forearms too. It happens when the muscles, tendons,...

Hand Grip Strengthener

9 Benefits of Hand Grip Strengthener

Have you ever had a friend (or foe) try to take away an object from you only to give up...

Gorilla Row Guide

Gorilla Row – Muscles Worked, How-To, Benefits, and Alternatives

There are lots of exercises named after animals – spider curls, donkey calf raises, downward dogs, inchworms, bear crawls, crab...

Finger Curls Exercise

Finger Curls Exercise Guide and Videos

Finger curls are a great way to train the forearm muscles when using lighter weights and proper technique. But many...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest

Reducing Body Fat

Ripped: How to Get Down to 10% Body Fat

Bulgarian Split Squat Variations

The 10 Best Bulgarian Split Squat Variations for Muscular, Athletic Legs

Iranian Hulk Vs Kazakh Titan

Iranian Hulk Agrees To a Boxing Match vs Kazakh Titan

Recent Reviews

Best Cacao Nibs

10 Best Cacao Nibs of 2022

Ghost Legend Pre-Workout Review

Ghost Legend Pre-Workout Review

Best Vitamin C Supplements 1

10 Best Vitamin C Supplements of 2022

Fitness Volt

At FitnessVolt.com Our mission is to help our readers to achieve their fitness goals, regardless of where you’re at on your journey, we are on a mission to educate You with the latest from strength and fitness space. Read more.

Email: sm(at)fitnessvolt.com

Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. However, our reviews are based on well research backed analysis.

Follow Us

Trending Topics

  • Mr. Olympia
  • Bodybuilding
  • Strongman
  • Powerlifting
  • CrossFit
  • At Home Workouts
  • Bodyweight Exercises
  • Best Pre-workouts
  • Best Fat Burners
  • Bodybuilding Diet
  • Bicep Workouts
  • Triceps Workouts
  • Chest Exercises
  • Back Workouts
  • Leg Workouts
  • Front Squat Guide
  • Calf Workouts & Exercises
  • Forgotten Exercises
  • Jefferson Deadlift

Calculators

  • Calorie Burning Calculators
  • IF Calculator
  • TDEE Calculator
  • Calorie Calculator
  • Keto Calculator
  • RMR Calculator
  • Macronutrient Calculator
  • Creatine Calculator
  • Wilks Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • FFMI Calculator
  • IBW Calculator
  • LBM Calculator
  • Fat Intake Calculator
  • Calories Burned Swimming
  • Calories Per Meal Calculator

  • Food Nutrition Analysis
  • Carb Cycling Calculator
  • Weight Gain Calculator
  • Weight Loss Calculator
  • Calories Burned Calculator
  • Strength Standards
  • One Rep Max Calculator
  • Body Fat Calculator
  • EER Calculator
  • Weight Loss Percentage
  • Treadmill Calorie Calculator
  • Body Surface Area Calculator
  • Running Pace Calculator
  • Bench Press Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Water Intake Calculator
  • Body Type Quiz
  • Steps to Miles Calculator
  • Calorie Deficit Calculator
  • Home
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Accessibility
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Syndication
  • Sitemap
  • DMCA
  • Copyrights
  • Terms
  • Privacy

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Strongman
  • CrossFit
  • Workouts
  • Mr. Olympia
  • Exercise Guides
    • Arms
    • Back
    • Chest
    • Core
    • Legs and Glutes
    • Shoulders
  • Training
  • Nutrition
  • Reviews
  • More
    • 2022 WSM
    • Diet
    • News
    • Arnold Classic
    • Motivation
    • Videos
    • Food Facts
    • Deals
    • Fitness Calculator

© Copyright 2010 - 2022 Fitness Volt IBC. All Rights Reserved.