14 Best Forearm Workouts: Unleash Unbeatable Grip Strength

Discover the top 14 best forearm workouts to unleash unbeatable grip strength. Elevate your fitness game with these effective exercises.

Introduction

If you want to take your strength training to additional levels, targeted best forearm workouts are a must. While it’s easy to overlook this small muscle group, developing powerful forearms can pay big dividends for your grip strength, pulling power, and overall muscle-building results.

In this guide, we’ll explore 14 of the absolute best forearm workouts to add to your training routine. From wrist curls to towel pull-ups, these exercises will help you build thicker, stronger forearms and a rock-solid grip to complement your other upper-body training.

Why do Forearm Workouts Matter?

Strong forearms are crucial for athletes, bodybuilders, grip-intensive sports like rock climbing, and anyone looking to boost their overall strength and muscle development. Yet forearms are often undertrained despite their key role in movements like:

Pulling exercises (pull-ups, rows, deadlifts)
Grip-heavy lifts (farmer’s walks, shrugs)
Pushing exercises (bench press variations)
Functional training

Beyond their functional benefits, the best forearm workouts are an easy way to add size and shape to this eye-catching muscle group. Well-developed forearms create an aesthetic, powerful look that most lifters strive for.

What is the Best Way to Train Your Forearm Muscles?

For building bigger, stronger forearms and unbeatable grip strength, there are a few training principles to follow:

Use a Variety of Forearm Exercises
Don’t just rely on one or two exercises like wrist curls. The forearms are made up of multiple muscle groups, so you need to hit them from different angles. Incorporate wrist curls, reverse curls, farmer’s walks, plate pinches, towel pull-ups, and more into your routine.

Focus on Both Flexion and Extension movements. The brachioradialis (forearm flexors) and the extensors like the anconeus need to be trained. Wrist curls work the flexors, while reverse curls emphasize the extensors. Aim for an equal balance of both movement patterns.

Go Heavy and Light
For maximal forearm growth, cycle between heavyweights in lower rep ranges and higher rep pump work. Heavy isometric holds like farmer’s walks and plate pinches are great for building tendon strength.

Use A Combination of Grips. Vary your grip from narrow, shoulder-width, reverse, parallel, etc. to work the forearm muscles from all angles. Use thick bar attachments or towels to increase grip demands.

Add Forced Reps and Holds Once you hit failure on an exercise, have a spotter assist you through a few more forced reps or static holds at the peak contraction. This bumps up the intensity.

Consider Forearm-Specific Training Sessions While you can tack on forearm work after other workouts, dedicated forearm days 2-3 times weekly can yield better results for this small muscle group.

Allow for Adequate Recovery Avoid training the same forearm muscles two days in a row. The forearms recover slowly, so spacing out your training allows them to fully recover between sessions.

Progressively Overload Like any other muscle group, you need to gradually increase weight, reps, time under tension, or some other variable over time to continue making gains.

By applying these training principles and staying consistent with intense best forearm workouts, you’ll be able to build forearms that look as strong as they perform.

Benefits of Forearm Workouts

Some key benefits of regularly performing best forearm workouts include:

Increased grip strength for better performance in pulling exercises.
Improved grip endurance and reduced fatigue during workouts
Bigger, fuller-looking forearms to complement your arms.
Better control and stability in lifts like deadlifts and rows
Stronger wrist stabilization during pushing exercises.
Enhanced functional strength in everyday activities.

While forearms are smaller muscles, they are essential for maximizing strength and muscle growth in larger upper body areas like the back, biceps, and shoulders. Don’t neglect them!

Top 14 Best Forearm Workouts

Here are 14 of the absolute best forearm workouts to incorporate into your training routine:

Wrist Curls

One of the most classic and effective forearm workouts, wrist curls directly target the wrist flexors. Use a straight or curved bar.

Reverse Curls

The opposite of a standard biceps curl, reverse curls emphasize the forearm extensors.

Farmer’s Walks

This grip-crushing exercise is one of the best overall forearm workouts. Hold heavy weights at your sides and walk.

Towel Pull-Ups

Loop a towel over a pull-up bar and grip the ends to ramp up forearm activation during pull-ups.

Plate Pinches

Grab a weight plate by the smooth sides and hold for as long as possible, squeezing your fingers and forearms.

Zottoman Curls

Also known as drag curls, this forearm exercise keeps constant tension by moving the weight horizontally rather than vertically.

Reverse Biceps Curls

Hold a barbell or EZ bar with an underhand grip to shift emphasis to the forearm flexors and brachioradialis.

Sledgehammer Swings

Swinging a sledgehammer or heavy mace strengthens your grip while touching your forearms.

Fingertip Push-Ups

Place your fingertips on the floor instead of your palms for an intense forearm isometric during push-ups.

Hanging Leg Raises

Simply hanging from a pull-up bar is a brutal forearm and grip-builder. Add hanging leg raises for more intensity.

Forearm Plank

In a push-up position, shift your weight to your forearms to isometrically challenge your grip and get your wrists stronger.

Barbell Wrist Rolls

Roll a barbell or dowel toward and away from you, using just your forearms to rotate the weight.

Dead hangs

Hang from a pull-up bar until grip failure, focusing on squeezing the bar and avoiding swinging.

Gripper Training

Develop a vice-like crush grip by using gripper tools that work different forearm motions and muscles.

For best results, focus on a few different best forearm workouts 2-3 times per week, accumulating 2-3 times per week, and increasing weight over time. You can train forearms on their day or tack them onto the end of other workouts.

Many lifters prefer higher rep ranges for forearms, shooting for 15-25 reps or timed holds like:

Wrist curls: 3-4 sets of 15-20 reps
Farmer’s walks: Walk for 30-60 seconds.
Towel pull-ups: 3-4 sets of as many reps as possible.

Sample Best Forearm Workout:

Exercise	Sets/Reps
Wrist curls	4 x 12-15
Reverse curls	3 x 10-12
Towel pull-ups	3 x Max reps
Plate pinches	3 x 15-30 sec holds

Don’t be afraid to use assistance exercises like wrist straps and hooks when needed for compound lifts like rows and deadlifts. Focus on isolating your forearms during targeted forearm workouts.

Workout Tips for Forearm Workouts

A few pointers to maximize your best forearm workouts:

Train both the flexors and extensors by alternating wrist curl variations
Use a variety of grip widths from narrow to shoulder-width.
Go heavy for lower reps or use high reps/hold to induce forearm fatigue.
Allow adequate rest between forearm workout sessions – they recover slowly.
Use wrist wraps, straps, or hooks for heavy compound lifts to spare your forearms.
Add static holds, eccentrics, and forced reps to ramp up intensity.

Listen to your body and don’t overdo it, especially with high-rep forearm workouts. Managing fatigue and recovery is key for steady strength and size gains.

Best Forearm Workout Benefits and Progress

Results from consistent best forearm workouts include:

Thicker, fuller forearms with improved muscularity
Stronger, more resilient grip for pressing and pulling movements.
Less fatigue and failure during lifts from improved grip endurance
Enhanced stabilization for better control and safety during lifts

It can take several months to add significant size and strength to your forearms. But forearms should feel pumped and spent after an intense forearm workout session.

Measure forearm thickness monthly, track strength increases on grip exercises, and monitor improved performance during other workouts. Keep working hard with the best forearm workouts!

Conclusion

Don’t underestimate the power of the best forearm workouts for levelling up your muscle-building and strength goals. Building forearm strength is the secret to a bone-crushing grip that supports bigger pulls and presses while giving you thicker, more aesthetic forearms.

While it takes time and consistency, investing in targeted forearm workouts will quickly translate to improvements in your other lifts. Use this guide to incorporate the top best forearm workouts into your routine 2-3 times per week for unbeatable grip strength and impressive forearm development.

FAQs on Best Forearm Workouts

Q: How often should I train forearms?

A: Train forearms directly 2-3 times per week on their day or after other workouts. Allow at least 2 full rest days between forearm workout sessions.

Q: How heavy should I go for forearm exercises?

A: For dumbbell wrist curls and similar forearm workouts, choose a weight challenging in the 10-25 rep range. For isometrics, go for maximum tension.

Q: Won’t my forearms get worked from other lifts?

A: You’ll get some indirect forearm work, but targeted best forearm workouts are still crucial for maximizing grip strength and forearm hypertrophy.

Q: Are straps or hooks OK during heavy lifts?

A: Absolutely, using straps allows you to train heavily without overtaxing your forearms. Focus on isolating them with dedicated forearm workouts.

Q: What equipment do I need?

A: You can perform effective forearm workouts with just a few dumbbells, a pull-up bar, weight plates, and even household items.