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bullsball5
Jul 3, 2005, 5:39 AM
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Ok, so my entire body is strong. My back is strong along with shoulders and biceps but I still think my forearms could use a bit of help. What do you think is the best way to pump up your forearms....dead hangs, wrist curls, etc????
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spottyfish
Jul 3, 2005, 5:51 AM
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Wrist curls are what really get the forearm muscles. Do them both flexing and extending your wrist.
You can also work your wrist flexors by standing with your arms straight down at your sides and holding a barbell behind you. Then just flex your wrists.
Another good one is to sit with your forearm resting on your thigh (as if you were going to do a concentration curl), holding a dumbell, rotate so your palm is facing up, then rotate so it's facing down (if that makes sense).
Most exercises that you do for your biceps and triceps will also work your forearms, since some of your forearm muscles work in elbow flexion and extension.
For variation, do hammer curls or reverse curls (same as bicep curls) but with your palms facing the other way.
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flipnfall
Jul 3, 2005, 11:55 AM
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Nothing will help forearm endurance like climbing itself. I usually run bouldering laps traversing across a route in the gym, while at home I workout climbing a rope ladder, hanging from a 1" and 1/2" wooden edge until I can't hang on anymore. Climbing will workout your forearms on various-sized holds which is better than a single-sized holds or repetitious exercises that don't vary.
GT
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perswig
Jul 3, 2005, 12:16 PM
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Rig a weight from a dowel with a cord tied at the midpoint of the dowel. Make the length of the cord so your forearms are horizontal with the weight on the ground. Palms down, roll dowel to raise and then lower the weight. Increase the weight or decrease dowel diameter to increase effort. Isolates forearm, wrist and hand strength; great for gripping ice tools. Dale
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goingup
Jul 3, 2005, 2:11 PM
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Check this out:
http://www.turntillburn.ch/
If you have any machining experience you could make one yourself, I'm going to.
Nikolas
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bler
Jul 3, 2005, 4:13 PM
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there are many ways, but the best way is variety..
working on one single grip will strengthen your forearms, but only for that specific grip
personally, i feel the best situation is using as many variations of grips on a hangboard and just deadhang to fail.. there are just so many possibilities for getting a 'good arm/hand workout', but variety of grips is a key element.
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reno
Jul 3, 2005, 5:07 PM
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reno moved this thread from Injuries & Accidents to Technique & Training.
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andy_reagan
Jul 3, 2005, 7:27 PM
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Adding a bit of muscle to your forearms might help you somehow, but imo you could more correctly address the problem by training smartly. First you have to establish what exactly you want from your training. In my experience the more specific I make a goal the easier I attain said goal, since I can customize and tailor my training to meet the goal.
So do you want a greater local aerobic capacity? Do you want to increase your anaerobic endurance? Or do you want to focus on increasing your power?
By varying/altering the type of climbing you are doing you can [probably] successfully improve in any of these areas.
Good Luck!
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tnchief
Jul 3, 2005, 9:00 PM
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Hypergravity climbing works wonders. Just put on a weight belt while climbing.
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andy_reagan
Jul 4, 2005, 12:39 PM
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I see two problems with weight. One, the likelihood of injury is obviously much higher. Two, the added weight will disrupt the gathering and solidification of good movement schemas.
Hmm...this is a head scratcher, there should be some way to get what you want by manipulating the type of climbing you are doing without any inane exercises or adding weight, now shouldn't there... :lol:
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waspride
Jul 8, 2005, 1:38 AM
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This is the best forearm workout I have ever done.
Take a wooden dowel, abut inch to an inch and a half in diameter and a foot long and drill a hole through the middle. Through the hole string a rope about 3-4 ft long with a weight on the end. Usually about 5lbs is enough. Now hold your arms straight out and twist the dowel in your hands so the weight lifts up, then once the weight reaches the top slowly let it down.
I guarantee you wont be able to take more then a few minutes of that. Its pretty intense especially if you increase the weight.
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letolives
Jul 8, 2005, 2:27 AM
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The best fore arm workout? Just get a bottle of lotion and . . . well you know the rest.
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neadamthal
Jul 8, 2005, 2:34 AM
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In reply to: The best fore arm workout? Just get a bottle of lotion and . . . well you know the rest.
gold jerry... gold
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njari
Jul 8, 2005, 2:53 AM
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I just started this forearm workout, and I doubt that it can possibly be any more intense :http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/...r%20forearms%202.php.
It is a bodybuilding workout, but it'll give you a solid base. After a month or two, I'm going to modify the routine and add in rock rings or a hangboard.
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iclimbtoo
Jul 8, 2005, 3:47 AM
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Dude, you're a guy...do I really have to explain what the BEST forearm workout is!?!? :shock: :lol:
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squierbypetzl
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Jul 9, 2005, 8:54 AM
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Men´s Health magazine has some great routines that I compare to the cherry on a sunday. Most things you´ll already be doing, but they have some moves and variations on moves that hurt in a really good way...just check out their site and go to fitness, then arms, then choose to see all the articles and find the ones that sound like what your lookin´ for.
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outsideguyzak
Jul 9, 2005, 2:52 PM
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climbing laps up, then down-climbing over and over and over at your local gym or local crag is one of the best ways to train your forearms. It allows your muscles to train in all different angles and positions; something using weights does not allow. Also, using a hangboard is an EXCELLENT way to increase your forearm strength.
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nafod
Jul 9, 2005, 4:04 PM
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In reply to: I just started this forearm workout, and I doubt that it can possibly be any more intense : http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/...r%20forearms%202.php. It is a bodybuilding workout, but it'll give you a solid base. After a month or two, I'm going to modify the routine and add in rock rings or a hangboard.
Something to think about. The purpose of that workout is to build bigger forearms, not to increase strength. The goals overlap, but definitely are not the same.
I would recommend a forearm workout that works as much of the body as possible while your doing it (like climbing) rather than in isolation (like bodybuilding). After all, in climbing you'll be using your forearms together with the rest of the arms, back, body, etc.It'd make sense to train that way. Climbing, traverses, hangboards, heavy finger rolls,...
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fluxus
Jul 9, 2005, 6:26 PM
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Most of the replies are missing an important point. If you want to increase forearm stength for climbing, then the training stimilus you apply must use the same muscles that we use in climbing and closely match the demands made of those muscles in the act of climbing. In addition the health and strength of the tendons (and other connective tissue) of the fingers also needs to be considered.
Many people have suggest wrist curls of one type or another to the OP. These are going to be a good workout for the Palmaris Longus muscle which is the primary flexor of the wrist, but not as effective for the Flexor digitorum superifcialis and profundus muscles, which assist in wrist flexion to a degree, but more to the point they are the muscles involved in the action we use in climbing: flexion of the fingers.
Further, the type of muscular contraction of the flexor digitorum muscles found in climbing is static (isometric) not dynamic (isotonic) so you want to use training stimilus that are also static.
This is why climbers have developed hang boards, system walls, and campus boards because to a greater or lesser degree they train us for isometirc contractions of the flexor digitorum muscles. Wrist cruls of any kind are not going to be efficient or very effective training for climbing no matter how good the workout feels.
The devices I just mentioned are effective at isolating the correct muscles in the forearms in a way that simiulates the stress of climbing but that alone is not really the main issue you should be considering. The real issue is: what does it take to make measurable improvements in climbing performance? If one tries to address this issue head on, the idea of taking time out to do isolated training for the forearm muscles becomes less attractive.
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jordan9001
Jan 25, 2008, 4:57 PM
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The absolute best forearm workout I know (besides climbing) is static hang from a bar with one hand and keep swiching arms every 5 - 10 seconds. Try to hold on until your muscles fail. Also while doing this swich from holding with whole hand to just fingers. This best simulates the things you do in rockclinbing when you can't actually go out and climb.
A rubber ring thing is also good for when you don't have time for hanging.
(This post was edited by jordan9001 on Jan 25, 2008, 5:12 PM)
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jeremy11
Jan 28, 2008, 4:54 AM
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Captains of Crush grippers are great for a portable workout. Not exactly the same muscles as climbing, but a great fun forearm workout nonetheless.
As for adding weights while training, trad climbers do that all the time....
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sticky_fingers
Jan 28, 2008, 5:38 AM
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I'll throw in another recommendation for ironmind.com products (makers of Captian's of Crush). They're probably the best (only?) maker of specific hand strengthening tools.
Yes the best way to get stronger for climbing is to climb more, BUT if you can't, check out their products.
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jamesdebella
Feb 10, 2008, 3:58 PM
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One word: Rollies |
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joswald
Feb 23, 2008, 6:35 PM
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there is very little transference of strength built through these to strength for climbing
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sticky_fingers
Feb 25, 2008, 6:13 PM
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Really? You've measured it??
Please...I'll give you an example of how it DOES transfer, but I'll say it's somewhat specific. There is a lead arch at the gym at which I climb, and often the largest holds are on it. Some of the largest holds look like ladder-rungs. The thickness of what you hold on to is very similar to the thickness of a closed Captain of Crush tool.
Ironmind recommends pinching two weight plates back to back...that HAS had a direct transference to my improvement on pinch holds.
I could go on.
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