#badybuilding

Quick show of hands – how many of you have forearm workouts scheduled this week? No, we’re not talking about just one while spreading DNA solo. Forearms are probably the second-most overlooked body part next to calves. There are many IFBB pro bodybuilders that do not perform isolation exercises for their forearms, so you are in good company.

But that is something that needs to change and will benefit you in many aspects. First of all, you will not look symmetrical if you have big biceps and triceps and these scrawny forearms. Secondly, part of your forearm will improve the overall size of your biceps. And lastly, you are improving your grip strength when training forearms and this will assist you when doing movements such as pull-ups and bent over rows.

There are a number of exercises that you can do for your forearms and they – like calves – are a tough little body part that can be trained frequently. Every – or every other – day is something that you should be doing and by keeping it to four sets each time, you will not have to worry about overtraining.

Your best bet is to hit forearms at the end of the workout so that pre-exhaustion has already set in from them being worked as secondary muscles while you trained your main body part(s) that day. When you do the four sets of whichever exercise you choose to do that day, you’ll experience an immediate pump in your forearms and that will help them grow over the long haul.

Here is an example of what a typical week can look like for you in regards to forearm workouts:

DAY 1 – Seated Barbell Wrist Curls (4 sets, 12-to-15 reps each)

This is a staple among forearm workouts and will develop your flexor muscles. Be sure to keep the back of your arms braced against your thighs but also make sure that they clear your knee so that your range of motion isn’t compromised.

DAY 2 – Standing Dumbbell Alternate Hammer Curls (4 sets, 12-to-15 reps each)

Now it’s time to work your brachialis (the portion of your upper forearm that connects to your bicep) and hammers are the perfect choice to isolate them. You can perform them out on the side of your body or a ‘cross draw’ style across the front. 

DAY 3 – Standing Barbell Reverse Curls (4 sets, 12-to-15 reps each)

When you do a reverse curl, you’re looking to develop your extensor muscles and these are very important, as they are very visible and will make your arms look huge once you get that deep separation. Use a grip that is a little less than shoulder width and be sure to turn your wrists up toward you at the top of the rep.

DAY 4 – Standing Barbell Reverse Wrist Curls (4 sets, 12-to-15 reps each)

These are very different from the above, as you are holding the bar from behind and rolling it up and out, working your flexor muscles from a completely different angle. Because the range of motion is a short one, squeeze and pause at the top of each rep to work it hard.

DAY 5 – Wrist Rollers (4 sets, 10 each)

Saving the hardest of the forearm workouts for last, wrist rollers are a bitch to do and you will appreciate the rest days. Start off with something light (15 or 20 pounds) and you’ll immediately feel the burn, not wanting to go up in weight. When done correctly, you’ll be lucky to get 10 reps.

Your gym may have a machine for these, but the old school guys will just grab a dumbbell or small plates and tie a rope to them, leaving it long enough for the weight to reach just above the floor. BY JOE PIETARO

There is nothing more conspicuous on a guy than a pair of muscular arms. Women certainly notice that right away and even fellow males will glance with envy. They signify strength and power and can – at times – get people to pussy out during a confrontation with you.

A great “illusion” of sorts is to get the peak in your biceps to come out and get as high as possible. This will make your arms look huge and very impressive when you’re “making a muscle,” as it is commonly phrased.

But we have some good news and bad news about a biceps peak.

First the bad news. You either have a predisposition for a peak through your genetics or you don’t. There are guys who have never worked out a day in their life but have these detailed and muscular looking arms that go up layer-by-layer if they flex.

Now for the good news. If you fall into the majority and do not have these awesome genetics, you can still perform certain exercises that will maximize your peak. And if you are one of the lucky son-of-a-bitches, then this will make it even better.

STANDING HIGH CABLE PULLEY OVERHEAD CURLS

These are great as a warm-up or finisher and you can really begin seeing the peak being worked (if there’s a mirror in the gym in front of the cables) with the angle that you’re arms will be at when you’re at the top of the rep. The key here is to make sure that you close your arm as much as possible when at that position and squeeze the D-handle grip as hard as possible, holding it for a second or two.

High cable curls give you a nice range of motion and you can really get a great stretch on the other end of the rep, too,

CONCENTRATION CURLS

These can be done seated or standing and bent over and both will get the job done. But don’t take the easy way out and lean your elbow on the inner part of your knee. By avoiding contact and doing the rep, you are putting all of the tension directly on your bicep muscles. When you brace it against your body, you are taking away some of the tension and also eliminating the balancing that works the muscle.

Do the same thing at the top of the rep like the high cable curls and squeeze that muscle and grip tight and hold it there. And bring it back down slowly using perfect form. Since some of the movements for the peak are of the isolation variety, it’s imperative that you have control over the weight and use no momentum.

STANDING BARBELL CURLS

This may seem like a surprising choice here, but there’s a method to our madness. This would not normally be an exercise that would be one to do deliberately with strict form and is often used for ‘cheat’ or ‘power’ curls, using heavier weight and lower reps.

But here lies the one important caveat: use a closer grip (approximately two inches less than shoulder width) and that will put the emphasis on the long head of the biceps, which makes up the peak when you are showing off by flexing.

And once again, squeeze the shit out of it at the top of the rep and feel that bicep tense up more and more.

BY JOE PIETARO