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Secret
Training Tip #891 - Leaning Wrist Curls - A Forearm BLAST
By Nick
Nilsson
Looking to
increase forearm size and/or strength? Standard
Wrist Curls are a good exercise. Find out how a simple change
in body position will make them MUCH more effective.
The wrist curl is a very
effective forearm exercise - it's a classic for very good reason...it works!
But if there's one thing I've discovered in my years of training, there is ALWAYS
a better way to do even the most common and effective exercises. The Wrist Curl
is no exception.
To do this unique variation
of the wrist curl, you're going to need two dumbells, a flat bench and another
raised surface (it can be another bench, a chair, a machine or even the rails
of a power rack - it should be the same height or a little higher than the bench
you're using). I will use a chair as the example for this exercise.
Use a weight you could do
about 12 to 15 reps with on regular dumbell wrist curls. Place the bench about
3 feet in front of the chair - when you see how the exercise is done, you'll
be able to adjust how far apart you place the bench and chair. The bench should
be perpendicular to the chair as you'll be doing the wrist curl exercise with
your forearms across the WIDTH of the bench.
Stand between the bench
and the chair - you should be facing the bench. Pick up your two dumbells. Rest
your forearms on the bench with your palms facing up, and kneel down in front
of the bench, just as though you were about to do a wrist curl. I prefer to
set the forearms on the bench just far enough apart so that the dumbell ends
are pressed together during the exercise. I find this helps increase the force
you're able to generate during the exercise.
So now you're kneeling in
front of the bench, your wrists are extended down and you're about to do a wrist
curl. STOP! Here's the trick. You're going to set your feet up on that chair
behind you!
When your feet are up on
the chair, keep your body completely tight and straight. Let your bodyweight
lean forward and down onto your forearms. Bend your elbows so that they are
as bent as they can be and your entire bodyweight is leaning forward and supported
on your forearms.
NOW start doing wrist curls.
You'll find, with your forearms not only performing the wrist curl movement
but also supporting your bodyweight AND with the elbows in the completely flexed
position, your forearms will get a MUCH harder workout than with just plain
wrist curls alone.
I recommend that you do
this exercise with dumbells rather than a barbell simply because dumbells allow
your wrists and forearms greater freedom of movement to not only find their
best path for the exercise but also to increase the stabilizing requirement
as you're leaning down onto your forearms. Barbells just lock you into the movement
too much.
Use this exercise at the
end of your workouts - don't do it first or your forearms will be exhausted
and you won't be able to grip as well during your workout. It's a killer forearm
exercises that takes full advantage of your biomechanics and anatomy to place
greater tension on the forearm muscles.
Word of advice, don't try
and do anything that requires any degree of fine motor control in your hands
for at least a few minutes after you're done (like writing in a training log).
Your forearms will be trashed and your handwriting will end up looking like
mine on a good day!
To see pictures and a video
of this exercise in action, use the following link:
Nick Nilsson is Vice-President
of the online personal training company BetterU, Inc. He has a degree in Physical
Education and Psychology and has been inventing new training techniques for
more than 16 years. Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks including
"Metabolic Surge - Rapid Fat Loss," "The Best Exercises You've
Never Heard Of," "Gluteus to the Maximus - Build a Bigger Butt NOW!"
and "The Best Abdominal Exercises You've Never Heard Of" all available
at (http://www.fitness-ebooks.com).
He can be contacted at betteru@fitstep.com.
