10 Best Forearm Workouts & Exercises for Gripping Power

Gripping and pulling things will naturally work on your forearm muscles a bit. However, if you aren’t putting in the effort to work these muscles, you’re missing out. Utilizing forearm workouts not only allows you to grip things tighter, but it also helps with lifting heavier things easier.

Good bye, strength plateaus. See ya later, weight limitations. If you’re frustrated about maxing out on things like the deadlift, presses, and clean and jerks, improving your grip strength will help.

When it comes to the muscles in the forearm, they together to move in four ways:

• Forearm pronation: Moving the palm down
• Forearm supination: Moving the palm up
• Wrist flexion: Bending the hand down
• Wrist extension: Moving the hand back

We’ve discussed some forearm and wrist exercises before, including warm-up exercises. Here are the exercises we’ve covered so far:

• Finger Curls
• Towel Wring-out/Wringing
• Pull-Ups
• Dumbbell Wrist Flexion
• Dumbbell Wrist Extension
• Plate Pinch
• Reverse Curl

Now, let’s get into even more forearm workouts that can help you build solid muscle mass and improve grip strength.

1. Farmer’s Walk/Farmers Carry

We’ve highlighted this exercise before, but it’s worth repeating. The farmer’s carry is a functional exercise that works the wrist and forearms flexors. Do this exercise enough and you’ll be carrying in all the groceries in one trip, while your neighbors stare in disbelief.

Check out the link above for step-by-step instructions on performing this exercise. Continue to challenge yourself by going longer distances while carrying progressively heavier weights. 

This forearm workout uses dumbbells, kettlebells, sand bags, or any heavy object you can get a good grip on. 

2. Towel Pull-up Bar Hang/Towel Dead Hang

This forearm exercise will work your finger and wrist flexors, and your wrist adductors. The grip angle is different from hanging from the pull-up bar itself, adding to the challenge and workout.

Rather than use weights, you’ll use two thick towels as your tool for this forearm workout. The thicker the towels, the harder you can grip them, which works your muscles even more.

How to do it:

1. Grab two small towels and place them each over the pull-up bar, hip-width apart.
2. Reach up and grab a towel in each hand at the same height, with a tight grip.
3. Tighten your core and keep it engaged as you hang from the bar. Pull your feet up and cross them at the ankles.
4. Hold for as long as you can, then place your feet back on the floor and take a rest before you repeat.

Complete this forearm exercise for at least 30 seconds and three sets. Work up to being able to hold the pose for 45 or even 60 seconds at a time. Add more sets as needed to improve your grip strength.

3. Dead Hang

Completing a similar forearm workout to the one above, the dead hang will have to hang directly from the pull-up bar. You’ll work the same muscles but hit them at different angles with the change in grip.

How to do it:

1. Grasp the pull-up bar with both hands placed shoulder-width apart in an overhand grip.
2. Lift your feet from the floor and cross your ankles so that your entire weight is hanging from the bar.
3. When you are tired enough to let go, lift, and bring back your shoulder blades to help you power through until the end.

Hang in place for 60 seconds and three sets, taking up to 60-seconds to rest between sets as needed. 

4. Behind-the-Back Cable Curl

This exercise will improve forearm pronation and supination, while also working the biceps and abs. 

How to do it: 

1. Using the low pulley on a cable machine, attach the D-handle.
2. Grasp the handle in an underhand grip and take a step forward, away from the machine, until there’s tension on the pulley. Your arm should be behind your body at this point.
3. Maintain a staggered stance so that the opposite foot is forward.
4. Curl the handle up without moving the upper arm.
5. Hold for a second at the top before slowly lowering the handle back down to the starting position.

Complete 8 – 12 reps with a moderately heavy weight for three sets. As you progress to heavier weights, reduce the reps to 6 – 8 per set. Take up to 60-seconds to rest between sets as needed.

If you don’t have access to a cable machine, you can use strong resistance bands instead. Just make sure they are held down with something heavy so you don’t pull them out as you curl the band.

5. Cherry Pickers

This forearm workout without weights looks really easy but it gets more difficult the longer you do it. You’ll work the entire forearm and wrist muscle groups when doing this bodyweight exercise.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall with your arms straight out to your sides with your feet hip-width apart. Palms can be up or down. Your body should look like a T.
2. Stretch your fingers out and then squeeze your fingers as hard as you can.
3. Continue this format, squeezing and stretching your fingers, until time has run out.

Complete 60-second reps for three total rounds. If you can’t make it a full minute, start with 30 seconds and work your way up. Keep rest to no more than 30 seconds between sets, and only as needed.

6. Kneeling Knuckle Push-ups

Another great exercise that will work both the forearm and wrist muscle groups is the kneeling knuckle push-ups. These do require some grip and forearm strength to handle the stress put on the wrists.

You can use a pronated or neutral grip for this forearm workout. We encourage you to switch it up between grips to work the muscles from different angles. You’ll also want to do this on carpet or have a mat under your knuckles and knees for cushion.

How to do it:

1. Kneel down on the floor in a push-up stance with your knuckles on the ground.
2. Starting at the top, lower your body down until your chest almost touches the ground.
3. Push yourself back up in a controlled motion with your core engaged. Your torso should stay rigid so that your arms do the work of pushing your body up.
4. Repeat until all reps are done.

Complete 8 – 12 reps and three sets. Take up to 60-seconds to rest between seats as needed.

7. Knuckle Push-ups

Once you’ve got the kneeling knuckle push-ups down, you’re ready to progress to knuckle push-ups. These add even more stress to your wrists, so you want to be sure you have enough strength to avoid injury.

These are performed the same way as the kneeling knuckle push-ups, except you’re in a full push-up stance.

Complete 8 – 12 reps and three sets of this forearm workout. Take up to 60-seconds if needed to rest between each set.

8. Incline Fingertip Push-ups

Fingertip push-ups are a great way to work not only the forearms and wrists but also the muscles in the hands and fingers. You can do these push-ups against any wall, in your home or at the gym.

How to do it: 

1. Stand far enough away from the wall that your outstretched fingers touch the wall without your arm being bent.
2. Curl your fingers slightly so that the tips of your fingers are directly against the wall.
3. Lean forward until your face is almost touching the wall.
4. Now, use your fingertips to push yourself back to the starting position.
5. Repeat until your reps are done.

Complete 8 – 12 reps for this arm and forearm workout and a total of three sets. Take up to 30-seconds between sets to rest if needed.

9. Plate Curls

Plate curls not only works out the forearm, it’s also one to help build grip strength. Grab a plate you can hold comfortably in your hand for this forearm exercise.

Start out with a light weight until you know your wrist can handle the pressure. Work up to a 25-pound weight plate.

How to do it:

1. Hold your arm at a 90-degree angle. The plate should be supported with your palm and straightened fingers with your thumb hooked over the edge of the plate.
2. Perform a curl with the plate, keeping the support underneath, using your wrist to pull the plate towards you.
3. Hold the weight for a second at the top and then slowly lower the plate back down to the starting position.

Complete 6 – 8 reps for a total of three sets, working up to 8 – 12 reps and three sets. Take up to 60 seconds to rest between sets as needed.

10. Zottman Curl

Doing the Zottman curl will work your biceps along with the brachioradialis muscle in your forearm. 

This move may take some practice to get right, so start with a lightweight first until you get the form down. Then, you can progress to a heavier weight.

How to do it:

1. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. You should be holding the dumbbells in an underhand grip to start.
2. Make sure your arms stay tucked to your sides as you curl the weights toward your shoulders.
3. Flip the dumbbells 180-degrees so that your hands are now in an overhand position.
4. Lower the weights back down to your sides and then flip them back to underhand grip as they come back to the starting position.

Complete 8 – 10 reps and a total of three sets. As you increase weight, you can lower your reps down to 6 – 8 per set. Take up to 60-seconds to rest between sets as needed.

Wrapping Up

These forearm and wrist workouts are intended to help you build arm and grip strength. Improving your grip strength will help you when working out and when going about your everyday life.

Once you’ve started to improve your grip strength, you should notice you’re able to lift heavier in other exercises. Deadlifts, presses, and other lifting workouts will seem easier and you’ll need to add more weight for added challenge.

For best results, work consistently at building your forearm and wrist strength by completing these exercises once or twice per week. These don’t all have to be completed at once and can be switched around as needed to fit your schedule.

If you’re struggling to push through your workouts, Vintage Burst™ can help provide the energy to finish strong. Get long-lasting nitric oxide levels to assist your forearm workout and watch your muscles pop.

What are your favorite ways to workout your forearms and build up your wrist strength? Were you able to work through this routine without quitting? Letting us know how your workout goals are going in the comments below.