Best Forearm Workouts

Whether you are wanting to transform the look of your forearms to become more defined or want to target pain or discomfort, there are physical workouts that you can implement for your forearms.

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How to work out your forearms

Because the forearms – the lower arm region from the elbow to the hand – are important for your hand and arm movement in your daily life, workouts that target the forearms may be a beneficial addition to your lifestyle.

These workouts may also assist with preventing or easing any forearm pain that can be disruptive.

Forearm exercises strengthen and stretch the muscles crossing your hands, wrists, and elbows, which we use for everyday daily tasks such as carrying and gripping items.

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Forearm workout tools you need for the best forearm exercises

There are exercises you can do at the gym that target your forearms.

Workout tools that will come in handy for the best workout include barbells or dumbbells.

Barbell wrist curls help in building up muscle, which is why it is recognized as being the best forearm exercise. While sitting on a bench, lean forward enough to be able to place your forearms on the bench between your legs.

The dumbbells can also be used for palms-up and palms-down wrist curls, as well as the grip crush exercise to strengthen your grip over time.

If you invest in a gym membership, there are machines that you can use to target your forearms. Some of these exercises include behind-the-back cable curls and the towel cable row.

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Behind-the-back cable curls entail the following steps:

• Hold the low pulley handle with your left hand
• Place your right foot slightly in front of your left
• Walk a few steps away from the machine
• Bring your hand up toward your shoulder by slowly curling your arm
• Pause before lowering your arm to the starting position

The towel cable row entails the following steps:

• Attach a face towel to a cable pulley then stand in front of it
• Hold the towel, one hand to each end of the towel
• As you bring the towel to your chest in a rowing motion, draw your shoulder blades together

The forearm pull entails the following:

• Hold the weight bar at a pulley machine at shoulder level with your palms facing down
• Draw your upper arms in toward the side of your torso
• Push the weight all the way down
• Pause, then return to the starting position

Pullups entail the use of a sturdy bar that can support your weight:

• Face your palms away from you on the bar (you can place your palms toward you if that is easier)
• Activate your forearms by gripping the bar tighter or using a thicker bar (you can use a towel to wrap around the bar to increase the size)
• Lift yourself toward the bar

Dead hangs, which are easier than pullups, help develop grip strength by doing the following:

• Grip the bar and hold there in place as long as possible with your elbows slightly bent

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Forearm exercises that you can do at home

You may have the above equipment at home (or be creative and substitute some things). Ever heard of using canned goods for dumbbells?

There are other exercises that can be done at home for the forearms that do not require any equipment, including fingertip pushups and the crab walk.

Another exercise that requires home “equipment” is the Farmer’s walk: 

• Carry bags in an overhand grip with your arms along the side of your body
• Maintain a good posture, keep chest open, and draw shoulders down and back
• Walk for 30 to 40 feet per set (for 2 to 5 sets)

Once you get in the routine of implementing your forearm workout, remember to add in a full day off to rest between more extensive exercise sessions. This will allow time for your muscles to relax.