Whether you train biceps with your chest or shoulders, and whether you train your triceps with your back or you stack 'em with biceps on a day all their own -- few people train their lower arms! Have you ever seen those idiots with synthol biceps and the laggin tri's - or even the guys with the 22" guns and the weak grips? You know the ones.. the guys that look like they can rip phonebooks in half, but need straps just shrug 225 or worse yet - row 135!
You ever shake hands with your wife's father, an employer, or just greet a new friend? You know what's right up there with having sweaty palms? It's having no grip to speak of! Biceps and triceps may look great, but if you're juiced to the gills and have the handshake of a fourteen year old girl, then you've got work to do buddy!
It seems everyone got the memo "triceps are 2/3 of your arm," only problem is, they're 2/3 of your UPPER arm. Your LOWER arm consists of your forearms.so unless you're a genetic freak like Lee Priest, you had better incorporate some exercises for these truly essential muscles. For instance, strong forearms coupled with an iron grip, can make your lifting straps essentially obsolete. Imagine being able to do deadlifts without straps - or even chalk. Imagine doing real shrugs, where you don't look like a schmuck having to do alternate grips just to lift 225 (alternate grip is for deadlifts! lol).
Beginner's Forearms Assault
3 Exercises, 3 Sets of 8 Repetitions Each.
15lbs. - Hammer Curls
20lbs.; 25lbs
20lbs. Reverse Curls - using the EZ Curl Bar
20lbs., 30lbs
15lbs. Pinwheels
20lbs., 25lbs
Thesse are light exercises for starters. If you can lift way more than this, then lift them increasingly strict form, pausing at the top of the movement to achieve ultimate contraction and control the weight completely during the negative. You will see veins begin to POP throughout your forearm. Put the weights down and flex; in between other sets, put the weights down and massage your forearms in between sets. You should take thrity seconds in between each set.
Do this routine for 3 months. Then up every set by 5lbs, but keep the the first set at the same level. I am a big proponent of warming up.
