Building Hand & Forearm Strength

[n2ize]

In years gone by I used to be able to break whole bricks in half with my bare hands. These days I can't seem to do it. I need to get back on a daily regiment of solid exercise to strengthen my hands, fingers, wrists, and forearms as well as my shoulders.

[VE7MGF]

just grab a hand weight and shake it vigorously back and forth as long as you can:)

[N8YX]

Wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, reverse bicep curls and standing shoulder shrugs will all build forearm, grip and hand strength.

[WØTKX]

Switch from bricks to rice cakes.

[KG4CGC]

You talking cement bricks? Bricks of pot? Cake bricks?

[KG4CGC]

Johnestly, unless it is needed for day to day operations of your life, I'd just settle for tearing phone books in half.

[N7YA]

Play bass.

Before i learned to play bass i was a 98 lb weakling, but now I can tear steam ships apart with my left hand....and im right handed.

[NQ6U]

Just bite the bricks in half instead.

[n2ize]

Wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, reverse bicep curls and standing shoulder shrugs will all build forearm, grip and hand strength.

Sounds like a plan. In my younger years I used to do daily repetitions of wrist curls and it made a big difference as far as building my arm, wrist and hand strength. SSounds like I should go back to a regular exercise program and add some repetitions of the exercises you mention. Thanks for the suggestions.

[n2ize]

Play bass.

Before i learned to play bass i was a 98 lb weakling, but now I can tear steam ships apart with my left hand....and im right handed.

Drums or bass playing also sounds good. Anything where you work the hand and wrist. In fact it might even help with my violin playing...which is also very demanding on the wrists, fingers, shoulders, arms, etc.

[ka4dpo]

Years ago I raced dirt bikes and that required a lot of hand and arm strength. One of the exercises I did, you can do also. Get a thick broom handle, drill a hole in the center and pull a 5 foot piece of rope knotted at the end through the hole. Tie a cinder block to the other end of the rope. Just hold the broomstick at arms length and roll the block up and down as many times as you can. It is simple, cheap, and you will look like Popeye in no time.

[kb2crk]

I find turning wrenches on a daily basis does wonders for hand and grip strength. So did my physical therapist after I broke their therapy tools when recovering from the partial amputation of my left middle finger. They released me to full duty at work early because there was nothing that they had that could work my hands back to where they were prior to the accident. except for dropping small items and missing keys while typing I rarely realize the loss now 3 and a half years later.

[WØTKX]

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/K3CnuHVXzuE/maxresdefault.jpg

[ka4dpo]

I find turning wrenches on a daily basis does wonders for hand and grip strength. So did my physical therapist after I broke their therapy tools when recovering from the partial amputation of my left middle finger. They released me to full duty at work early because there was nothing that they had that could work my hands back to where they were prior to the accident. except for dropping small items and missing keys while typing I rarely realize the loss now 3 and a half years later.

That totally sucks and glad to hear your recovered but I have to ask,,,,,,,, how are you able to drive without a middle finger? :chin:

[kb2crk]

That totally sucks and glad to hear your recovered but I have to ask,,,,,,,, how are you able to drive without a middle finger? :chin:
I still have 2/3rds of it..........
It was my favorite finger to wave hello with.

[KC2UGV]

Pullups and deadlifts. Both are compound exercises that work those groups (In addition to others)...

[KG4NEL]

Pullups and deadlifts. Both are compound exercises that work those groups (In addition to others)...

Without using straps... :yum:

And then, for the truly insane (dedicated), there are always these: http://www.ironmind.com/product-info/grip-strength-training-tools/captains-of-crush-grippers/

[KC2KFC]

Try typing letters on a manual typewriter. An Olympia SM-3 with carriage shift will build up those fingers.

Collecting typewriters is actually a hobby of mine.

[WØTKX]

I learned on an Underwood Ace. Here is an upgraded version. :mrgreen:

https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5903781/il_fullxfull.318088679.jpg

[koØm]

I learned on an Underwood Ace. Here is an upgraded version. :mrgreen:

https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5903781/il_fullxfull.318088679.jpg

"Eff - Dee - Es - Eh <space> Jay - Kay - Elle -Semi-colon"

I learned to type on a manual machine, there one space after a comma and two spaces after a period. Now, you only put one space behind a period these days.

.

[N8YX]

Back to some exercises. At our local gym we have a decline bench, which lends itself quite handily to shoulder shrugs and forearm conditioning when you straddle it.

My workout on this is named "The 4-5-6". (Doctor Who fans will get the reference.) I start out with 4 45lb plates on each side then do 8 reps. Then I load one more 45lber per side and do 8. I then add one more 45lber to each side and go to failure, or to 8 reps. This will target your trapezius and gripping muscles exceptionally well.

Funny thing is that using our Smith Machine or a barbell bar in a catch cage doesn't quite allow the type (not the "range") of motion as the decline bench does, and as such I can't load them nearly as heavy. But I make sure to get a few sets of those in as well.

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[n2ize]

Back to some exercises. At our local gym we have a decline bench, which lends itself quite handily to shoulder shrugs and forearm conditioning when you straddle it.

My workout on this is named "The 4-5-6". (Doctor Who fans will get the reference.) I start out with 4 45lb plates on each side then do 8 reps. Then I load one more 45lber per side and do 8. I then add one more 45lber to each side and go to failure, or to 8 reps. This will target your trapezius and gripping muscles exceptionally well.

Funny thing is that using our Smith Machine or a barbell bar in a catch cage doesn't quite allow the type (not the "range") of motion as the decline bench does, and as such I can't load them nearly as heavy. But I make sure to get a few sets of those in as well.

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Sounds interesting. When I was in my teens I didn't have a weight set. So I used to work out by lifting rocks and heavy objects at home and using the weight sets we had in school. I am debating whether I should buy myself a good weight set or if I should just join a good well equipped gym since they already have the equipment and more of it that I could ever think of owning. Also thanks for the description of the 4-5-6 exercise. I'll keep that one in mind adjusting the amount of weight according to my capabilities.

[N8YX]

Sounds interesting. When I was in my teens I didn't have a weight set. So I used to work out by lifting rocks and heavy objects at home and using the weight sets we had in school. I am debating whether I should buy myself a good weight set or if I should just join a good well equipped gym since they already have the equipment and more of it that I could ever think of owning. Also thanks for the description of the 4-5-6 exercise. I'll keep that one in mind adjusting the amount of weight according to my capabilities.
Assorted odd weights are how I started training years ago. Eventually I got a rather nice home gym put together but sold almost all of it to a friend when I changed residences to a place with a limited basement.

The amount of weight you move per exercise is strictly relative, John. Aim is to fatigue your muscles sufficiently to force them into "growth" (hypertrophy) mode. Best bet for certain large muscle groups is a 5x5 set at roughly 90% of your single rep max. I do a 3x8 on others (including shrugs), cascading up from 70% on the first set to 80% then to 85% or more. If you can only manage, say, 5 reps on the last set then unload the bar a bit and crank out what you can to failure...sometimes just one or two reps more. Then decrease again and get your last rep or two in.

Remember the key is to run at least one set of every exercise to failure.

[WØTKX]

I used this stuff to rehab my broken wrist and hand, in various color "strengths".

http://www.powerputty.com/

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(http://www.powerputty.com/)

[WØTKX]

I learned to type on a manual machine, there one space after a comma and two spaces after a period. Now, you only put one space behind a period these days.

That's tribal. :neener:

http://arnoldzwicky.s3.amazonaws.com/BloomPeriods.jpg

[KG4NEL]

Assorted odd weights are how I started training years ago. Eventually I got a rather nice home gym put together but sold almost all of it to a friend when I changed residences to a place with a limited basement.

The amount of weight you move per exercise is strictly relative, John. Aim is to fatigue your muscles sufficiently to force them into "growth" (hypertrophy) mode. Best bet for certain large muscle groups is a 5x5 set at roughly 90% of your single rep max. I do a 3x8 on others (including shrugs), cascading up from 70% on the first set to 80% then to 85% or more. If you can only manage, say, 5 reps on the last set then unload the bar a bit and crank out what you can to failure...sometimes just one or two reps more. Then decrease again and get your last rep or two in.

Remember the key is to run at least one set of every exercise to failure.

Oh, and make sure to curl in the squat rack.

[KG4NEL]

:yum:

[n2ize]

Assorted odd weights are how I started training years ago. Eventually I got a rather nice home gym put together but sold almost all of it to a friend when I changed residences to a place with a limited basement.

The amount of weight you move per exercise is strictly relative, John. Aim is to fatigue your muscles sufficiently to force them into "growth" (hypertrophy) mode. Best bet for certain large muscle groups is a 5x5 set at roughly 90% of your single rep max. I do a 3x8 on others (including shrugs), cascading up from 70% on the first set to 80% then to 85% or more. If you can only manage, say, 5 reps on the last set then unload the bar a bit and crank out what you can to failure...sometimes just one or two reps more. Then decrease again and get your last rep or two in.

Remember the key is to run at least one set of every exercise to failure.

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Back in my younger years I didn't have much understanding about how to work out correctly. back then I thought that just doing a lot of reps as often as possible was the way to go. Years later I realized I went about it in the wrong way, although it did help in building my strength. These days I have a lot more info, including what you mention here to help me go about it in the right way.

[n2ize]

Been following some of the advice I got here and also been working out with some hard arm, wrist, hand, and shoulder exercises. Things that used to seem heavy or difficult are now light and easy. My goal for 2016 is to develop the pure power and strength of the arms and hands of a bear.

[N8YX]

Been following some of the advice I got here and also been working out with some hard arm, wrist, hand, and shoulder exercises. Things that used to seem heavy or difficult are now light and easy. My goal for 2016 is to develop the pure power and strength of the arms and hands of a bear.
Don't skip on rest and nutrition, either. 8h a night if you're on a heavy training cycle.

Some associates of mine think that energy drinks and caffeine are acceptable substitutes for a proper night's rest. You might get by with them on occasion, but perpetually...a bad idea.

[KC2UGV]

Don't skip on rest and nutrition, either. 8h a night if you're on a heavy training cycle.

Some associates of mine think that energy drinks and caffeine are acceptable substitutes for a proper night's rest. You might get by with them on occasion, but perpetually...a bad idea.

Energy drinks and caffeine are pre-workouts :P

[N8YX]

Energy drinks and caffeine are pre-workouts :P
Just don't substitute them for proper sleep and nutrition. I like a mug of coffee before I go to the gym in the morning, and if I have a couple of hours to kill before going I'll drink a protein shake. Afterwards it's a good breakfast.

[ka4dpo]

Been following some of the advice I got here and also been working out with some hard arm, wrist, hand, and shoulder exercises. Things that used to seem heavy or difficult are now light and easy. My goal for 2016 is to develop the pure power and strength of the arms and hands of a bear.

Get a dirt bike.

[N8YX]

Get a dirt bike.

Which model - the one I can overhead press? :lol:

[NQ6U]

Get a dirt bike.

Or a Swan 350. You'll build up your hand strength by the constant tuning required to keep the thing on frequency. Just remember to switch hands regularly.

[N8YX]

Or a Swan 350. You'll build up your hand strength by the constant tuning required to keep the thing on frequency. Just remember to switch hands regularly.

Get the external VFO and you can work both at the same time!

[KC2UGV]

Or a Swan 350. You'll build up your hand strength by the constant tuning required to keep the thing on frequency. Just remember to switch hands regularly.

I can do that without a Swan...

:giggity:

[N8YX]

I can do that without a Swan...

:giggity:

Oh, so you're a Hallicrafters FPM-300 or Eico 753 user?

[wb7oxp]

we switched to using 3/8" or 1/2" chain for all exercises that you would use some "handle" on a machine, like pull downs, low rows, curls, hammer curls, tricep push downs, etc. you will use lower weights, but you have to retain tension through the whole movement, and cant do anything "ballistically", slow and even. dont cheat by using gloves, or hooking the ends over your hands

un freaking believable

[n2ize]

Or a Swan 350. You'll build up your hand strength by the constant tuning required to keep the thing on frequency. Just remember to switch hands regularly.
How about a Viking 2 ? Or better yet a Globe King 500 ?

[kd8dey]

Ever wonder why Popeye had such big forearms?

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee58/bubbathegimp/Funny/Olive_Oyl.png (http://s228.photobucket.com/user/bubbathegimp/media/Funny/Olive_Oyl.png.html)

[WØTKX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys-s3ktRAu8

Bummer. :P

[WØTKX]

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