The forearms are the first muscles people see when you wear a short sleeve shirt, making them a glory and glamour muscle that deserves special attention. To get big forearms fast, you must choose the right exercises to stimulate the maximum muscle fibers.

The mistake that most people make in the gym is performing compound exercises such as pull-ups and barbell rows, believing that's enough to trigger forearm growth. The truth is that just like every other muscle group, your forearms need direct work. And lots of it.

Let's break down the parts of this muscle, its function, and the best exercises for bigger forearms.

FOREARM EXERCISES FOR GROWTH

Forearms might receive different attention than the quadriceps, chest, and back for focused training. Still, these seemingly insignificant muscles are essential in your workouts and day-to-day activities.

Brachioradialis

The brachioradialis is one of the largest muscles in the forearm, and its role is to flex the forearm at the elbow. Since the brachioradialis mainly comprises fast-twitch muscle fibers, it responds best to fast contractions and heavy weights.

The best way to isolate the brachioradialis is to use a combination of exercises that require a neutral and a pronated grip (palms facing the floor). We recommend alternating between hammer curls and reverse curls from workout to workout.

Use a heavy enough weight to get four to six repetitions. As you perform a palms-down exercise, keep your elbows at your sides. Explode up but do not go higher than parallel. Hold the contraction at the top of the movement for one second, then lower the weights under strict control for 3 to 4 seconds.

Wrist Flexors

The other largest portion of the forearm is the muscle group of wrist flexors, which induces flexion of the fingers and the hand. The wrist flexors are primarily made up of slow-twitch muscle fibers that respond best to slow contractions and high repetitions.

Contrary to popular belief, the best way to train the flexors is not by doing wrist curls. Using a straight barbell forces your wrist in an unnatural path, increasing your risk of injury. The best way to stimulate the wrist flexors and get big forearms is two-fold: thick bar training paired with frequent isometric contractions.

Due to the increased thickness of the dumbbell or barbell, you will effectively engage the forearms and wrist flexors just by holding the thick bar. If you don't have access to thick bars, grab some thick grips to increase the effectiveness of your exercises.

Using a thick bar with direct isolation exercises like dumbbell static holds, farmer walks, plate pinches, and deadlifts will trigger growth. The key is to find an exercise where you can use a thick bar and hold a heavy weight for at least 45 to 60 seconds. Be sure to experiment with different thickness levels of thick bar training.

Thick Grip Training With Alpha Grips

Maximize every rep and set by transforming standard barbells and dumbbells into thick-grip powerhouses with Iron Bull Strength's Alpha Grips. Designed for serious lifters, Alpha Grips enhance your grip strength and skyrocket forearm, bicep, and upper body muscle development, leading to impressive, sleeve-ripping results.

Why Alpha Grips?

• Instantly convert any bar into a thick grip challenge, offering diameters of 2", 2.5”, or 3” for peak muscle fiber engagement.
• Elevate your workout intensity and effectiveness with enhanced muscle activation, driving exponential growth in forearm size and strength.
• Experience a robust, no-slip grip that withstands even the most grueling workouts, thanks to their durable, ergonomically molded design.

Incorporate Alpha Grips into your routine for hammer curls, rows, farmer's walks, shrugs, and deadlifts, and witness your forearms transform into pillars of strength and power.

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THE SAFE WAY TO WRIST CURL

For people that only swear by wrist curls, you can perform a few sets once in a while, but be sure to follow these tips to maximize results and minimize the risk of injury:

• Use dumbbells with a fat grip handle
• Focus on lightweight and higher repetitions
• Do not hyperextend your wrist – lower it to neutral
• Consider an isometric hold after each sets of wrist curls

BIGGER FOREARMS WORKOUT

Use this workout to get big forearms fast for six to eight weeks, followed by one rest week:

• Thick Grip Static Holds: 3 sets of 60 seconds
• Thick Bar Reverse Curls: 6 sets of 4 to 6 repetitions
• Farmers Walk: 6 sets of 45 to 60 seconds
• Plate Pinches - 3 sets of 60 seconds
• Thick Hammer Curls: 4 sets of 6 repetitions
• Fat Dumbbell Wrist Curls: 4 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions

It's pretty easy to get big forearms once you know how to train them correctly. Remember that the forearms need a significant amount of volume to grow. Don't be scared to over-train them; you won't.