If the only time you work on developing your forearms is during daily masturbation, that’s a problem. (Especially if you don’t switch hands.)
Strong forearms mean a strong grip, which is crucial to making gains throughout your arms and your whole body.
The saying goes: If you can’t grip it, you can’t lift it. And unless you want to depend on lifting straps to get through each workout, your ability to hold heavier weight for extended periods of time is the difference between a good and a great physique.
Related: The 30 Minute Workout That Gives You An Incredible “Pump”
Add one of the following three moves to your next upper-body or arm workout and rotate between the exercise each session. You could also combine all three moves into the same workout for a full-out forearm firestorm.
- Towel-grip dead hang
Towels are a great way to intensify your grip training without needing to add external loads to your body.
Hold yourself in a dead hang for as long as you can for 3 to 5 sets.
Aim to be able to hold yourself for 30 seconds at first. Once you can get to 60 or more seconds, you’re a forearm freak show!
- Dumbbell Zottman curl
One of the reasons your forearms tend to lag behind your biceps is because you can use heavier weights on underhand-grip biceps curls than overhand-grip curls, which more directly work your lower arms.
The Zottman curl allows you to benefit from the stronger underhand position on the way up but then loads up your weaker overhand grip on the way down to attack your forearms.
Do 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Lower your weights slowly, taking 3 to 5 seconds on the lowering phase of the exercise, to incur the most muscle damage on those forearms. This will max out your muscle and strength gains.
Related: The Most Badass Arms Workout Ever Created by Men’s Health
- Barbell reverse curl
This is a great move to do for high reps—it will give you an epic muscle pump.
Do 3 to 5 sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Keep your reps smooth and controlled and focus on driving as much blood into your forearms as possible.
Want even more gainz? Immediately follow each set with 15 to 20 additional reps with an underhand grip. This mechanical drop set tends to turn those arm veins into anacondas.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health.
