## Forearms : Forearm Flexors (They are a group of 5 muscles) & Forearm Extensors (They are a group of 4 muscles). The flexors as the name suggests flex the wrist when they contract in isolation & extensors extend the wrist when contracting in isolation. All of these 9 muscles start out from the end of the humerus (Flexors from the medial side & extensors from the lateral side of the epicondyle.) & go through the carpus (Wrist) and insert into the various aspects of the hand (Fingers, thumb & palm.) Despite their kinesiological functions forearms are functionally used for gripping objects & in doing so the flexors & extensors always work together. Holding on to heavy weight is what produces development in forearms a lot more than isolation forearm exercises that provide resistance to the kinesiological functions of forearms. We always notice good forearm development in people involved in heavy menial labour. They do not do any specific forearm movement for their development. They just have to grapple with heavy tools while working. Forearms are strong muscles that exert their strength over a very weak joint (Wrist). The wrist cannot handle the weight needed to stimulate forearms in isolated flexion or extension. Isolation movements such as the wrist curl & the reverse wrist curl have a very high risk of developing the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. During these movements the median nerve scrapes along the carpal tunnel often getting it inflamed. CTS can be quite crippling. The extensors & flexors of the forearm are used most often in day to day life to grip things & they always work together & never in isolation. Grip a tennis racquet hard with your right hand & with your left hand feel the forearms of the right hand, you will find that both the flexors & extensors are equally contracted or if you are to lift a heavy bag it would be hard to say whether the flexors will be contracted harder or the extensors. In day to day life wrist flexion or wrist extension is mainly done in tasks with very low resistance e.g. operating the accelerator of a bike. Forearms respond mainly with your back workout (Bent-over rows, shrugs, and deadlifts). These backmovements will tax the forearms a lot more than direct isolated forearm work. One of the methods to stimulate forearm growth would be holding a heavy barbell off a power cage (the weight of which should be at least 10% more than one rep max weight on shrugs) at the end of a back workout for as long as possible challenging gripping strength of forearms. You could also try pinch holding olympic plates. The aesthetic appeal of the arm gets enhanced a lot with presence of well developed forearm. Those kind of forearms do not come by doing wrist curls. ###
Posted on: Thu, 08 Aug 2013 05:39:35 +0000