We’re all aware of the impact that well-developed traps, shoulders, and arms have for a masculine appearance. Whether consciously or unconsciously, women, and most people, infer from the prominence of these muscles that you do, in fact, lift. But one body part that gets overlooked because it’s less immediately apparent – but which nonetheless plays a tremendous role in giving off an athletic appearance – is the forearm. (The neck is equally overlooked but that is outside the purpose of this post). Muscular, defined, and veiny forearms are indisputably a sign of vigour and physical activity. Training your forearms will give you an immediate athletic appearance, besides other advantages I list below.
The methods for attaining those forearm qualities are surprisingly easy. They are (1) using grip strengtheners (ideally daily) and (2) forearm training. These methods are easy because (A) they take little time and (B) the gains come quickly. The muscles in the forearms are small, and they are almost never subject to direct hypertrophy training. Even a little bit of direct work on them will yield results.
Before I get into the details, here are photos of my forearms, before, during, after, with, and without, forearm training, in different settings, at different weights, evidencing the results I experienced implementing the methods I outline below. I’ve never tracked body fat percentage. So for reference I use my body weight. My weight range is 160lbs (lean) to 200lbs (bulking).
July 2022, flexing, post-workout. About 170lbs. Fit but without any direct forearm training:
August 2022, not flexing, no pump, forearm hair made the forearms appear larger:
February 2023, gym pump, approximately 4 months of consistent, direct forearm training. About 165 lbs. Also started trimming forearm hair down to the skin so the veins would be visible:
July 2023, not flexing and no pump. Very lean, about 160lbs. Approximately 8 months of consistent, direct forearm training:
October 2023, flexing, no pump. About 170lbs. No direct forearm training for 3 months:
1) Grip Strengtheners
Grip strengtheners will develop and make vascular around 70% of your forearm. They directly hit every muscle in your forearm except the brachioradialis, that elongated bulging chunk in your forearm below your cubital fossa. For direct activation, that muscle requires dumbbell exercises.
Grip strengtheners are very cheap, and you can buy a wide range of resistance levels from Amazon. The first two I purchased were $10, both with an adjustable range from 50lbs to 130lbs. I suggest getting one at an adjustable range so you can determine where your starting grip strength lies. At levels above what you can feasibly rep out (at least like 5 reps), grip strengtheners are practically unusable.
Another note on usability. Grip strengtheners are usually metallic (aluminum?). From 150lbs and above, that’s exclusively the case. At least I haven’t found any plastic ones above 130lbs. The problem with these metallic ones, at least for me, is that the “knurled” metallic handles, usually rough and jagged, tear the skin on your palm and fingers. And if your hands gets sweaty, as mine sometimes do, it’s impossible to maintain a grip. These two issues prevented me from repping out as much as I could once I got to 150lbs, and thus stymied progress. Those first two grip strengtheners I purchased were great because the handles were plastic. I could rep out until failure. So, I suggest initially purchasing a plastic strengthener, maxing it out, and then graduating to a metallic one. If you encounter the two problems I mentioned, the workaround I used was to purchase a workman’s glove from Home Depot (a random one), cut it up, and tape the glove’s finger coverings over the handles. I still developed calluses but without lacerating my fingers and palms.
I started at grip strength training at around 70lbs in October 2022, and very quickly, within 4 months, worked my way to 130lbs for 50 reps. By spring 2023 I was doing an absurd number of reps daily to failure, having adjusted the strengthener to maximum resistance. Once I destroyed the adjustable spring mechanism of one grip strengthener, and then the other, through overuse, I had to purchase a 150lbs one, making the modification to it I mentioned above. It was rough going at first (barely 10 reps), but steadily I was able to increase the reps. I now use the 150lbs for 20+ reps at a time and will soon purchase a 175lbs one, with the ultimate aim of being able to use a 200lbs one for reps. (I would have already been farther along, but I stopped consistent forearm training from around July 2023 until May 2024).
From October 2022 through June 2023, I was using a grip strengthener daily, from 30 minutes to an hour, doing 5 sets to failure. Sometimes I would just do the 5 sets, sometimes double. Sometimes I would mix things up with pauses, prolonged holds, slow and fast reps, but I never strayed far from this fundamental structure. Some days I didn’t meet the 5 sets, and some days I far exceeded them. It didn’t matter because the key was consistent, daily activation.
The chief advantage of grip strengtheners is their versatility. Walking or taking the train or bus to school or work? Crank out 50 reps with each hand. Coming back from school or work? Crank out 50 reps. Reading a book, watching a movie, or waiting for the doctor to came back with your STD test results? Crank out 50 reps. You can work out your grip strength/forearms literally anywhere at any time at maximum intensity. You’re guaranteed to make speedy results this way.
And the benefits of grip strengtheners are enormous. Like I stated above, it will make the veins on your forearms pop and give you an athletic appearance. And those veins and subtle muscles of your forearms will really pop when you’re having sex. Trust me, it’s fucking hot when a girl runs her finger on your insanely veiny forearms after you nut all over her. More than this, increasing your grip strength will hugely benefit your workouts. For instance, after around 4 months of using one consistently, I doubled the number of pullups I could do (because I could hang on the bar longer). As egotistical as it may sound, seeing the protruding veins on your arms in the mirror when you’re working out only incentivizes you to go even harder. And finally, NO ONE, will be able to crush your hand anymore. You’ll be doing the crushing from now on.
2) Forearm Exercises
Forearm exercises are easy to do and require very little time, probably 15 minutes max per lifting session. The forearms are small and require little effort to burn and to be thoroughly fatigued. Forearm exercises must be without exception the last exercises of a lifting session. Once your grip/forearm strength is expended, you won’t be able to use your arms for anything else.
There are many different forearm exercises you can implement (there are countless YT videos on the subject), but I have, and still keep, a program of 3 supersets of 3 exercises for a grand total of 10 minutes. All involve dumbbells. The first exercise is 50 reps of just squeezing the dumbbells into the palm (hitting the underside of the forearm), followed immediately by 50 reps of twisting the hands upward (to hit the muscles on the top of the forearm), followed immediately by 20 reps of Zottman curls or reverse curls (palms facing behind you at the bottom and lifting dumbbells up to be parallel with the floor) to hit the brachioradialis. You should feel a crazy burn from this, and the next superset should be harder. By the end, my forearms are toast. If you have some gas in the tank, a great finisher is farmer’s walks.
Regarding weight, like I said, the forearms are small muscles that don’t require much. I started with 10lbs and worked my way up to 20lbs comfortably, 25lbs with some difficulty, and 30lbs doable but pushing it. What matters foremost is muscle activation and fatigue. I wasn’t trying to build strength but definition and shredded appearance.
Zottman curls and reverse curls will be responsible for bringing out the veins over the brachioradialis, which are usually submerged because the brachioradialis is rarely activated. The cephalic vein (bicep vein) and basilic vein (visible on the underside of the forearm) are usually the most prominent veins because they’re activated through bicep curls (and other bicep involving exercises) and grip strengthening, respectively. If you’re lacking in the brachioradialis area, specialize in Zottman curls and reverse curls.
A downside to grip strengthening and forearm training that I should mention is that, because like any muscle the forearms will grow in size, your arm proportions will become distorted. In other words, your biceps and triceps may be made to appear smaller. Your forearms won’t blow up – unless you overdo it like some Popeye looking guys on YT – but your forearms nonetheless will expand.
Another downside is that, also like any other muscle, the muscles in the forearm are prone to muscle knots. Overwork on the forearms, which is exactly what I’m advocating for here, will cause the muscles to clamp up over time. You won’t notice it because it’s a gradual and subtle process, but it takes place notwithstanding. You’ll need to get a deep tissue massage once in a while to force your forearm muscles to relax and for the muscles to be rejuvenated. You should be getting deep tissue massages anyway if you lift regularly. After my first ever deep tissue massage, I woke up in the middle of the night with my forearms on fire.
And that’s it. Any questions, please ask below.
The methods for attaining those forearm qualities are surprisingly easy. They are (1) using grip strengtheners (ideally daily) and (2) forearm training. These methods are easy because (A) they take little time and (B) the gains come quickly. The muscles in the forearms are small, and they are almost never subject to direct hypertrophy training. Even a little bit of direct work on them will yield results.
Before I get into the details, here are photos of my forearms, before, during, after, with, and without, forearm training, in different settings, at different weights, evidencing the results I experienced implementing the methods I outline below. I’ve never tracked body fat percentage. So for reference I use my body weight. My weight range is 160lbs (lean) to 200lbs (bulking).
July 2022, flexing, post-workout. About 170lbs. Fit but without any direct forearm training:
August 2022, not flexing, no pump, forearm hair made the forearms appear larger:
February 2023, gym pump, approximately 4 months of consistent, direct forearm training. About 165 lbs. Also started trimming forearm hair down to the skin so the veins would be visible:
July 2023, not flexing and no pump. Very lean, about 160lbs. Approximately 8 months of consistent, direct forearm training:
October 2023, flexing, no pump. About 170lbs. No direct forearm training for 3 months:
1) Grip Strengtheners
Grip strengtheners will develop and make vascular around 70% of your forearm. They directly hit every muscle in your forearm except the brachioradialis, that elongated bulging chunk in your forearm below your cubital fossa. For direct activation, that muscle requires dumbbell exercises.
Grip strengtheners are very cheap, and you can buy a wide range of resistance levels from Amazon. The first two I purchased were $10, both with an adjustable range from 50lbs to 130lbs. I suggest getting one at an adjustable range so you can determine where your starting grip strength lies. At levels above what you can feasibly rep out (at least like 5 reps), grip strengtheners are practically unusable.
Another note on usability. Grip strengtheners are usually metallic (aluminum?). From 150lbs and above, that’s exclusively the case. At least I haven’t found any plastic ones above 130lbs. The problem with these metallic ones, at least for me, is that the “knurled” metallic handles, usually rough and jagged, tear the skin on your palm and fingers. And if your hands gets sweaty, as mine sometimes do, it’s impossible to maintain a grip. These two issues prevented me from repping out as much as I could once I got to 150lbs, and thus stymied progress. Those first two grip strengtheners I purchased were great because the handles were plastic. I could rep out until failure. So, I suggest initially purchasing a plastic strengthener, maxing it out, and then graduating to a metallic one. If you encounter the two problems I mentioned, the workaround I used was to purchase a workman’s glove from Home Depot (a random one), cut it up, and tape the glove’s finger coverings over the handles. I still developed calluses but without lacerating my fingers and palms.
I started at grip strength training at around 70lbs in October 2022, and very quickly, within 4 months, worked my way to 130lbs for 50 reps. By spring 2023 I was doing an absurd number of reps daily to failure, having adjusted the strengthener to maximum resistance. Once I destroyed the adjustable spring mechanism of one grip strengthener, and then the other, through overuse, I had to purchase a 150lbs one, making the modification to it I mentioned above. It was rough going at first (barely 10 reps), but steadily I was able to increase the reps. I now use the 150lbs for 20+ reps at a time and will soon purchase a 175lbs one, with the ultimate aim of being able to use a 200lbs one for reps. (I would have already been farther along, but I stopped consistent forearm training from around July 2023 until May 2024).
From October 2022 through June 2023, I was using a grip strengthener daily, from 30 minutes to an hour, doing 5 sets to failure. Sometimes I would just do the 5 sets, sometimes double. Sometimes I would mix things up with pauses, prolonged holds, slow and fast reps, but I never strayed far from this fundamental structure. Some days I didn’t meet the 5 sets, and some days I far exceeded them. It didn’t matter because the key was consistent, daily activation.
The chief advantage of grip strengtheners is their versatility. Walking or taking the train or bus to school or work? Crank out 50 reps with each hand. Coming back from school or work? Crank out 50 reps. Reading a book, watching a movie, or waiting for the doctor to came back with your STD test results? Crank out 50 reps. You can work out your grip strength/forearms literally anywhere at any time at maximum intensity. You’re guaranteed to make speedy results this way.
And the benefits of grip strengtheners are enormous. Like I stated above, it will make the veins on your forearms pop and give you an athletic appearance. And those veins and subtle muscles of your forearms will really pop when you’re having sex. Trust me, it’s fucking hot when a girl runs her finger on your insanely veiny forearms after you nut all over her. More than this, increasing your grip strength will hugely benefit your workouts. For instance, after around 4 months of using one consistently, I doubled the number of pullups I could do (because I could hang on the bar longer). As egotistical as it may sound, seeing the protruding veins on your arms in the mirror when you’re working out only incentivizes you to go even harder. And finally, NO ONE, will be able to crush your hand anymore. You’ll be doing the crushing from now on.
2) Forearm Exercises
Forearm exercises are easy to do and require very little time, probably 15 minutes max per lifting session. The forearms are small and require little effort to burn and to be thoroughly fatigued. Forearm exercises must be without exception the last exercises of a lifting session. Once your grip/forearm strength is expended, you won’t be able to use your arms for anything else.
There are many different forearm exercises you can implement (there are countless YT videos on the subject), but I have, and still keep, a program of 3 supersets of 3 exercises for a grand total of 10 minutes. All involve dumbbells. The first exercise is 50 reps of just squeezing the dumbbells into the palm (hitting the underside of the forearm), followed immediately by 50 reps of twisting the hands upward (to hit the muscles on the top of the forearm), followed immediately by 20 reps of Zottman curls or reverse curls (palms facing behind you at the bottom and lifting dumbbells up to be parallel with the floor) to hit the brachioradialis. You should feel a crazy burn from this, and the next superset should be harder. By the end, my forearms are toast. If you have some gas in the tank, a great finisher is farmer’s walks.
Regarding weight, like I said, the forearms are small muscles that don’t require much. I started with 10lbs and worked my way up to 20lbs comfortably, 25lbs with some difficulty, and 30lbs doable but pushing it. What matters foremost is muscle activation and fatigue. I wasn’t trying to build strength but definition and shredded appearance.
Zottman curls and reverse curls will be responsible for bringing out the veins over the brachioradialis, which are usually submerged because the brachioradialis is rarely activated. The cephalic vein (bicep vein) and basilic vein (visible on the underside of the forearm) are usually the most prominent veins because they’re activated through bicep curls (and other bicep involving exercises) and grip strengthening, respectively. If you’re lacking in the brachioradialis area, specialize in Zottman curls and reverse curls.
A downside to grip strengthening and forearm training that I should mention is that, because like any muscle the forearms will grow in size, your arm proportions will become distorted. In other words, your biceps and triceps may be made to appear smaller. Your forearms won’t blow up – unless you overdo it like some Popeye looking guys on YT – but your forearms nonetheless will expand.
Another downside is that, also like any other muscle, the muscles in the forearm are prone to muscle knots. Overwork on the forearms, which is exactly what I’m advocating for here, will cause the muscles to clamp up over time. You won’t notice it because it’s a gradual and subtle process, but it takes place notwithstanding. You’ll need to get a deep tissue massage once in a while to force your forearm muscles to relax and for the muscles to be rejuvenated. You should be getting deep tissue massages anyway if you lift regularly. After my first ever deep tissue massage, I woke up in the middle of the night with my forearms on fire.
And that’s it. Any questions, please ask below.
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