Nothing you can train your forearms with will ever give you the kind of pump you get from a wrist roller. When you’re finished, your veins are popping like crazy, and your forearms are growing so quickly that people are starting to think you actually have a job. There’s just one problem: your shoulders. You want to make faster progress, but holding the roller at arm’s length restricts both the number of sets you can perform and the amount of weight you can use.
To take your shoulders out of play, lean your forearms on something solid. The spotter bars of a power rack are perfect for this purpose. Set one side at chest height, stand outside the rack, and raise and lower the weight with your hands inside. Because your arms are supported, you’ll also be able to focus heavier loads on your forearms.
THE WORKOUT
Try this short-but-intense forearm blast at the end of your upper-body workouts.
Wrist Roller Sets: 3 Reps: 2*
Plate Pinch Sets: 3 Reps: ALAP**
Fat Bar Curl Sets: 3 Reps: 10
*A single rep entails raising the weight from the floor both forward and backward. **As long as possible.
TRAINER TIP
Stay Strapless: “Too many guys rely on wrist straps for every pulling exercise, and it’s a bad idea because it really slows down your forearm development,” says Dave Cavalluzzo, owner of AthElite Training in Closter, NJ. “I advise all my clients to leave the straps at home unless they’re going for a personal record in the deadlift and absolutely can’t hang onto the bar.”
