whats the VERY best lift for big 4arms?

[CrAzyOttER]

i do hammer curls but im sure there is a better one for it.

[max-rot98]

You want big forearms? Go to the adult content forum.
I like behind the back wrist curls and/or bench wrist curls. Reverse wrist curls are a necessity in big forearms too.

[sage]

drop straps other than for heavy shrugs and back movements. you should get nice secondary work on your forearms from other exercises. for isolation, i do reverse (behind the back) wrist curls and as you mentioned, good amount of hammer curls to hit the forearms while doing bis
Sage

[kwyckemynd00]

pinwheel curls kick ass. it's just like a hammer curl, but instead of bring the weight up to your shoulder with your arm moving perpendicuar to your body, you hammer the weight across your body with your arm moving parallel to your body.

Works way better (for me) when working the brachialis.

[builtolast]

pinwheel curls kick ass. it's just like a hammer curl, but instead of bring the weight up to your shoulder with your arm moving perpendicuar to your body, you hammer the weight across your body with your arm moving parallel to your body.

Works way better (for me) when working the brachialis.

This would be a criss-crossing motion then, right? Like, the DB's touch the opposite shoulder as you curl the weight across your body? Right?

[Tad50]

I don't do any direct forearm work. But, I NEVER use straps. Because of this, my forearms/grip get worked really well when I do back (deadlifts), and Power Cleans. My forearms are plenty big compared to my arms.

[Blown]

Yes builttolast just like that.

[hypo]

I don't work my forearms either, I just don't use gloves or straps. They are currently in proportion with the rest of my arms, and I don't have any grip issues either. So I would suggest to you to drop straps and gloves if you use them. If not, grippers are good. Another exercise which many swear by is to take a 2" thick rod, drill a hole through it, and insert a rope and tie a knot so it hangs out of one side of the rod. then, attach a weight to the other end of the rope, and, while keeping the rod stationary, "reel in" the weight by rotating the rod with your hands. Our board equipment sponsor sells both pieces of equipment. www.prowriststraps.com

[Lean One]

My tried and true favorite is pull ups with a parallel grip about shoulder width apart. If you can't do them with body weight use a gravitron/weight assist machine.

Seccond favorite is reverse curls with an ez-bar. Bottom line is to hit the brachio radialis muscle, part of witch lies between the bicep and tricep. Developing that will push the other two outward increasing arm girth.

[Matt ALRI]

Wow - Can't believe no one mentioned this...

The single greatest exercise for arms are full squats, followed closely by heavy deadlifts and heavy barbell rows.

You guys think I'm kidding.



I'm not.

Matt

[DieTrying]

Wow - Can't believe no one mentioned this...

The single greatest exercise for arms are full squats, followed closely by heavy deadlifts and heavy barbell rows.

You guys think I'm kidding.



I'm not.

Matt

In all respect, I hope you're not one of those "squats make your arms bigger" guys. I can see how you could say rows and deads, but what is your reasoning behind the squats?

[Matt ALRI]

Let me quote a friend of mine on the subject...

"They load the whole system, not just a piece of it. They essentially work all muscle groups underneath the load – which is all of them except the neck, and that is used isometrically. Its range of motion – when done correctly – is greater than a deadlift or power clean. Done with sufficient intensity and volume, it produces enough stress to evoke a hormonal response, something no isolation exercise – or circuit of isolation exercises – can do. Squats, better than any other single exercise, load the whole body in a way that causes the body to respond as a whole."

That said, I was being a bit facetious about squats being the best for forearm growth. Honestly, probably the best thing you can do is flip a heavy tire. Nothing crushes the forearms like that.

Matt

[kwyckemynd00]

This would be a criss-crossing motion then, right? Like, the DB's touch the opposite shoulder as you curl the weight across your body? Right?

I think you've got it BUT, i don't touch the opposite shoulder. Just do the motion and you'll feel how to make it smash the brachialis. Just dial it in from there.

[kwyckemynd00]

In all respect, I hope you're not one of those "squats make your arms bigger" guys. I can see how you could say rows and deads, but what is your reasoning behind the squats?

Here it comes...the old localized v. systematic hormonal change as a result of squats debate

[Matt ALRI]

Actually, No kwycke. No one has proven systematic growth through hormonal change, but there is some evidence for it.

What you do typically find, however, is that guys who put an emphasis on full squatting and deadlifting seem to be much, much larger than your average guy who's worried about forearm size.

Matt

[DieTrying]

I wasn't trying to start a debate in anyway b/c this board has been through that discussion before. Sorry if it came off that way. I just hate it when people take it way out of context...and a lot do.

[kwyckemynd00]

Actually, No kwycke. No one has proven systematic growth through hormonal change, but there is some evidence for it.

What you do typically find, however, is that guys who put an emphasis on full squatting and deadlifting seem to be much, much larger than your average guy who's worried about forearm size.

Matt

I know ... Emperical evidence is in favor of the gym lore and scientific evidence is in favor of a group of guys who often outthink themselves

I was just laughing to myself because Iron Addict and Bobo had a trillion page argument over this very subject!

Personally, I don't care as long as get some size on me

[kwyckemynd00]

I wasn't trying to start a debate in anyway b/c this board has been through that discussion before. Sorry if it came off that way. I just hate it when people take it way out of context...and a lot do.

yeah, the frustration is understandable. Afterall, i too was once victim to much misinformation

[Dwight Schrute]

Let me quote a friend of mine on the subject...

. Done with sufficient intensity and volume, it produces enough stress to evoke a hormonal response, something no isolation exercise – or circuit of isolation exercises – can do. Squats, better than any other single exercise, load the whole body in a way that causes the body to respond as a whole."

I simply don't understand where anyone who has had any formal education in this area can state that isolation exercises do not evoke a hormonal response. In fact its the opposite because they actually produce the largest amount of MGF due to increased ECC actions and increased microtrauma.

Compound exercies such as dead lifts and squats evoke a whole body response simply bnecause the incorporate and tax the leg muscles which unlike other muscle groups tax the body both aerobically and anaerobically (tapping the Kreb cycle).

[Malek256]

I can say one thing: my forearms got freaking disproportionately BIG when I was just starting out and was doing reverse EZ curls. At that time, I was more or less a newb and scared of squats and deads.

When I stopped isolation work and was on my "super deadlifts, squat and bench only" routine, my forearms reduced a fair bit.

Anecdotal to be sure -- but it sure sounds like isolations DO work. I have to say though that in terms of full body I grew more with the "deads+squats" routine, however there's no question that my forearms built MORE when I hit them with isolation work.