While strength matters in arm wrestling, technique matters, too. There are several tricks you can use to beat a stronger opponent, such as moving your hand higher up their fingers and thumb to maximize your leverage while weakening theirs. This is called climbing.
But, at its heart, arm wrestling is a test of strength, and arm wrestlers often have very muscular arms and forearms. Most pros train with weights to develop the strength they need to beat their opponents and minimize their risk of injury.
In this article, we reveal the best forearm exercises for arm wrestling.
Arm Wrestling History
Arm wrestling (also spelled armwrestling) is an ancient strength sport. Evidence shows that arm wrestling was practiced in Egypt and Greece over 2,000 years ago. In America, native Americans did a type of arm wrestling, and on seeing it, settlers called it Indian wrestling. Arm wrestling was also popular in Spain, Japan, Cuba, Russia, Norway, and many others.
However, what started as an informal and spontaneous activity eventually became a professional sport. Pro arm wrestlers are now viewed as legitimate athletes.
Organized national and international arm-wrestling bouts started gaining popularity in the early 1950s. Like boxing, there are now several governing bodies, including the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF), The International Armwrestling Federation (IAF), and the World Wristwrestling Championship (WWC).
Despite being a legitime sport governed by rules, a lot of people enjoy casual arm wrestling and like to test their strength against friends and acquaintances. Informal bouts often happen in barrooms, with the loser having to buy the beers.
Arm wrestling has also been featured in movies, most notably Over the Top with Sylvester Stallone.
The 10 Best Forearm Exercises for Arm Wrestling
Build the strength you need to pin your opponents with the ten best forearm exercises for arm wrestling!
1. Barbell wrist curls
Wrist curls are a cornerstone of arm wrestling forearm training. They strengthen the muscles you need to use to top-roll your opponent so their palm is turned upward. This is a weak position which makes it easier to push their arm downward. Most pro arm wrestlers do plenty of wrist curls.
Steps:
- Sit on an exercise bench and lean forward so your forearms rest at the top and your wrists are free to move. Hold a barbell in your supinated (upturned) hands.
- Extend your wrists and lower the bar down toward the floor. Open your hands and let the bar roll down your fingers.
- Next, close your fingers and curl the weight upward. Finally, flex your wrist as far as possible to maximally engage the target muscles.
- Continue for the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles Targeted:
Forearm flexors.
Benefits:
- A very arm wrestling-specific forearm exercise.
- A good exercise for increasing forearm size.
- Increases forearm and wrist flexibility as well as strength.
Tips:
- Do this exercise with a light load for high reps to build endurance and heavier weights and lower reps for strength.
- Lower the weight slowly and then lift it quickly to make this exercise more effective.
- You can also do this exercise with dumbbells or just one dumbbell to train one forearm at a time.
2. Cable wrist curl
While there is nothing wrong with barbell wrist curls, they have an uneven strength curve, making some parts of the exercise harder than others. Using a cable machine keeps the target muscles under near-constant tension, which may mean this is a more effective, efficient way to wrist curls.
Steps:
- Place an exercise bench in front of a cable machine and attach a straight bar to the lowest pulley.
- Sit on the bench, and grab the handle with an underhand grip. Rest your forearms on your legs so your wrists are just past your knees.
- Extend your wrists and lower the bar down toward the floor. Open your hands and let the bar roll down your fingers.
- Next, close your fingers and curl the bar upward. Finally, flex your wrist as far as possible to maximally engage the target muscles.
- Continue for the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles Targeted:
Forearm flexors.
Benefits:
- More even tension on the target muscles compared to freeweight wrist curls.
- Quick and easy to change the weights.
- You can adjust the loading angle by moving the bench closer or further away from the pulley.
Tips:
- You can also do this exercise with a single D-shaped handle and train one arm at a time.
- Rep out to failure, lower the weight by 15-20%, and then rep out again to improve endurance, build muscle, and get a great pump. This is called a drop set.
- Use a thick bar to challenge your grip more.
3. Behind-the-back wrist curls
No bench? No problem! You can get a great forearm workout with a barbell and some space to stand. This old-school exercise will pump up your forearms in seconds and build a cast-iron grip.
Steps:
- Hold a barbell behind your back with your palms facing away from you.
- Flex your wrists and curl the bar out and away from your body.
- Pause with your forearms flexed for 1-3 seconds.
- Lower the weight and repeat.
Muscles Targeted:
Forearm flexors.
Benefits:
- A convenient exercise for home lifters.
- A good movement for heavier weights and low reps.
- A very effective old-school forearm and grip exercise.
Tips:
- Use gym chalk to stop the bar from slipping out of your hands.
- Use a thick bar to challenge your grip and develop more muscular forearms.
- End your set with a 15-30 second dead hold to fully exhaust your forearms.
4. Single-arm hammer curls
Pulling your forearm toward your chest increases your leverage while decreasing your opponent’s. Once your arm is close to your body, you should find it easier to press the other guy’s arm down and pin it. Single-arm hammer curls are very arm wrestling specific and deserve a place in your arm-wrestling workouts.
Steps:
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand, arm by your side, palm facing your leg.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
- Bend your arm and curl the weight up to your shoulder. Do not rotate your wrist. Instead, maintain your neutral or thumbs-up grip.
- Lower the dumbbell and repeat.
- Switch sides and do the same number of reps on the other side.
Muscles Targeted:
Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.
Benefits:
- A very effective exercise for arm wrestling.
- Identify and fix left-to-right strength imbalances.
- A great way to build stronger, more muscular upper and lower arms.
Tips:
- Use a thumbless grip to increase forearm engagement.
- Use clip-on fat grips to work your forearms even more.
- Pause for 1-3 seconds at the top of each rep for a more challenging workout.
- Use your non-working arm to perform a few end-of-set forced reps.
5. Sledgehammer pronation and supination
Some arm-wrestling techniques involve twisting your opponent’s wrist. As such, you must strengthen the muscles responsible for pronating and supinating your forearm. Strength in these muscles will also make it harder for your opponent to gain the upper hand and turn your wrist.
Steps:
- Hold a sledgehammer about a quarter to a third of the way down the handle. Bend your arm to 90 degrees and tuck your upper arm into your side.
- Keeping your upper arm stationary, slowly turn the sledgehammer clockwise and then counterclockwise through about 90 degrees in each direction.
- Continue until your forearms begin to burn and get pumped.
Muscles Targeted:
Biceps, pronators, supinators.
Benefits:
- One of the best ways to train pronation and supination at the same time.
- Easy to scale by moving your hand up or down the handle.
- A low-tech but high-effect grip and forearm exercise.
Tips:
- The further your hand is from the head of the sledgehammer, the more challenging this exercise becomes.
- Use a light sledgehammer, as this exercise is more strenuous than it looks. 7-10 pounds should be sufficient for most people.
- No sledgehammer? Load one end of an adjustable dumbbell bar and use that instead.
6. Towel wringing
While you can train your forearms for arm wrestling in a gym, you can also get a productive workout at home. This exercise works your grip and forearms using nothing but a water-logged towel. However, don’t let the simplicity of this exercise fool you into thinking it’s easy – it’s actually a beast!
Steps:
- Dunk a towel in a bowl or bucket of water.
- Remove the towel from the water and grip one end in both hands.
- Twisting your hands, wring the water out of the first section of towel, move your hands down a few inches, and then wring it out again.
- Continue down the length of the towel until you have wrung out as much water as you can.
- Rest a moment, re-dunk the towel, and repeat.
Muscles Targeted:
Forearm flexors and extensors.
Benefits:
- An excellent exercise for home workouts.
- Very joint-friendly.
- A great way to increase grip and forearm strength simultaneously.
Tips:
- The thicker the towel, the more challenging this exercise becomes.
- Don’t use your best towels for this exercise, as they may rip.
- Reverse hand positions/wringing directions to ensure that you train both arms equally.
7. Wrist roller
The wrist roller is an old-school forearm and grip exercise that’s perfect for arm wrestling. While you can use it with heavy weights for low reps to build strength, it’s better for developing endurance so your muscles can cope with the demands of a lengthy arm-wrestling bout.
Steps:
- Start with the cord unraveled and the weight resting on the floor. Hold the handle with an overhand grip.
- Raise your arms in front of you, and then start rolling your wrists to wrap the cord around the handle. Use an alternating hand action, and try to wrap as much cord as possible per wrist turn.
- Continue until you have done the desired number of reps or the weight reaches the handle.
- Slowly lower the weight back down to the floor – no dropping!
Muscles Targeted:
Forearm flexors and extensors.
Benefits:
- A low-tech exercise that’s ideal for home workouts.
- Wrist rollers are widely available and cheap to buy.
- Easy to modify by adding or subtracting weight plates.
Tips:
- Alternate between rolling your wrists forward (flexion) and backward (extension) to train the muscles on both sides of your forearms equally.
- Lower your arms and hold the handle in front of your hips to take pressure off your shoulders.
- Make your own wrist roller for just a few dollars – instructions here.
8. Towel pull-up
While towel pull-ups might not be an obvious exercise for arm wrestling, they’re actually an excellent choice. Towel pull-ups not only strengthen your forearms, but they’ll also build a vice-like grip, battering-ram biceps, and rock-hard lats, which are all muscles used during arm wrestling. Simply switching from regular pull-ups to this variation will help make you a stronger, more successful arm wrestler.
Steps:
- Hang two gym towels over your pull-up bar.
- Grip the ends of the towels and squeeze them tightly together.
- Hang with your arms straight, shoulders down and back, and core braced.
- Bend your arms and pull your shoulders up toward your hands.
- Descend under control and repeat.
Muscles Targeted:
Biceps, forearm flexors, latissimus dorsi.
Benefits:
- A total upper body/arm/grip workout for arm wrestlers.
- Builds bigger, stronger forearms.
- An easy exercise to add to your regular back workout.
Tips:
- Wear a weighted vest to make this exercise more challenging.
- Thicker towels make this exercise more grip-centric.
- Just hang from the towels to build a stronger grip and muscular forearms if you cannot do pull-ups.
9. Hand grippers
Hand grippers are ideal for those times you want to work on your grip and forearms but don’t have time to go to the gym or do a full workout. Keep a hand gripper at home so you can train while watching TV or in your desk drawer at work so you can sneak in a set between phone calls. Buy heavy-duty hand grippers to ensure your workout is as effective as possible.
Steps:
- Wrap all four fingers and your thumb around the hand gripper.
- Squeeze it closed and then hold for a few seconds.
- Slowly relax your hand and then repeat.
Muscles Targeted:
Forearm flexors.
Benefits:
- Highly portable, so you can train your grip anywhere and anytime.
- Hand grippers are available in a wide range of closing strengths, so they’re ideal for all levels and abilities.
- Hand grippers are cheap and widely available.
Tips:
- Buy grippers that you can only just close. Easy-to-close hand grippers are of limited value.
- Make sure you balance your hand gripper training with a few sets of finger extensions to balance your muscular development (see below).
- Resist the temptation to use your hand grippers every day. This could lead to overuse injuries, such as tendonitis. Include a few rest days on your arm-wrestling forearm workouts.
10. Finger extensions
Most arm wrestling exercises focus on your forearm flexors. This makes sense, given how important these muscles are. However, you must also work on your finger extensors to ensure that the muscles that open your hands are strong and well-developed. Imbalances between flexors and extensors can lead to injuries. The good news is that training your finger extensors is easy and requires no special equipment.
Steps:
- With your fingers straight and together, take a large rubber band and loop it around your fingertips and thumb. A standard stationary-type band should suffice.
- Open your hand and spread your fingers and thumb apart as far as possible.
- Slowly close your hand and repeat.
Muscles Targeted:
Forearm extensors
Benefits:
- A good exercise for promoting recovery.
- Helps to prevent muscle imbalances.
- Simple and easy to do – anywhere and anytime.
Tips:
- Do one set of finger extensions for every few sets of forearm and hand flexion you perform.
- Use a wide band so it stays in place and doesn’t slip off your fingers.
- Loop the band around each finger to make your workout harder and make sure the band remains in place.
- Keep a finger extension band in your pocket so you can do a set whenever you have a few minutes spare.
FAQs
Do you have a question about forearm exercises for arm wrestling? No worries because we’ve got the answers!
1. Will more muscular forearms make me a better arm wrestler?
Almost every great arm wrestler has big biceps and thick forearms. This is not a coincidence! However, the guy with the most muscular arms is not always the winner, and technique is also important. The small, skilled wrestler can often beat someone bigger but less experienced.
So, work on your forearm and arm strength, but don’t underestimate the importance of learning how to arm wrestle properly. Practice your skills by arm wrestling against a range of opponents.
2. How often should I train my forearms for arm wrestling?
While it may be tempting to train your forearms every day, you’ll probably get better results if you limit yourself to 2-3 intense workouts per week. This will provide plenty of time for recovery and muscle growth while reducing the risk of overuse injuries.
Build each workout around a few different exercises, so you hit your muscles from all the available angles, e.g.,
- Single-arm hammer curls – 3 sets of 6-10 reps
- Barbell wrist curls – 3 sets of 10-15 reps
- Sledgehammer supination/pronation – 3 sets of 15-20 reps
Choose different exercises for your next workout.
3. What is the best rep range for arm wrestling training?
Arm wrestlers need to be strong, powerful, and have good endurance so they’re ready for every type of bout and opponent. For example, being fast and explosive may help you win an arm-wrestling bout quickly. Still, you also need endurance in case the battle lasts longer than you expected.
As such, you should train your muscles with different rep ranges to ensure you are ready for all the demands you are likely to face. This means:
- Power – 3-5 reps with heavy weights lifted quickly
- Strength – 4-6 reps with heavy weights lifted slowly
- Size – 8-12 reps with moderate weights*
- Endurance – 15-20+ reps with light weights
*Optional
Use a variety of exercises and rep ranges in your workouts to ensure you have all the tools you need to dominate at the arm-wrestling table. There is no point in being strong if your muscles are tired in 10 seconds. Similarly, unlimited endurance won’t help you if you get pinned straight away by stronger opponents.
4. Do I need to train any other muscles besides my forearms?
While strong forearms are a must for successful arm wrestling, there are other muscles that also deserve your attention. After all, arm wrestling involves your entire upper body, not just your lower arms.
So, make sure you also train your chest, shoulders, back, biceps, triceps, and core in your quest to become an unbeatable arm wrestler.
You should also train your legs simply to ensure your body is well-proportioned and balanced. Friends don’t let friends skip leg day, even if they are arm wrestlers.
5. Are arm wrestlers strong?
Arm wrestlers are very strong, but that strength is often specific to their chosen activity. For example, a powerful arm wrestler may not be a good bench presser or deadlifter. Arm wrestlers also tend not to be as muscular as bodybuilders.
There are exceptions, such as Larry Wheels, who excels in many different strength sports, including powerlifting, strongman, and arm wrestling.
However, as Wheels himself knows, size is not everything in arm wrestling, and smaller, more experienced competitors can sometimes beat much bigger opponents.
6. Is arm wrestling dangerous?
Any activity that tests maximal strength can be dangerous – including arm wrestling. Most arm-wrestling injuries affect the soft tissues and include ligament sprains and muscle strains. However, humerus (forearm bone) fractures also occur from time to time (1).
These injuries can be to the wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arm, or shoulder. Chronic overuse injuries are probably more common than acute injuries, although the latter tend to be more serious. Strength training can reduce the risk of injury by ensuring the structures of the body are up to the demands of arm wrestling.
You should also warm up before arm wrestling, stretch and mobilize your wrists, elbows, and shoulders between workouts and bouts, and use recovery tools such as massage guns, foam rolling, ice, and trigger point therapy to stop minor aches and pains turning into more serious problems.
Also, be wary of arm wrestling too often, wrestling against much stronger opponents, not using good technique, or not submitting once you know you’ve lost a bout, all of which increase your risk of injury.
More Forearm Exercises:
Wrapping Up
Arm wrestling is a popular activity and sport. Some people are naturally good arm wrestlers, while others need to work at it.
There is more to arm wrestling than just gripping your opponent’s hand and trying to push it down. There are several techniques and tricks you can use to improve your chances of success. Arm wrestling is a skill, and it’s worth becoming a student of the game if you want to get better.
That said, arm wrestling is a strength sport, and training your forearms will help you become a better arm wrestler. Building more muscular forearms could also protect you from injury.
So, train your forearms, as well as the rest of your upper body, and you’ll soon be king of the arm-wrestling table!
References:
1 – Moloney DP, Feeley I, Hughes AJ, Merghani K, Sheehan E, Kennedy M. Injuries associated with arm wrestling: A narrative review. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021 Apr 20;18:30-37. doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2021.04.010. Erratum in: J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021 Jul 30;20:101539. PMID: 33996446; PMCID: PMC8091050.