The wrist may not be one of the muscles you want to show off. Most people prefer to focus on the chest muscles, biceps, abs, and so on. However, you shouldn't ignore it: strong wrists are a valuable asset for heavy work, sports, and for carrying out daily activities. Plus, there's a very satisfying feeling when you shake another person's hand with a firm and confident grip while looking him in the eye! Start working your wrists now to build forearm and wrist strength so you can perform important activities with ease.
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Method 1 of 3: Strengthening Wrist in the Gym
Step 1. Try doing wrist curls as a daily activity
Wrist curls are one of the most important arm and wrist exercises. To do this, you'll need dumbbells (you can also use a barbell to lift with both hands.)
- Sit on a bench or bicep curl rack. Grip dumbbells with palms facing up. Use only your forearm muscles to lift the dumbbells toward your wrists without bending your elbows. Lower the dumbbells back down and repeat this movement. Repeat this movement on the other arm.
- Do 3 sets of 15 reps or until you feel exhausted. Unless otherwise noted, this recommended number of sets can be applied to all the exercises in this article.
- You can also do this exercise at home using a milk can or a syrup bottle instead of dumbbells.
Step 2. Use the reverse wrist curl exercise to work other parts of the wrist
As the name implies, an inverted wrist curl is the opposite of a regular wrist curl exercise. This exercise is great after a few sets of regular wrist curls so you can work all your wrist muscles.
Sit on the bench. Place one arm on your thigh so that your hand extends beyond your knee. Take and grip a dumbbell with your palms pointing downwards. With the dumbbells hanging in your hands, use your wrists to lift the dumbbells up until they are in line with your arms. Lower your dumbbells back down and repeat this movement. Repeat this exercise on the other arm
Step 3. Try doing a wrist roll for a bigger challenge
This exercise may seem strange, but if you get it right, it's a very effective exercise for strengthening your wrists. To do this, you'll need a strong stick or bar (such as a broom handle or dumbbell bar without weights). Tie a light weight (eg 2, 5 or 5 kg) at the end of a strong rope and tie the other end to the center of the stick.
- Hold the stick in front of your body and let the weight hang from the end of the rope. Your palms should be pointing downwards. With your arms, begin to wind the rope using the stick so that the rope will be wrapped around the stick and the weight will be lifted up. Stop when the weight has reached the stick, then carefully stretch the rope back until it hits the floor again. Do not stop rolling or let your arms push down during this exercise.
- Repeat for 3 to 5 rolls or until you feel tired.
Step 4. Try a two-hand pinch
You'll need a heavy barbell plate to do this challenging exercise. This exercise can be a great option for those who are already strong and want to improve forearm and wrist strength. Since this weight plate can cause serious injury in a fall, just do the other exercises mentioned above if you are not ready and have no experience with gym equipment.
- Attach two equal-sized barbell plates and place them on the floor in front of you so that the wide sides of the weights are facing you. Hold both plates at the same time at the top. Your fingers should be on one side of the plate, while your thumb should be on the other side. Lift the weight from the floor to waist height and hold it as you would a deadlift. Clamp the two plates tightly so they don't fall. Hold for 30 seconds (or as long as you can), then lower the weight back to the floor.
- Repeat for 3 to 5 sets or until you feel tired.
- Spread your legs apart when you do it. With the position of the legs spread, the weight plate will not hit your feet if it is released from the grip.
Step 5. Perform grip-based exercises to indirectly increase wrist strength
Many exercises in the gym don't target the wrist directly, but rely on a firm grip to do them. This type of exercise can indirectly train the wrist and forearm muscles. If you really want to increase wrist strength, add some of the exercises below to your workout routine throughout the week. Below are some exercises that use forearm/wrist strength as a support. There are many other exercises like this (you'll notice that all of them require you to grip the bar or bar to move the weights).
- Pullups
- Chin up
- Bicep curl
- Deadlift
- Seated row
- Lat pulldown
- chest press
- Chest fly
- Shoulder press.
Step 6. Don't forget to stretch your wrist to increase flexibility
Like any other muscle you train in the gym, your wrist should be stretched to stay flexible and feel comfortable at all times. In addition, stretching the wrist on a regular basis is one way to prevent the emergence of various conditions that cause pain such as carpal tunnel syndrome which can continue to grow along with the development of the body. Some stretches for the wrist include:
- Prayer stretch: Start by placing your palms together in front of your chest. Slowly lower your palms (keeping them together) until your forearms form a straight line. It looks as if you are praying, and you will feel a gentle stretch in the forearm. Hold this stretch position for 30 seconds, then repeat several times for best results.
- Wrist flexor stretch: Extend one arm in front of the body with the palm facing up. Point your hands to the floor by bending your wrists; do not twist the arm. With the other hand, apply gentle pressure until you feel a stretch. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat with the other hand.
- Wrist extensor stretch: Extend one arm in front of the body with the palm facing down. Point your hands to the floor by bending your wrists. With the other hand, apply gentle pressure until you feel a stretch. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat with the other hand.
Method 2 of 3: Strengthening Wrist at Home
Step 1. Use both hands to do one-handed work
Most people have a stronger wrist in the dominant hand than the non-dominant wrist. You may be surprised how difficult it is to complete daily tasks using your non-dominant hand! Continue to use your non-dominant hand, and over time, your weak wrist will become stronger and you will be able to do daily chores more easily. Some of the daily chores you can complete with your non-dominant hand include:
- Brushing teeth
- Write
- Using a computer mouse or touchpad
- Feeding food
- Stirring
Step 2. Try squeezing a stress ball or using a palm exercise tool
Maybe you've encountered this tool in the practice room, places that have high levels of stress (eg in offices), and so on. Although these tools have various sizes and shapes, the method of use is the same, namely by holding it, strengthening the grip firmly, loosening the grip, then repeating the movement again. That's how to do it!
This exercise is perfect for when one of your hands is idle. For example, when you're on the phone or reading a book, you can exercise your wrist that isn't being used
Step 3. Try doing wrist exercises for golfers
Have you thought about playing golf the next few days? Have a golf club ready to do this. All the movements performed in this exercise are great for strengthening the wrist. You can also use something that is long, hard, and light enough to swing with one hand (such as a broom).
- Stand with your arms at your sides and hold the golf club by the end of the grip. Using only your wrists, slowly raise the stick up, then lower it back down. Repeat this exercise until your arm feels "burning".
- To increase the challenge, start with a light golf club, then gradually move to a heavier club.
Step 4. Try doing wrist circles
This low-strength exercise is perfect for when you're on a break from the office or when you can't do strenuous exercise (such as when you're on an airplane). This exercise is sometimes also used as physical therapy, but don't think this exercise should be done by healthy people because wrist circles are a great exercise to relax your wrists when you feel "tense".
Stand or sit with your hands placed in front of your body and palms facing down. Slowly rotate your wrist to the left, then back to the right. You can clench and open your fists as you do this to add intensity to the movement. After doing a few rounds, turn your palms over and start the exercise again
Step 5. Try doing the exercise using a resistance band
Resistance band is a rubber band made of wide and elastic shape which is often used as a physical therapy tool. However, they are also great for increasing strength even if you're not recovering from an injury. To do this exercise, you need a strong resistance band. These exercise straps can be found at sports stores or at physical therapy centers. You can try the two types of resistance band exercises below to work your wrists:
- Wrist flexion: Hook the resistance band around the fingers of one hand, then stand with your arms at your sides, elbows bent at a 90-degree angle, and palms facing up in front of you. Place the other end of the resistance band under your foot or on the floor. Move your wrist up as far as it will go, then let your hand relax back down and repeat. Keep your forearms still as you do this. Keep in mind that this exercise is very similar to the wrist curl described above.
- Wrist extension: This exercise is almost the same as wrist flexion, but the palms are facing downwards. This exercise is very similar to a wrist curl performed standing up.
Step 6. Do the rice bucket exercise
This unusual exercise is very different from the other exercises listed in this article, but it is easy to prepare and perform, and quite effective at increasing forearm and wrist strength. In fact, a number of baseball teams advise their players to do it as a way to increase wrist strength. What you need is a container that is wide and deep enough that your hands can fit comfortably into it without touching each other. You will also need rice to dip your hands in the container.
- Pour the rice into the container. Dip your hands into the rice until they sink to your wrists. Then perform the movement below with your hands and repeat until you feel a burning sensation. The pressing force of the rice on your hands will work your wrists with great strength.
- Make a fist into a fist, then do a circular motion back and forth.
- Open your hands, and do a circular motion back and forth.
- Open and close your fists while in the rice.
- Move your hands up and down.
- Do a wrist curl with your palm facing your body.
- Do a reverse wrist curl with the back of your palm facing your body.
Method 3 of 3: Performing Advanced Hand Grips and Exercises
Step 1. Adjust your regular pull-up grip with your thumbs under the bar and wrists bent forward
Basically, your palms should stay under the bar. This makes the pull-up exercise much more difficult, but gives the impact of greater wrist strength.
This is for advanced training only, not beginners, as it requires great arm strength to pull the body up
Step 2. Try doing a "flexus" pull-up by gripping the top of the large bar, just touching the tips of your fingers and the heels of your hands (the base of your palms)
This is very difficult to do, but the results are worth it. This variation of the pull-up exercise requires you to grip the top of a block or bar so that your body is stable on your wrists. Start by doing 1 to 2 reps, and work your way up to a full set of 8 to 10 reps.
Step 3. Hold your body in a pull-up position (not moving up and down) to build strength
Get into a pull-up position and hold for about 45 seconds to 1 minute at a time. Rest a little longer than when you were training (if you hold the position for 45 seconds, rest for a minute or so) then repeat two more times. Any exercise that requires you to grip your wrist while stretching will increase wrist strength. There are several things you can do to make your workout more strenuous:
- Pull your lower body until it is parallel to the floor.
- Use the grips mentioned above.
Step 4. Try using a ball-grip to do pull-ups
This will work your wrist in a number of ways, so you're not just working a specific muscle. Hang the handball on the pull-up bar so that you have to grip the hard, round ball, which will significantly increase finger, forearm, and wrist strength.
You can also use a rock hold which is commonly used for rock climbing practice. These artificial stones can be found in many gyms although they do not provide walls for practicing rock climbing
Step 5. Perform fore-arm push-ups facing the wall
Stand 1.5 to 1.8 meters from the wall, leaning against the wall so that your body is supported by your hands. Means your body is tilted with a diagonal position on the wall. Push your fingers so that the heels of your hands are lifted off the wall. Then slowly lower your hands back and repeat. Do 15 to 20 reps.
To make it more challenging, keep the distance between your body and the wall
Step 6. Try doing wrist push ups
This can be painful if you haven't trained, so start on your hands and knees before moving on to the standard push-up position. You're not doing a normal push-up with your palms on the floor, but you should be bending your palms back toward your feet resting on the backs of your palms. Do push-ups as usual.
Try doing this with the outer edge of your hand. Can you "walk" forward using your feet and the outer edges of your hands?
Step 7. Try doing push-ups with your knuckles
You can also start by resting on your knuckles, with your fists clenched. This is a great exercise to strengthen your wrist, although you'll need to stiffen your knuckles first so you don't hurt to do this exercise. Try doing it first on a soft surface, such as a rug or gym floor made of sponge.
Step 8. Perform a handstand (head down and feet up) on a firm floor with parallel bars
The weight of the whole body puts a lot of stress on the wrists, and if you can't maintain stability and strength, you won't be able to keep your body in this position. Don't worry if you can't do a handstand perfectly. You can lean your feet against a wall for balance without significantly sacrificing your wrist workout.
Are you really ready to test yourself? Try doing push-ups in a handstand position. Bend your elbows outward so that your body is slightly lower to the floor, then push back up in a perfect handstand position. This can be done more easily if you use a wall as a backrest
Tips
- To prevent injury, make sure you start with light weights.
- You can use two dumbbells at the same time or a barbell to speed up the exercise.
- Hire a personal trainer to help you strengthen your wrists or other body parts. A personal trainer can give you some secrets on how to get a strong body faster.
- Push-ups can work almost any part of the upper body including the wrists.
- Hit a heavy punching bag with light punches, but do it repeatedly.
- Hire a personal trainer to help you strengthen your wrist. A personal trainer can give you some secrets on how to get a strong body faster.
- Drummers are known for having strong hands and wrists. You don't need to buy a drum set, but tapping a pencil or stick against an object is a good practice.
Warning
- Don't overdo the exercise.
- If you feel pain or pain, do not push yourself because you could be seriously injured. This applies not just to wrist exercises, but to all the exercises you do.
- Don't add weight too fast as it could hurt you!
