Whether you’re looking to build forearm and grip strength to help make daily activities easier such as carrying heavy objects or simply increase wrist stability for peace of mind, then wrist exercises are the way to go, but first there are some important things you need to know before you begin.

Just follow these top 5 tips for getting started in wrist exercises.

1. An important factor before you start any new wrist exercise or training program is to make sure that you are fit enough to engage in the given activities. It is therefore recommended that you consult your doctor or GP in advance.

Sorry guys, I appreciate that wrist exercises engage only a small amount of muscle tissues and joints, yet it is still important to get the all clear as you don’t want to injure yourself or aggravate any pre-existing conditions (e.g. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome).

If you don’t get yourself checked, then you run the risk of making things worse for yourself in the future. So it’s better to be safe than sorry.

2. Another important consideration for wrist exercises is deciding on what type of exercises you should undertake (e.g. reverse forearm curls, stretching etc) and what equipment will be required (dumbbells, barbells, Gripstik Wrist Trainer). It’s critical that you buy equipment from a reputable supplier, especially where exercise equipment is concerned, as you don’t want something going wrong during training. Also try to look out for good product reviews and you should be fine.

3. You don’t have to train your wrists daily as the supporting muscles in the hands and forearms are like any other muscle groups and also require rest to grow stronger. So make sure you get at least 48 hours rest between direct wrist exercises and forearm training to allow ample time for recovery.

4. Instead of complicating your wrist training by doing a large number of different wrist and hand exercises, try starting off with just one exercise at a time and seeing how you feel. You can then slowly add extra exercises as you progress. Try to keep the rep ranges relatively high (above 15 reps) as this will not only build wrist strength but also increase forearm endurance.

5. Have you considered adding wrist  and forearm exercises to your existing sport (e.g. weight training, golf etc) It’s not as difficult as you might think. What you need to do is conduct your training as usual and finish off with your wrist training program. This is because training your wrists intensively may temporarily reduce grip strength, and you don’t want to weaken your grip before conducting your other exercises, so it’s best to leave them until the end.

So if you’re serious about building wrist and forearm strength through wrist exercises, then simply follow these 5 tips and you should soon be on your way to reaching your goals! Good Luck!

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Golf training expert Terrence Thomas reveals state of the art kettlebell traininig program to help improve your golf game almost overnight!

Read More Here!

It should be comfortable, relaxed, and remain fairly consistent throughout the range of the stroke. A relaxed grip is usually best since too tight of a grip can tense up muscles in the arm that can cause your stroke to perform erratically. Likewise, too loose and you could lose control.

One way is to play with an all finger grip where all five fingers remain in constant contact with the butt all the way through the stroke and never alter except for perhaps a slight squeeze on contact with the cue ball. This method requires the cue arm to be perfectly vertical at address of the cue ball or the cue will lift on the backswing causing a scooping motion. This is the most common way to grip a cue stick among beginners and casual players, and allows the most control. Do not put your thumb on top of the cue, because this will lock up your wrist, and it’s very important for your wrist to stay relaxed.

Most pros use a different grip, only the thumb and first finger remain constant , the others flex open on the backstroke and close on the forward stroke. This has the effect of tracking the cue and keeping it on line, also greatly increasing cue ball control and cue power. On the final backswing the little finger practically comes off the cue altogether, this allows the cue to remain flat , on the follow through the fingers all close and return to the original position.

No matter what style grip you use, it is important to keep your grip loose and relaxed. This will allow you to follow through on your stroke. A proper grip allows you control and accurate shots. Bad grips will limit your potential for improvement. At all times, your cue should feel well balanced in your hand. For normal shots, your hand should be in the center of the wrap.

For shots that require more ‘touch” and accuracy, try moving your hand forward on the wrap, shortening the length between your bridge hand and the ferrule. For shots that require more power, try moving your hand back on the wrap, lengthening the distance between your bridge hand and the ferrule. Always remember to stay down and follow through on your shots.

The key to determine your grip is to find the balance point of the cue. To find the balance point, take your index finger and balance the cue stick on it so that it teeters on its own. Once it is balanced, take a mental note of the point on the cue stick where your finger was holding it and use this as your balance point or reference point.

In general, but depending on how tall you are, you should grip the cue at least six inches back from the balance point towards butt end of the cue stick. Shorter players should place their grip hand slightly closer to the balance point we found earlier, while taller players should put their gripping hand a greater distance away from the balance point. This process will eliminate the chance of developing a bad grip and will start your beginners’ career off on the right foot.

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* The overlapping grip is the most common golf grip used. It is used mostly by male golfers and those with strong wrists and forearms. The little finger of the right hand lies on top of or overlaps the index finger on the left hand.

* The baseball grip is most commonly used by younger golfers, females, seniors, and those with weaker wrists and arms. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand meet but do not overlap or interlock.

* An interlocking grip will be used by golfers with shorter hands and fingers, those with thicker or chunkier palms, and golfers who have difficulty with the overlapping grip. The index finger of the left hand and the little finger of the right hand overlap each other and interlock. Here is the basic way to grip a golf club no matter which grip you use. Start by holding the club directly in front of you with your right hand with the club head pointing away from you at about a 45 degree angle.

Next grip the club with your left hand. The club will be mainly in the palm across the pads at the base of the fingers. However, the club will lie across the first section of the index finger. The thumb will be positioned straight on top of the golf club shaft. Relative to the golf club, the thumb will be in the twelve o”clock position.

Now, with your right hand, grip the golf club just above your left hand with the fingers, not the palm, of your right hand. The thumb will be positioned slightly off to the left. Relative to the golf club, the thumb will be in an eleven o”clock position.

If you have gripped the golf club correctly, only the first two knuckles of your left hand will be visible. Also, your left thumb should be completely hidden under your right hand. The index finger position of your right hand will look and feel like a gun trigger finger. If your golf grip pressure is right, the club could almost be pulled out of your hands, but not quite.

A correct golf grip will make you feel as if you are holding the club mostly in the palm and last three fingers of your left hand. Regardless, both hands should hold the club with equal pressure. A correct golf grip doesn’t guarantee a successful golf swing; however, a defective golf grip will almost always result in a failed golf swing.

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After all, with all the wrist exercisers and wrist exercise tools in the marketplace, it’s quite easy to get confused.

So first you have to ask yourself what is you want to achieve?

Are you simply looking to build stronger wrists for general purposes such as carrying your groceries home or overcoming an old injury, or are you looking to develop your wrists and hands for a specific sport such as golf or baseball? Only you know the answer to this question.

And with that said, I have compiled a list of the best wrist and grip training tools available and included descriptions of each and what they are most suited for, to help you make up your own mind and maybe point you in the right direction.

So here they are:

The Russian Kettlebell

Gripstik Wrist Exerciser

Captains Of Crush Hand Gripper

Gripmaster Pro Hand Gripper

Powerball Gyroscope

That is why this article looks to focus on a few basic grip training and wrist exercises that martial artists can perform to build stronger wrists and grip strength.

Grip Training Exercises

Kettlebell Drop & Catch

This grip exercise is good for getting warmed up. It will help develop your grip strength and assist in holding onto your opponent for longer during competition.

Use a kettlebell with a weight you’re comfortable working with and place your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and bend at your knees. Then slowly pull the kettlebell up infrom to your chest and as you drop the weight, catch it with the opposite hand. Then repeat this process until you feel your wrists, hands and forearms are adequately warmed up.

Note- Safety is the most important element here and this exercise is best performed outdoors on grass, as you don’t want to damage your floor or carpet should you fail to catch the kettlebell during the drop. Also, consider wearing toughened shoes e.g. steel toe capped boots, as you don’t want to hurt your toes either.

Captains of Crush Squeeze & Hold

This grip exercise requires a Captains of Crush hand gripper or some other grip strength tool that replicates the squeezing motion. The importance here is that you counter pressure against your closed grip throughout. This is a simple exercise whereby you squeeze the hand gripper until it is in its closed position and then hold for a count of 10.

Note – As the Captains of Crush hand grippers come in varying strengths, you will require one which will not be easy to keep closed during the 10 seconds. If however you find 10 seconds to easy, increase the squeeze time to 20 and so on.

Hand Gipper Squeeze & Rotation

This is my favorite grip training exercise as I replicates a real grip scenario. In this grip exercise you repeat the above instructions, but this time during the 10 second count you rotate your wrist clockwise and counter clockwise until the 10 second count is over. You should find this grip exercise places alot more pressure on your wrists and subsequently help build an even stronger grip.

These are some of my favorite exercises to help get me in the flow or things. If you wan’t to take your grip training to the next level and really intimidate your opponents, then check out the Grip Master’s Manual.

Technorati Tags: grip strength, Grip Training, Wrist Exercises

One such tool used during hand exercises is the well renowned hand gripper. This old school tool is extremely important in building often underdeveloped crushing strength as is replicates the crushing motion of the hand extremely well. That being said, it is quite common for users to quickly outgrow the device over time as they continue to use them.

The problem lies in the fact that with most conventional hand grippers they normally come with one resistance setting and there is no way to increase the resistance as you inevitably develop your wrist and grip strength.

Luckily this is not the case for all hand grippers. The very popular Captains of Crush hand gripper is similar in design to the conventional style hand grippers, yet unique in the fact that they are available in ten strengths. “There is a model perfect for everyone from rehab patients to World’s Strongest Man winners” and is perfect for individuals looking to dramatically increase their grip strength. This product takes over where convention style hand grippers left off.

In short, the reason this product is so popular is the fact that you are able to increase the resistance as you gain grip and wrist strength and it’s a perfect addition to any wrist exercises & forearm exercises regime.

Another good grip strength tool is the Ivanko Super Hand Gripper. This excellent tool is used by top athletes for building grip and forearm strength through intelligent hand exercises. This exercises tool has forty increments of adjustable resistance which allows you to easily increase and decrease the resistance as desired and is the perfect compliment to any wrist exercises program.

Technorati Tags: Forearm Exercises, forearm strength, grip strength, Hand Exercises, wrist exercises program, Wrist Strength

Below I have listed three forearm exercises that you should consider doing on a regular basis as they will form the foundation of a good overall wrist exercises program. As always before performing any forearm exercises, start off by correctly warming up by doing some form of wrist stretch to help warm up the surrounding forearm muscles and also loosen the wrist joints.

Here are the three key foundation exercises you should be doing.

Wrist Curls – This exercise will help build the inside forearm muscles, and will add grip strength as well as wrist stability to help prevent injuries in the future, such as golfers elbow.

Read more about this forearm workout

Reverse Wrist Curls – The same as the above exercise except your palms start off facing toward you.  This exercise is responsible for developing the exterior forearm muscles and will often result in giving you the defined look at the top of your forearms. This exercise is also great for building wrist strength and can help prevent sport related strains such as Tennis elbow.

Read more about this forearm workout

The Hand Gripper – Although it may not be thought of as a conventional forearm exerciser, the hand gripper has definitely earned its place as a top wrist exerciser / forearm exercise tool. This is because despite appearing to only be working the hand muscles, it’s predominant benefits are received by the forearm muscles, which is why many individuals relate to feeling a burning sensation in their forearms after using the hand gripper.

Note – The hand gripper comes in many different variations, shapes and sizes. For more info on hand grippers and hand exercises visit the hand exercises page.

So there you have it, the 3 essential strong forearm exercises that you should do as part of your overall wrist exercises program.

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For this particular wrist training I prefer to use a barbell (although dumbbells are also a viable option) as it allows me to complete the exercise quicker than working one forearm at a time, yet I do not have to sacrifice technique or intensity in the process.

This particular forearm workout, works the extensor carpi radialis longus, the extensor carpi ulnaris and the extensor carpi brevis. In plain English, they are the muscles which run from the humerus to the metacarpal bones in your hands. Performing these forearm / wrist exercises on a regular basis will help increase wrist stability whilst also adding definition to the outside upper portion of your forearms.

Note – I recommend you start with a light weight and focus on correct technique and repetitions to start off with. You can later move up to a heavier weight if desired. Aim for around 12-15 reps.

Performing the Forearm Workout

• Start off by kneeling in front of an exercises bench with your forearms resting across the bench.

• Holding the barbell with both hands, palms facing down, fists closed and knuckles toward the floor, slowly raise the bar until your knuckles are facing upwards.

• Hold this position for a count of one and squeeze for maximum contraction and blood flow, then slowly lower the barbell to the starting position.

• Once back at the starting position, hold for a further 1 second and repeat the process until you have reached your desired rep count.

Remember – Just as with the standard wrist curl, to increase wrist strength , the reverse wrist curl should always be executed with strictest form as it is an essential part of your forearm workout program.

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The reason we are going to focus on the static wrist stretch is because it is very safe if done correctly, as it allow you to slowly ease into the stretched position and requires no sudden movements. You are therefore also less likely to cause unnecessary strain afterwards whilst performing your wrist exercises.

There are many different levels of wrist stretches you can perform, depending on joint flexibility, joint health (prior injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome etc), but for the sake of safety, we are only going to focus on two very basic stretches.

The first is the wrist flexion stretch and the other is the wrist extension stretch. Let us now take a look at how to perform these 2 very important wrist stretching exercises.

The Wrist Flexion Stretch

• Start off by extending your right arm out in front of you with your elbow locked out and your right hand palm facing towards you.

• Then using your left hand, proceed to bend your right wrist by pulling your right hand slowly towards you until your wrist is fully stretched.

• Hold this position for a 3 second count and relax. Then repeat 5 more times.

• Finally move onto your left arm and repeat the above instructions.

Note – We have included a short video to demonstrate the above technique.

The Wrist Extension Stretch

• Start off by extending your right arm out in front of you with you elbow locked out and right hand palm facing outwards away from you.

• Then using your left hand, proceed to bend your right wrist by pulling your right hand slowly upwards and towards you until your wrist is fully stretched.

• Hold this position for a 3 second count and relax. Then repeat 5 more times.

• Finally move onto your left arm and repeat the above instructions.

In summary, whenever performing any form of wrist stretch always ensure you take proper precautions by ensuring that you are adequately warmed up. Never stretch when cold. Although these 2 stretches are very basic, the importance of them should not be overlooked as they are very effective at preventing injuries.

Technorati Tags: Wrist Exercises, Wrist Strength, Wrist Stretch