Forearm Bar Info

Forearm Bar vs. Barbells, Dumbbells and Wrist Rollers

Forearm Bar vs. Barbells, Dumbbells

The Forearm Bar offsets the weight at 35 degrees and set the hands at a seven degree angle. The importance and relativity of these angles, the leverage mechanics and ergonomics of this apparatus and will become more apparent as you read on.

Although the barbell will always be the mainstay of free-weight training there are as with any apparatus a few exercises that are better performed with a piece of equipment specifically designed for that purpose. The forearms are made up of relatively small muscles but when trained properly (and forearms should be trained like any other body part) yield one of bodybuilding’s most dramatic effects.

Barbells and dumbbells place a weight on the same plane as the gripping hands; this is very efficient for most exercises that incorporate a pushing or pulling motion. i.e. when you perform a biceps curl you are flexing at the elbow which is the fulcrum (pivot point) the weight you are moving is opposed to the muscles you are targeting thus the leverage mechanics and the inertia used to move the weight make this a very efficient exercise for targeting the biceps.

However when performing reverse forearm curls and wrist curls (exercises that specifically target the forearms) using a barbell or dumbbells you sit and brace the forearms on your thighs. There are several inherent problems with this method. The weight lying on this plane and in such close proximity to the forearms is significantly less efficient because the leverage mechanics involved require less inertia to move the weight, the bracing of the forearms significantly reduces muscle engagement and a barbell supination grip places a great amount of undo stress on the wrist and wrist ligaments.

Reverse Forearm Curls

The leverage mechanics incorporated into the Forearm Bar address the bracing of the forearms and the close proximity of the weight to the forearms by placing the weight on a 35 degree angled support several inches in front of and opposed to the gripping hands. This configuration allows you to stand and flex the weight for optimal range of motion. The weight opposed to the gripping hands allows for a direct line of pull placing tension directly on the forearms and maintains this tension through the full range of motion. Combine this with the high density foam gripping and you can really dig in for dramatically increased forearm muscle activation.

Wrist Curls

The 7 degree angled handles of the Forearm bar are a more natural position for the wrists than a straight bar.

One of the main problems with doing wrist curls is too much forced supination (the position where your palms are facing up), places stress on the wrist joints. Over time, this can lead to injury. The Forearm Bar, by angling the handles, makes the wrist curl curl movement much more natural, giving you better results without wrist pain.

Forearm Bar vs. Wrist Rollers

Wrist Rollers target the forearms by rolling up a weighted rope. This does target the forearms to a certian degree but there are several inherent shortcomings associated with this apparatus

Limited weight

Once you start improving your forearm and wrist strength an inherent problem becomes evident with a wrist roller. The problem is when using a wrist roller you stand holding the apparatus out in front of you at arms length. Once you start graduating to higher weight it becomes extremely difficult to hold even 15 pounds at arms length out in front of you for any given amount of time and once you reach 20-25 lbs. you will fatigue the shouldes before the forearms. Many manufactures of wrist rollers recommend not exceeding 10 lbs when using their apparatus. Therefore a wrist roller becomes pretty much becomes a moot point after you build up to 10 or 15 lbs.

The Forearm Bar allows you to hold it down at arms length, a much more natural position. The high-density foam gripping allows you to really dig in for dramatically increased forearm muscle activation.

The Forearm Bars Construction is commercial-grade. Weight Range 1.25 to 50 lbs.

Wrist Curls

Wrist Roller -Not Recomended

Biceps Curls

Wrist Roller – Not applicable

Unlike any other forearm / wrist strength developer the leverage principals built into the Forearm Bar also allow you to isolate the biceps

Forearm Bar - When performing bicep curls with the Forearm Bar the high-density foam grips allow you to really dig in and activate biceps. The position of the weight out in front of the bar helps to put more tension on the biceps than a standard curl. You're fighting not only the weight itself but the pull of the weights trying to rotate down.

The benefit of this tension and gripping requirement is more focused bicep activation, increasing the efficiency of your workout. It also puts a very different type of tension on the biceps - if your bicep training is stale, this bar will give it a good kick to get past a plateau.

At first glance, it would seem that great strides have been made in the development of gym equipment over the past century. Specialized libraries whose collections show the history of gym equipment tell a different story. Only very occasionally is a genuinely new piece of gym equipment invented radically improving how we work out. Monster Bar’s Forearm Bar is one of those unique turning points in gym equipment.

The array of forearm exercises has been for long limited to variations on the theme of straight bar wrist curls. Adjunct equipment has supported forearms indirectly with emphasis on grip strength development. Monster Bar's Forearm Bar brings ancient principles of leverage to deeper, more effective forearm training. Leverage equipment has the distinct advantage of requiring less weight while positioning the targeted muscles in the “right zone” for optimal muscle involvement.

No amount of looking at pictures or reading testimonials for the Forearm Bar matches a few minutes of using one. The difference is amazing as your exhausted, fully pumped forearms will yell out to you. Once you try it you won’t want to train forearms without the Forearm Bar.

Sensei Ken O’Neill, M.A., ISSA CPT, Zane Experience CPT