Exercise library

Exercises for forearms

119 exercises that train forearms, primary or secondary. Tap for technique and tips.

Your forearms drive grip strength in almost everything you lift – deadlifts, chin-ups, cleans. Yet they rarely get focused attention until your grip fails mid-heavy set. With 119 exercises in your arsenal, you've got plenty of tools to close that gap.

Barbells dominate the lineup with 49 variations, but dumbbells, cables, kettlebells, and even bodyweight cover everything from beginner programs to specialized grip work. You don't need exotic equipment to build strong forearms – but the option's there if you want the challenge.

Choose exercises by goal

Grip strength and wrist flexion train differently depending on what you're after:

General strength and mass: Barbell curls, barbell deadlifts, and power cleans load the forearms heavily throughout the movement.
Isolated wrist training: Cable wrist curls and cable reverse wrist curls provide controlled resistance with constant tension.
Hammer grip exercises: Alternating hammer curls and alternating dumbbell curls on an incline bench target the brachioradialis and hit a different angle than standard curls.
Functional and explosive strength: Cleans and bottoms-up cleans from a hanging position require the forearms to stabilize under dynamic load – challenging but effective.
Maximum grip challenge: Atlas stones, atlas stone simulators, and battle ropes are brutal on the forearms and suit anyone ready to push hard.

Technique and programming

Forearms tolerate high frequency but are sensitive to overload with poor technique. Wrist bending under heavy load – especially in curl variations – stresses structures around the elbow and wrist quickly if you go too heavy too soon.

A solid program for most: train forearms directly twice a week, ideally at the end of a session that's already taxed them indirectly (back or bicep day). Start with movements you can perform with solid technique, maintain controlled motion through full range, and progress load gradually. Shrugs behind the neck and chin-ups make good complements if you want to add grip work without extending your session much.

Equipment and accessibility

Most forearm exercises need basic equipment. Barbells offer the most options (49 exercises), dumbbells cover 22 variations, and cables provide 6 isolation movements with consistent resistance. With kettlebells you can explore more technical options like the circus bell. No access to a gym? Bodyweight – like muscle-ups – keeps your forearms engaged.

Regardless of equipment: consistency matters more than method for this muscle group. Grip strength doesn't build in a few weeks, but it builds steadily with regular training.

forearms by equipment

barbell 49 other equipment 28 dumbbells 22 cable 6

Alternate Hammer Curldumbbellsbeginner Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curldumbbellsbeginner Alternating Hang Cleankettlebellintermediate Atlas Stone Trainerother equipmentintermediate Atlas Stonesother equipmentadvanced Axle Deadliftother equipmentintermediate Backward Dragother equipmentbeginner Band Assisted Pull-Upother equipmentbeginner Barbell Curlbarbellbeginner Barbell Deadliftbarbellintermediate Barbell Hack Squatbarbellintermediate Barbell Shrug Behind The Backbarbellbeginner Battling Ropesother equipmentbeginner Bench Press - Powerliftingbarbellintermediate Board Pressbarbellintermediate Body-Upbodyweightintermediate Bottoms-Up Clean From The Hang Positionkettlebellintermediate Cable Deadliftscablebeginner Cable Preacher Curlcablebeginner Cable Wrist Curlcablebeginner Car Deadliftother equipmentintermediate Car Driversbarbellbeginner Chin-Upbodyweightbeginner Circus Bellother equipmentadvanced Cleanbarbellintermediate Clean Deadliftbarbellbeginner Clean Pullbarbellintermediate Clean Shrugbarbellbeginner Close-Grip EZ Bar Curlbarbellbeginner Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with BandEZ-barbeginner Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curlbarbellbeginner Conan's Wheelother equipmentintermediate Concentration Curlsdumbbellsbeginner Cross Body Hammer Curldumbbellsbeginner Crucifixother equipmentbeginner Deadlift with Bandsbarbelladvanced Deadlift with Chainsbarbelladvanced Deficit Deadliftbarbellintermediate Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Cleankettlebellintermediate Drag Curlbarbellintermediate Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curldumbbellsbeginner Dumbbell Bicep Curldumbbellsbeginner Dumbbell Cleandumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Incline Rowdumbbellsbeginner Dumbbell Lying Pronationdumbbellsintermediate Dumbbell Lying Supinationdumbbellsintermediate EZ-Bar SkullcrusherEZ-barbeginner Farmer's Walkother equipmentintermediate Finger Curlsbarbellbeginner Hang Cleanbarbellintermediate Hang Clean - Below the Kneesbarbellintermediate Hang Snatchbarbelladvanced Hang Snatch - Below Kneesbarbelladvanced Heaving Snatch Balancebarbellintermediate Incline Barbell Triceps Extensionbarbellintermediate Keg Loadother equipmentintermediate Kipping Muscle Upother equipmentintermediate Kneeling Forearm Stretchbeginner Leverage Shrugmachinebeginner London Bridgesother equipmentintermediate Muscle Upother equipmentintermediate One Arm Chin-Upother equipmentadvanced One-Arm Open Palm Kettlebell Cleankettlebellintermediate Overhead Stretchbeginner Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Benchdumbbellsbeginner Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over A Benchbarbellbeginner Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Benchbarbellbeginner Palms-Up Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Benchdumbbellsbeginner Pin Pressesbarbellintermediate Plate Pinchother equipmentintermediate Power Cleanbarbellintermediate Power Snatch from Blocksbarbellintermediate Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curldumbbellsbeginner Rack Deliverybarbellintermediate Rack Pull with Bandsbarbellintermediate Rack Pullsbarbellintermediate Reverse Band Bench Pressbarbellintermediate Reverse Band Box Squatbarbellintermediate Reverse Band Sumo Deadliftbarbelladvanced Reverse Barbell Curlbarbellbeginner Reverse Barbell Preacher CurlsEZ-barintermediate Reverse Cable Curlcablebeginner Reverse Plate Curlsother equipmentbeginner Rickshaw Carryother equipmentintermediate Rickshaw Deadliftother equipmentintermediate Romanian Deadlift from Deficitbarbellintermediate Rope Climbother equipmentintermediate Sandbag Loadother equipmentbeginner Seated Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curldumbbellsbeginner Seated Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curldumbbellsbeginner Seated One-Arm Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curldumbbellsintermediate Seated One-Arm Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curldumbbellsbeginner Seated Palm-Up Barbell Wrist Curlbarbellbeginner Seated Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curlbarbellbeginner Seated Two-Arm Palms-Up Low-Pulley Wrist Curlcablebeginner Side To Side Chinsother equipmentintermediate Side Wrist Pullbeginner Single Dumbbell Raisedumbbellsbeginner Sledgehammer Swingsother equipmentbeginner Snatch Deadliftbarbellintermediate Snatch from Blocksbarbelladvanced Snatch Shrugbarbellintermediate Split Cleanbarbellintermediate Split Snatchbarbelladvanced Standing Concentration Curldumbbellsbeginner Standing Dumbbell Reverse Curldumbbellsintermediate Standing Low-Pulley Deltoid Raisecablebeginner Standing Olympic Plate Hand Squeezeother equipmentbeginner Standing Palms-Up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curlbarbellbeginner Sumo Deadliftbarbellintermediate Sumo Deadlift with Bandsbarbellintermediate Sumo Deadlift with Chainsbarbellintermediate Svend Pressother equipmentbeginner Tire Flipother equipmentintermediate Wrist Circlesbodyweightbeginner Wrist Rollerother equipmentbeginner Wrist Rotations with Straight Barbarbellbeginner Zottman Curldumbbellsintermediate Zottman Preacher Curldumbbellsintermediate