How to Develop Stronger Hands & Forearms

Hand and forearm muscles provide the ability to grip, carry and lift items and to perform many daily activities. These muscles can become weak due to overuse, lack of use, injury, poor posture or altered body mechanics. Hand and forearm exercises are not typically included in strength training programs, and these muscles are often ignored until pain occurs or functional abilities are affected. There are several different exercises that strengthen the forearm, wrist and hand.

Things You'll Need

• Small dumbbell
• Canned soup
• Wrist cuff weight
• Exercise tubing
• Hammer

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Instructions

• 1

  Perform gripping exercises daily to increase hand strength using spring-loaded grippers, exercise putty of varying resistance, squeeze balls or rubber band exercisers. Putty exercises allow the fingers to bend through the entire range of motion while squeeze balls provide strengthening in a limited range of motion. Gripping exercises can be performed at high resistance with low repetitions to increase power, or lower intensity for several minutes to improve hand endurance.

• 2

  Perform wrist and forearm strengthening exercises with dumbbells, wrist cuffs weights, exercise tubing or household items like a soup can. These exercises target the muscles that bend and straighten the wrist and move it side to side.

• 3

  Sit with your forearm resting against your thigh. Hold your selected exercise equipment in your hand and hold your forearm down with your opposite hand. In a palm-up position, lift the weight toward the ceiling through a slow count of three, then return to the starting position. Turn your forearm into the palm-down position and lift your hand back and toward the ceiling. Repeat these exercises 10 times.

• 4

  Hold a small dumbbell or soup can in your hand and support your forearm on your thigh in a sitting position. Support your forearm with the opposite hand. Move your wrist from side to side 10 times to strengthen the muscles on either side of your wrist.

• 5

  Hold a hammer in your hand while sitting with your elbow against your side. Slowly rotate your forearm from the palm-down position to the palm-up position. If you have difficulty keeping your elbow by your side, place a small folded washcloth between your elbow and side and do not let it fall out. This exercise strengthens the supinator and pronator muscles that rotate your forearm.