Are you tired of feeling weak and powerless? Do you want to be able to dominate any opponent with sheer strength and confidence?
Well, look no further! In this article, we will explore the world of arm wrestling exercises, and how they can help you achieve unmatched power in your arms.
Even though the best arm wrestling exercise is sparring with real arm wrestlers on the table, not everyone gets such an opportunity that often, and therefore, you have to develop your strength through some training.
Arm Wrestling is unlike bodybuilding where you constantly grow your muscles with proper training and diet. Instead, you have to focus on your secondary muscles, tendons, joints, and fingers most of the time instead of large and primary group muscles.
Therefore, in this article, we will teach you how to become strong with some of the best exercises that elite arm wrestlers do that will make you strong in no time. Keep in mind that there is no single best exercise for arm wrestling and there are countless training methods you can incorporate.
Developing Strong Biceps
Let’s jump right in and start with the first set of exercises that focus on building strength in your biceps. One highly effective exercise is the classic dumbbell bicep curl. Grab a pair of dumbbells and start with your arms fully extended at your sides or you can also use a barbell if you want to put more pressure on your biceps.
Slowly raise the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows locked in position. Feel the burn as your biceps contract, building that raw power arm wrestlers need. Another great exercise is the hammer curl, which targets not only the biceps but also the brachialis muscles, giving you that extra edge in arm wrestling.
Alternatively, use a barbell and do seated curls without letting the weight completely down. Make sure you stop lowering the barbell when your forearms are at 90 degrees to your upper arm. This approach also helps build a stronger frame and biceps and helps in holding on for a long time in real-life arm wrestling.
Remember that, unlike traditional muscle building, you can use heavy weights with a little bit of jerk to strengthen those muscles instead of just focusing on purely isometric training.
Making Forearms like a Rock
Now, let’s shift our focus to the forearm muscles, which play a major role in arm wrestling strength. One simple yet effective exercise is the wrist curl. Sit on a bench with your forearms resting on your thighs and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up.
Slowly curl the weights towards your wrists, then slowly lower them back down. Feel the burn in your forearms as you squeeze those dumbbells. Another great exercise is the reverse wrist curl, which targets the muscles on the top of your forearms. By incorporating these forearm exercises into your routine, you’ll be able to develop an iron grip that will leave your opponents trembling.
You can further read our post on how to make your forearms stronger by forearm-specific exercises.
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Developing Triceps for a Better Press
Moving on to the triceps, which are pretty important for arm wrestling dominance if you use the tricep pushdown technique. The triceps pushdown is a fantastic exercise for isolating and strengthening these muscles. Attach a straight bar to a cable machine, grasp the bar with an overhand grip, and push it down towards your thighs, extending your arms fully.
Keep your elbows tucked in and focus on contracting the triceps as you push down. Another effective exercise is the close-grip bench press, which not only targets the triceps but also engages the chest and shoulders. By incorporating these exercises into your routine, you’ll be well on your way to building the powerful triceps needed to win any arm wrestling match.
Developing the Wrist
Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into some advanced techniques that can take your arm wrestling game to the next level. One highly effective technique is the wrist pronation and supination exercise. Grab a small and lightweight dumbbell, hold it at arm’s length, and slowly rotate your wrist inward (pronation) and outward (supination).
This exercise targets the muscles responsible for those crucial wrist movements in arm wrestling. Another technique to consider is wrist curls with a towel. Simply wrap a towel around a barbell or dumbbell handle and perform your wrist curls. This will add an extra challenge to your grip, simulating the resistance you’ll encounter during an arm wrestling match. These advanced techniques will give you the edge you need to dominate any opponent.
Developing a Strong Hook
There are a lot of training methods to develop a strong hook but in order to get started, it’s advisable to develop strong biceps first. We have already shared how you can make your biceps ready for arm wrestling but if you want to take them to the next level, you should start developing a strong hook that won’t let your opponent slip his hand.
You will need a pulley with some weights if you want to mimic the movement of a hook in arm wrestling. Make sure to use a fat grip on a Single D handle and pull the weights inside towards your chest by curling your fingers through wrist flexion at the same time.
This movement can only be achieved through some practice and as you will start getting stronger, you can add up some more weights. If you don’t have a pulley, you can also do it with some hanging weights on a judo belt or another alternative is to use an arm preacher curl bench.
Keep in mind that overdoing this exercise may cause pain in your elbow particularly if you are using too much weight. So, build up your strength gradually.
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Building a Strong Backpressure
Just as arm wrestling hook players need to develop a strong hook motion, top rollers need to make sure their back pressure is strong enough to open a hook player’s arm. To develop a strong pressure there are quite a number of exercises including hammer curls and pulling the weight on a pulley.
To do the second exercise, you need to have a judo belt or you can use an arm wrestling strap and some weights attached to the cable. Make sure the cable is coming from a height equal to or lower than the position of your fist when you put your arm at a 90-degree angle on the table. You can also do the same without putting your arm on the table if you don’t have one.
Wrap the strap or belt around your fingers as shown in the image above and pull your hand towards your face. Make sure to do 8-15 reps with light to medium weight if you are starting. Increase the weight as you grow stronger.
This exercise will develop your brachialis muscles to the point where your opponents will find it hard to pull your arm back with their arms. Top-roll is particularly beneficial if you have a longer arm compared to your opponent.
Making Shoulders Unmovable
Now that we’ve discussed the importance of biceps, triceps, and forearm exercises, let’s explore some complementary exercises that will further enhance your arm wrestling prowess.
One often overlooked area is the shoulder muscles. Strong shoulders not only provide stability but also contribute to overall arm strength. There are many arm wrestlers including Jerry Cadorette, John Brzenk, Ermes Gasparini, and Genadi Kvikvinia that have a strong press because they have well-developed shoulders and triceps.
One great exercise for shoulder strength is the military press. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hold a barbell at shoulder level, and press it overhead. Feel the burn in your shoulders as you lift that weight. Another effective exercise is lateral raises, which target the side deltoid muscles.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and slowly raise your arms out to the sides until they’re parallel to the ground. Feel your shoulder muscles engage as you lift those dumbbells, adding that extra power to your arm wrestling game.
Final Words
In conclusion, arm wrestling exercises are not just about building strength in a particular muscle group. They are about developing a well-rounded, powerful, and dominant arm that will give you the upper hand in any competition.
By incorporating these exercises into your fitness routine, you’ll not only improve your arm wrestling skills but also build confidence and resilience. Make sure you don’t overdo the exercises or you will end up injuring your arm.
