How to build muscular forearms. Weight Exercises How to Stretch Longus Neck Extensors

Fizkult-hello! Reaching in the hall good results, we want to demonstrate them to others. As a rule, or broad back. But the overall picture can be spoiled by a not at all massive neck. Notice how impressive the wrestlers look, although they don’t have that much muscle mass bodies like bodybuilders.

But a strong neck is not only an impressive appearance, but also the health of the cervical spine and the entire body as a whole. For this reason !

I propose to briefly plunge into all the intricacies of one of the most important parts of our body.
In anatomy, it is customary to divide the neck muscles into three parts:

Deep, responsible for the movement of the head: its tilts to the sides, back and forth, as well as rotation. They, in turn, are divided into two subgroups: lateral - distant from the axis of the spine and medial - located closer to the axis. It is this group that includes an array of muscles called the long extensors of the neck.
Median, actively involved in such important processes as swallowing, mouth opening and speech formation. We are less interested in them than others
Superficial, represented by only two muscles: the subcutaneous cervical and the sternocleidomastoid. The first one tightens the skin, protecting the saphenous veins from compression. The second one turns its head and throws it back

Which covers a whole layer of deep muscles. It is the developed upper trapezoidal beams that give the neck the shape of a cobra. This muscle is responsible for turning the head in its direction, with unilateral contraction, and for tilting the head back. When the head is fixed, the upper beams raise the shoulder blades

Why train your neck?

Health. Perhaps you think it's better to do one thing unnecessary exercise for biceps than to train your neck. Meanwhile, our cervical spine needs a reliable muscular frame
Safety. For fighters, we can use the term - tenacity. A strong neck will help you withstand the blows of your opponent in the ring.
Impressive appearance. As a bonus, you get a serious argument in an argument and just a powerful part of the body that will impress others. Well, or it just won’t stand out from the overall picture of your muscular body

Preparation and warm-up

Before any workout you need to warm up your muscles. This is especially important for the cervical region, because any injuries can affect the quality of life.

If you already have problems with your neck, then you need to take this fact into account when drawing up training program. Forget about dynamic exercises using additional weights. But static loads will be just right. But more on that later.

Warm-up:

Tilt the head to the sides and back and forth. You can divide the movement into two parts, or you can combine it into one exercise. Before starting, lightly massage your neck with your hands.
Head turns. Stand up straight, straighten your back. Direct your gaze forward and tuck your chin in slightly. Smoothly turn first to one side until you feel a slight stretch in the muscles, and then to the other.
Tilt your chin to your chest. Good movement for stretching deep muscles neck. All you need to do is smoothly reach your chin to the jugular fossa (the depression above the sternum).

Perform 5-10 repetitions of each movement, after which you can begin the main workout.

How to pump up your neck at home?

To get healthy neck you don't have to go to the gym. After all, for classes you may not need anything at all!

Let's start with gymnastics, which can be performed by both an untrained healthy person and those who have problems with the cervical spine. But I would recommend that the last group of people first contact a specialist and get the go-ahead to train!

Complex static exercises at home:

Place your palms on your forehead. Now try to tilt your head forward, overcoming the resistance of your hands. It is important that the neck and head do not move, since we are working statically. Start with 3-4 sets lasting 5-10 seconds. Over time, increase the time of muscle tension to 15-20 seconds and increase the resistance force
Grasp the back of your head with your hands and perform a similar movement. But now you need to try to tilt your head back. Try to do the same number of approaches as in the first exercise.
Press your palm onto the side of your head, above your ear. Try to tilt your head to the side, overcoming the stubborn palm. After completing 3-4 sets on one side, repeat the same on the other side.

When making this or that movement, you do not need to move your neck towards the resisting hand, but rather turn it. That is, try to fulfill rotational movement head! This complex will not significantly affect muscle volume, but will help to effectively strengthen the corresponding part of the spine!

Dynamic exercises:

This is the next level. For those who do not have diseases or injuries of the cervical spine.

Take the previous exercises and perform them not in a static mode, but with head movement
Another option is to use a towel. Fold it in half and hold its two ends tightly in your hands. You will get a loop that needs to be placed around your head (not around your neck). And do all the same exercises

Easily? Find a partner. Let him now take a towel and use it to apply pressure to your head. These exercises are quite enough if your goal is to strengthen your muscles and give them an expressive look.

Weight training

Currently, there is a lot of different equipment that can be used for training.

. There is such a popular exercise among fighters as the wrestling bridge. Using TPX loops you can do a lighter version of this exercise! Take the loops in your hands and interlock your fingers. Place your forehead on the back of your hands. Take a position so that your body is slightly tilted forward and has only two points of support: your feet resting on the floor and your forehead resting on the back of your hands. In the starting position, the whole body is extended into a “string”. The cervical spine has a natural deflection. Gently tilt your head forward, then return to the starting position. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions. As your training progresses, increase your forward bend. Similarly, you can bend to the sides and tilt your head back.
With disk. All you need is a pancake with a value of 5 to 20 kg and a towel. Lie down on a bench press bench with your head and neck extending beyond the bench. If you are going to do an exercise on the muscles that extend or flex the head and neck, then place the disc on the back of the head or forehead, respectively. For lateral bending, place a plate on the area above your ear.

With a head helmet. Of course, you can avoid the inconvenience of the “pancake + towel” design. But for this you will have to purchase a harness.

The exercise is most conveniently performed while sitting on a bench. To load the extensor muscles, lean your entire body forward and place your hands on your hips. By taking the “lying on your side” position, you will pump up the muscles responsible for tilting your head to the side. And if you lie on your back, you can give a load to the sternocleidomastoid (thrusting the head forward) muscles. Since the harness is a special device for training the neck muscles, it allows you to specifically load the muscles.

By using relatively heavy weights, you can achieve significant results in increasing muscle strength and volume. But keep in mind that the neck is a rather vulnerable organ and should be trained with extreme caution.

Use weights in exercises that will allow you to perform 10-12 repetitions with the most correct technique!

You can learn more about the basic rules and exercises for training your neck at home in the following video

Training without weights

The US Trainers Association has a universal training methodology. It includes three basic exercises. We already know one of them, lateral neck bends with a harness. I will present the remaining two below:

Straight wrestling bridge. You probably did everything in school on the bridge in physics. So, the wrestling version is performed without hands. The head acts as a fulcrum.
Use your hands to help yourself to the starting position. The head should be slightly tilted back. Once in the desired position, remove your hands. Then begin to smoothly roll towards your legs, thereby increasing the load on the neck extensor muscles

Reverse wrestling bridge. This exercise must be supplemented with a regular wrestling bridge to maintain balance in the development of neck muscles. After all, in this execution the exercise trains the anterior cervical muscles. Due to the complexity and risk of injury, I recommend performing them only under the supervision of an experienced trainer.

Shaking our necks in the hall

In the gym, in addition to such devices as TPX loops and harnesses, you can use a special exercise machine.

Let's figure out how to use this simulator to pump up the front and posterior region neck.

Exercises for posterior muscles. Sit in the machine with your back to the roller. Adjust its height so that it rests on the back of your head. Slowly move your head back, overcoming the resistance of the roller. Then also slowly return to the starting position. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
As additional exercises You can use extensions with a disc or harness.
Exercises for the sternocleidomastoid muscles. Now turn your face to the roller and rest your forehead against it. Bend your head forward, overcoming the weight, then return to the starting position. Again, 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions will be enough. To diversify your workout, do 1-2 approaches in TPX loops.
Trapezium exercises. Everything here is classic. Only shrugs, only hardcore.

With what weight to perform the movement is up to you. This could be dumbbells, barbells, weights or a special machine. The main thing is to do 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions

Deltoid exercises. . Therefore, pay enough attention to them! The best move for the shoulders are leads.

In second place are pull-ups or barbell rows to the chin.

And only on the third bench press.

Why is that? Because the shape of the shoulders is formed by the developed middle deltoids, and they receive maximum load in the first two exercises! For all movements, perform 2-3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.

Briefly about nutrition

So if you want to build muscle, you need to maintain a slight excess of calories in your diet. Or as they say - eat for the masses.

But don't overdo it with excess calories, because we want to pump up the neck, not the stomach! A surplus of 200-300 kcal will be optimal!

Genetic features and conclusion

For any muscle group, genetics plays a big role in shaping the appearance of muscles. For example, the height of the trapezoids is different people may differ significantly and the point is not in the training, but in the length of the tendons with which it is attached to the back of the head.
In addition, the length of the neck may differ. People with long neck It will be harder to build muscle.

In contact with

By popular demand, we have collected all the idiotic exercises that are dangerous to perform in the gym, and Sergey described exactly why it is dangerous to perform them.

Remember! The belt will only help the back with unchanged physiological curves of the spine (neutral position is maintained). In most cases, the belt creates a false sense of security, and is generally not acceptable for beginners.

"Rolling" in Smith

In the gym, you can often see how, when doing squats in a Smith machine, it is recommended to place your feet far forward from the guides of the machine. This method removes the load from the target muscles (hip and knee extensors) and transfers it to the joints and ligaments. The most dangerous option is when the legs are not only carried far forward, but also placed together, this overloads not only the back, but also the hip and knee joints. The injury will occur at the “weak link in the chain.” The amount of pain here is not related to the severity of the injury. For example, a herniated disc may be asymptomatic and manifest itself as muscle failure in the legs.

Any exercises in the Smith machine without taking into account the range of motion
The Smith machine limits the degrees of freedom of movement and allows the weight to move only along a straight path. Smith machine exercises can only be safely performed if the range of motion is close to a straight line. This means that only partial presses are allowed (the range of motion is not full). It is also necessary to take into account the location of the guides and not rely on the structure (see above). Correct execution requires the coincidence of the direction of the force vector and the guides of the simulator. For example, with vertical guides, you can also squat with a barbell without losing balance.

Bulgarian split squat

A good way to ruin scissor squats. You are overloading the hip flexors in your back leg. The consequences of these actions, provided that a neutral position is maintained in the joints of the leg: tearing of the hip flexor muscles due to reflex support on the leg during execution, possible pain in the lower back from an overloaded lumbar muscle.

Walking in lunges with weights

Lunges are not an easy exercise on their own, adding movement reduces the load on the target muscles, increases stress on the joints and makes it overly difficult to control the movement. As a result: the target muscles are underloaded (the main mover will be the quadriceps femoris muscle), the joints are overloaded, high fatigue due to complex coordination. The illusion of “efficiency” with a high risk of injury.

Head Pull

Exercise is chronically injurious shoulder joints. There is no advantage to loading any muscles over chest pulls.

Overhead presses frontal plane presses

Just like the previous exercise, it chronically injures the shoulder joints. As a rule, it is performed with a deflection in the lower back, which overloads the facet joints and intervertebral discs. It has no advantages over the barbell chest press or dumbbell press in the scapular plane.

Traction narrow grip to the chin

Chronically overloads the shoulder joints. A safe and effective alternative is the wide-grip row, where the shoulder is abducted no more than 80 degrees.

Limitations on forward knee movement in squats

“Protecting” the knees, this technique injures the lower back. Of course, there is no need to allow excessive and premature movement of the knees, but it should not be limited in order to redistribute the load on the “necessary” muscles.

Too narrow or too wide foot placement

As mentioned above, too narrow (narrower than the width of the pelvis) or too wide (>2 shoulder widths, another name for “sumo”) positioning of the legs in simulators, and especially the stance in squats, is an overload of the joints (legs and lower back) and insufficient load target muscles.

Snatch, clean and jerk, clean and other weightlifting exercises

The musculoskeletal system of most adults does not allow these exercises to be performed without injury. Rare exceptions only confirm the rule: I didn’t study weightlifting from a young age – no need to start. Even with light weights, adults with moderate to low flexibility should not perform these exercises.

Deadlift from the floor
In most cases, it overloads and chronically injures the lower back. Squats are preferable for the leg muscles, and for the back and hamstring muscles - deadlift from the level of the knees with a slight bending of them without significantly lowering the pelvis down (squatting).

Body raises with fixed legs/on a Roman chair

The exercise has little effect on the abdominal muscles, loads the hip flexors and provokes lower back pain.
For well-trained people, trunk flexion can be included in the training if there is sufficient control of the neutral position of the spine and heavy loads on the hip extensors.

Pistol squats, straight leg raises

They overload the lower back and cause aggravation of the condition in people with herniated intervertebral discs in lumbar region spine.

Bent-overs and straight-legged deadlifts

Legs straightened at the knee joints block the forward tilt of the pelvis when the torso is tilted, which leads to flexion of the spine and loss of the neutral position of the joints. In this case, the greater the load and the faster the tilt, the higher the likelihood of acute injury.

Full squats with weights
You should not get carried away with squats at full amplitude with weights, since in this case it is impossible to maintain a neutral position of the spine and a dangerous situation is created for the knee joints.

Lunges where the hips are crossed

Another option for overloading the hip and knee joints, as well as the lower back. Compared to scissor squats, the load on the target muscles is less.

Exercises/activities that have relatively low effectiveness or are not suitable for most people who lift weights.

Use exercise equipment contrary to design
Always use the machine as intended. For example, the axis of rotation of the simulator lever for extension/flexion of the lower leg should coincide with the axis of rotation in the knee joint. If pain occurs when performing an exercise on the machine, check that the adjustments are correct.
The simulator is configured correctly, and you are doing the exercise that is provided for by the design, but discomfort still occurs? Do not use the exercise machine.

Swing your arms or legs to develop muscles
In the vast majority of cases, they are only suitable for warming up. Swinging weights in itself is unproductive, remember this. Leg swings only tire you out and take away valuable time and energy that could be spent on squats and deadlifts.
Shoulder abductions and flexions (not swings), like other isolating exercises, are performed very smoothly with control of the weight at each point of movement. There is only one “BUT” - the way most people in the gym perform them, including trainers, they don’t need to be done at all.

Push-ups/presses with a grip narrower than shoulder width or twice shoulder width
Even if you don't injure your wrists with narrow grips or your shoulders with wide grips, you won't get any muscle benefits. The optimal width of supports/grips is 1–2 shoulder widths (measured along the outer edges of the acromial processes).

Excessive width/narrow grip when doing rows for the back and shoulder muscles
Excessive grip width can overload the shoulder joints, and a narrow grip can negatively affect the elbow and wrist joints.

Push-ups with hands behind your back, feet on a bench in front
More absurd than these actions are attempts to develop the buttocks with swings and “gluteal bridges”. In addition to the fact that the exercise keeps you slouched, it does not have a training effect on the target muscles (usually considered to be training the triceps brachii muscles).

Forearm extension with dumbbell, shoulder parallel to the floor
The greatest load falls on triceps muscle in a position in which it cannot produce force. Therefore, most of the amplitude of the muscle does not receive sufficient stimulation for adaptive changes.

"Gluteal bridge"
A bad exercise for many reasons. The main thing is that the buttocks can be brought to a spasm, but it will not be possible to stimulate their growth and increase in strength. At the top point of the buttock, where the load on the hip extensors is greatest, the buttocks are shortened and cannot produce any significant force, which means that the real movers will be other muscles. The mechanics of the movement itself do not allow the gains in the bridge to be transferred to other movements, unlike scissor squats or single-leg deadlifts. Another reason is the inconvenient location of the weight, causing discomfort or even pain when performing. And finally, the position of the back. Perhaps the exercise will not be dangerous for the spine, but it will definitely not be possible to keep your back in a neutral position.

Hyperextension with bent back
Suggested to increase the load on gluteal muscles. In fact, the load decreases, since the leverage of the acting force decreases somewhat. In addition, the very position of the back provokes lower back pain. In order for the load on the gluteal muscles to be higher, it is enough to use “oblique” hyperextension (in starting position body position relative to the floor 45 degrees) and maintain a neutral position of the spine.

Front Squats
Suitable only for people with a short hip in relation to the length of the body. For all other people, especially those with relatively long femurs and poor flexibility, it is better to limit yourself to back squats. Another small drawback of the exercise is the awkwardness of holding the weight.
Goblet squats are essentially the same problems as front squats, only holding the weight is even more awkward.

Lunges forward with weights
This is a coordination exercise and is not suitable for increasing muscle strength and mass. Relatively high speeds during movement transfer the load to the distal muscles: the triceps surae and quadriceps femoris.

Stepping up the hill
The effectiveness of the exercise is low, since the load on the leg is reduced due to active assistance when pushing off the floor with the leg. Want to really challenge your muscles? Then perform squats from an elevated position, only touching the floor with your “non-working” leg.

"Farmer's Walk"
It is better to leave the exercise to athletes who engage in extreme strength training. Performing the exercise to failure is dangerous for the shoulder joints (dislocation is provoked).

Anatomy.

The rhomboid muscle is located under the trapezius and connects the shoulder blade to the vertebrae of the upper back. Together with the middle fibers of the trapezius muscle, the rhomboid muscle connects the shoulder blades. It also elevates the scapula along with the levator scapulae muscle. Consequently, the rhomboid muscle holds the shoulder blades, bringing the shoulder blades together behind.

One of the muscles responsible for beautiful posture is the rhomboid muscle. This is one of the most important muscles that stabilize the scapula at the back. The rhomboid muscle runs from the spinous processes of the upper thoracic vertebrae to the inner corner of the scapula, in the direction from top to bottom (from the vertebrae to the scapula). In addition, it is divided into two parts: small rhomboid muscle and the rhomboid major muscle. The minor begins from the spinous process of the sixth cervical vertebra. The rhomboid major muscle runs from the first to fifth spinous process of the thoracic spine to the corner of the scapula.

Problem.

The muscle is prone to weakness, usually on both sides. In this case, the shoulders shift forward and a slouched posture is formed. Antagonist muscle: Small pectoral muscle, with weakness of the rhomboid muscle it will shorten. Which will further increase the forward displacement of the shoulders. A shortened pectoralis minor muscle can put pressure on the neurovascular bundle, which will lead to goosebumps in the arms.

Also the second sign of its shortening: turning the hand with the back side forward (if you lower your arms down while standing). Having weakened, the rhomboid muscle displaces both the scapula and the entire shoulder girdle forward, which causes shortening of the pectoralis minor muscle. Following the shoulders, the head and neck move forward, since the long extensor of the neck is attached in the same way as the rhomboid muscle to the upper thoracic vertebrae. And with weakness of the rhomboid muscle, their fixation and displacement occurs and the long extensor of the neck cannot function normally.

The rhomboid muscle tends to weaken, especially when the pectoralis major muscle on the front of the chest is overworked or very tight. The pectoralis major muscle is a muscle in the chest that gives this part of the body a beautiful appearance. Many weightlifters and bodybuilders overwork the pectoral muscles and end up with a slouched figure. The force of an overworked pectoral muscle pulls the shoulders forward, and the consistent loading of the rhomboid muscle weakens them and develops pain areas. Any type of work that requires you to lean forward with rounded shoulders puts the rhomboid muscle at risk of developing stress points.

This muscle, which is responsible for ensuring beautiful and even posture, is very often weak. It happens that either the rhomboid minor or the rhomboid major muscle weakens. Then, the remaining functional muscle takes on a double load and tries to compensate for this, tries to hold the shoulder blade alone and, therefore, begins to shorten and hurt. But most often, weakness of the entire rhomboid muscle occurs at the same time. It is with weakness of the rhomboid muscle that stooping occurs, because it holds the shoulder blade behind.

Being in such an uncomfortable position, a person wants to straighten up. But he begins to straighten not due to the fact that his extensors, which fix the scapula at the back, begin to work. It straightens due to the fact that it excessively strains the extensor of the back in the lumbar region. At the same time, he develops hyperlordosis (too much arching in the lower back). Pain in the lower back during gymnastics appears precisely because, trying to stand up straight, the gymnastics cannot straighten the thoracic spine and does this by putting effort in the lower back.

Next, the pectoralis minor muscle stops working normally. It tries to compensate for the weakness of the rhomboid muscle and shortens. Since the pectoralis minor muscle attaches to the coracoid process of the scapula and to the third, fourth and fifth ribs, this causes a lot of problems.

The fact is that it is a respiratory muscle. And due to the fact that it shortens and the third, fourth and fifth ribs are fixed, there is a restriction of mobility in the third, fourth and fifth vertebrae and a shortening of inhalation occurs. The muscle pulls the ribs up and rib cage It’s like she’s inhaling all the time, she’s raised all the time. And the rhomboid muscle is the muscle of exhalation, it contracts as you exhale, and during exhalation the scapula moves closer to the spine.

A complex set of muscle changes during stooping is called upper cross syndrome.

Diagnostics.

The pain that occurs in the muscle is felt along the inner edge of the shoulder blade. It does not depend on movement - it can be felt during rest. Not only the rhomboid muscle is involved in the structure of pain. But you will only feel its involvement when you eliminate tension points in the trapezius muscle, the levator scapulae muscle, and the infraspinatus muscle. If you hear a clicking or crunching sound when you move your shoulder blades, or feel pain in your upper lower back, there may be pressure points in the rhomboid muscle as well.

Stretching and static exercises.

1. The most easy way to eliminate tension points in this muscle is to lie on the floor and place a ball between the shoulder blade and the spine. You may need to rest your head on a thin pillow for comfort. You will understand where to place the ball when you lie on it and experience pain from pressing on the tension point. As you lie on the floor, allow your body to relax and breathe deeply. Your body's gravity and the compression of the ball will do all the work to relax the muscle.

2. Stretch: Sit on a chair, lean forward and lower your head. Cross your arms to grab your opposite knees. Hold this position for 20 seconds. You can also practice lateral crunches thoracic spine, they also involve the rhomboid.

3. Mixing. One of the simplest and effective exercises in order to bring the rhomboid muscle into a healthier state is to bring the shoulder blades together. You can do shoulder blade retraction on your stomach (Boat exercise) + our favorite plank.
The “Warrior Pose” asana helps a lot.

Dynamic exercises.

There are about 650 muscles in our body, but for some reason we do not train all 650, but only the most important ones, those that form the basis and in the process of which the whole body is transformed. The rhomboids are just one of those muscles that do not need to be purposefully trained, since they develop passively when doing back exercises. Almost every exercise involves these muscles, and therefore you should not worry about their development - they are to some extent independent.

The most important thing is to squeeze your shoulder blades together before starting the exercise to tighten the rhomboid muscle. Otherwise, she will simply passively overstretch herself and not train.

Dips

Deadlift

Bent-up barbell row

Upper block pull

Pull-ups.

Ecology of health: The short minor and major posterior rectus capitis muscles are located deep in the cervical muscles, connecting the I and II cervical vertebrae with occipital bone. With bilateral contraction of these muscles, the head tilts back, with unilateral contraction - back and sideways. Movement occurs only in the cervical-occipital joint.

OCCIPITIOVERTEBRATE MUSCLES

The short posterior rectus capitis minor and major muscles are located deep in the cervical muscles, connecting the 1st and 2nd cervical vertebrae to the occipital bone. With bilateral contraction of these muscles, the head tilts back, with unilateral contraction - back and sideways. Movement occurs only in the cervical-occipital joint.

Painful muscle tightness in the deep neck extensors can be felt in the area of the cervico-occipital joint while lying on your back with your head passively tilted back (for example, hanging over the edge of a sofa).

To stretch these muscles, sit on a chair with a high back, clasp your head with your hands so that thumbs lay on the cheekbones (feel for the bumps under the lower edge of the orbit), the index fingers under the lower edge of the occipital bone, and the remaining fingers supported the back of the head (Fig. 30, a). As you inhale, raise your eyes up and lightly press the back of your head onto the fingers that support it. After about 10 seconds, lower your eyes as you slowly exhale, leaning back on the back of the chair, relax your neck muscles and tilt your head down at the cervical-occipital joint with your hands (Fig. 30, b).

From the achieved position, without raising your head, repeat the technique several times until the muscles are stretched to the maximum possible extent. The exercise can be performed several times a day.

It is necessary to ensure that there is no flexion of the cervical spine, but only movement in the cervical-occipital joint - a nod. To do this, press your back harder on the back of the chair and tilt your head down using only your hands, relaxing your neck muscles.

NECK EXTENSORS

Numerous muscles back surface The neck and upper back often experience overload due to static tension when holding the head, especially if the posture is incorrect in a sitting position. People with weak muscles often develop spasmodic contractions. At the same time, the cervical lordosis is strengthened, causing the head to be pushed forward, like a turtle’s, and trapezius muscles on the shoulder girdles they are not concave down, they protrude convexly upward, like a bodybuilder’s (Fig. 31, a).

Violations in cervical spine spinal disorders often cause chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency, which can result in headaches, fainting and other symptoms. Severe spasm of the neck extensors does not allow the chin to touch the chest when the thoracic spine is in a straight position. With a slight shortening, the chin does not reach the chest only when the torso is bent.

If there is a functional block in the joints of the spine, it is imperative to first eliminate the blockage and only then begin to perform post-isometric relaxation exercises.

Sit with your head tilted forward and your hands clasped together at the back of your head. You need to tilt your torso and head so that the muscles of the neck, not the back, are stretched. As you inhale, raise your eyes upward, and the stretched muscles will reflexively tighten. As you exhale, relax your muscles and allow your head to tilt a little more (Fig. 31, b). You should not put pressure on your head - the weight of your hands is enough to stretch the muscles. The technique is performed 3-5 times (inhale-exhale cycles) or more.

If your forearms are lagging behind your biceps and triceps, it's time to put them first. Blast stubborn muscles with this arsenal of exercises and training techniques!

If you are a farmer, mechanic, baseball player or handyman who does heavy work with your hands physical work, you probably don’t need to read this article. Just tense up powerful muscles forearms and click on another material. But if your profession doesn't require strong gripping, pulling, stretching, or bending of your wrists, then your forearms will likely need a lot of attention.

Strengthening your forearm muscles isn't just important from an aesthetic standpoint, although we have to admit that few things look cooler than muscular arms peeking out from under the sleeves of a T-shirt. Strong muscles The forearms will also help you increase your grip strength in numerous exercises for all parts of the body and in large compound movements like heavy back exercises and. And who doesn't want to get ahead with these exercises?

Developing strong forearms, however, is more difficult than writing a circuit of three exercises for 8-10 repetitions. Like calf muscles, arm muscles require an integrated approach. Unless you have a genetic predisposition to strong forearms, you'll have to work hard.

Forearms under a microscope

The muscle groups of this anatomical region consist of the brachioradialis muscle, which is located in the upper third of the forearm near the elbow joint, a group of small muscles on the outer surface, which are known as wrist extensors, and muscles inner surface, which are flexors of the hand.

In one way, these muscles are very similar to the muscles of the lower leg. Unlike large skeletal muscles(quadriceps, chest muscles and hamstrings), they consist predominantly of slow-twitch muscle fibers.

In addition to the fact that these muscles are very small and therefore have limited growth potential, the predominance of slow-twitch fibers makes them even more intractable in terms of growth.

“The forearms and hand muscles are different high endurance, which indicates a predominance of type 1 and type 2a muscle fibers in them, and therefore they have to pay more attention,” says Olympic weightlifter and powerlifter Vince Kreipke.

Many argue that the grip required for numerous exercises such as rowing movements, deadlifts and shrugs provides sufficient stimulation to the forearm muscles. Vince Kreipke disagrees. In these exercises, you hold the barbell isometrically, your hands are in a neutral position throughout the entire movement, which means there is practically no real movement of the hand.

"Remember that when you do isometric exercises“, the adaptation of the trained muscles is directly proportional to the angle in the joint with which the movements are made,” he says. “That’s why it’s important to perform any movement with full range of motion. Therefore, to get full-range training for your forearms and increase their size, it is important to train with a variety of movements, and not limit yourself to a simple grip.”

Forearm specific training is a recommended way to fully fatigue the various forearm muscles and ensure they are worked through their full range of motion. After completing any heavy upper body workout, you can perform specific exercises for your forearms.

If you're wondering why you should never train your forearms in front of your back or biceps, try it yourself and then try holding a heavy barbell. Chances are you won't be able to hold it for long enough. For this reason, you should train your forearms after your back or biceps.

Specific training for the forearm muscles - completely fatigue the forearm muscles and make sure they work through the entire range of motion

Only when you fully flex and fully extend the wrist joint do you force the small muscles of the forearm to actively work through the entire range of motion. To specifically work the flexors (the muscles of the inner, or palmar, surface), you should perform flexion at the wrist joint, and the opposite movement is useful for training the extensors (the muscles of the outer surface).

Kreipke says that fancy exercises for flexors and extensors are not necessary; simple wrist curls on the edge of a bench were effective back in Arnold's time. “All you have to do is make sure the wrist bends. Typically, I perform this movement on a bench or any other support point,” he says.

However, there is another large muscle forearm located close to elbow joint– brachioradialis, or brachioradialis muscle. Flexion and extension of the hand do not affect it. Although this muscle is also not involved in standard biceps curls, it can be worked using neutral grip movements like and exercises with reverse grip, for example, reverse curls.

Strengthen your grip

Since we're trying to develop monster forearms here, it's appropriate to add some sophisticated training techniques.

To develop even stronger forearms, Kreipke overcomplicates wrist curls to add grip-strengthening work to flexor training. “I like to use dumbbells and let them roll toward my fingertips during the extension phase. This allows me to strengthen my grip and work my forearm flexors.”

Another way to increase the demands on your forearm muscles and grip strength is to use a barbell or dumbbells with a thick bar. A standard barbell or dumbbell has a one-inch handle, but many lifters find that using a thicker bar forces the forearms to work harder, which provides an additional stimulus for increasing muscle size and strength.

Thick handles stimulate the work of both the hand muscles and the muscles of the forearms to a greater extent.

However, you will find that when you start using a thick bar, your grip will quickly become a weak link because you will have less mechanical advantage. This limits the working weight you can use, but over time, training with a thick barbell will dramatically increase your grip strength when working with a standard bar!

Not everyone has thick barbells and dumbbells gym, but accessories like Fat Gripz can easily be wrapped around a regular barbell to more than double its thickness. Try using Fat Gripz in regular exercises and in specific exercises for the forearms - flexion and extension of the hand, palms up and palms down.

When training the muscles of the forearms, Kreipke recommends following three rules:

Perform a high number of repetitions: 10–20, with an average of 15 per set.
Rest less between sets: just enough time to reduce muscle burning, usually less than a minute.
Train your forearms long and hard: 60-plus reps per workout.

“Isometrically tensing the forearm muscles during multiple rows—provided you are not using straps—should provide a sufficient high-intensity load (if using large scales and low repetitions),” says Kreipke.

As with other muscle groups high in slow-twitch muscle fibers, you can train your forearms more often

“I highly recommend giving your forearm muscles a lot of work if you want to target this muscle group,” he continues. “I also recommend actively using supersets of opposite movements—palm-up and palm-down curls—to increase the pump. One way or another, you need to force the muscles to increase in volume to adapt to high loads.”

As with other muscle groups that are high in slow-twitch muscle fibers, you can train your forearms more frequently—up to three times a week—as long as you don't overload them the night before a workout that requires a very strong grip.

Experiment with different combinations of sets, repetitions, and intensity techniques to see which technique works best for you. As with calf training, you can find many approaches to speed up progress that has been agonizingly slow. The effort and time spent will eventually do the trick, and gradual progress will become more noticeable.

With this knowledge in your pocket, try the simple routine below after a biceps or back workout to add some serious volume to your forearms.

Forearm training program

To move to the next level of difficulty, try combining the last two exercises into a superset. You can also use last approach for each exercise: reduce the weight by 25% after muscle failure and continue the exercise until the next failure. Don't be afraid to increase the volume training load, try other techniques - or even when working with one hand - for maximum pumping of the forearm muscles.

What about the straps?

Kreipke says that if you haven't used straps before, your grip will improve along with your other strength gains, and you'll never have to use them. Especially if you pay enough attention to developing your forearms and grip strength.

However, some lifters understandably turn to straps on heavy back or upper trap days to better secure the weight in their hands. The straps eliminate the possibility of the bar falling, which can be caused by the following reasons:

Sweaty hands
Insufficiently grooved fingerboard surface
Weak grip
Fatigue of the muscles of the hand and forearm

The straps will definitely help you complete that extra rep or two that will spur you on muscle growth in target muscle group. Of course, the flip side of the coin is lack of grip strength development, but with the plan we've developed, you can get the best of both worlds - training your grip and forearms separately and using straps when needed.

Now hit the gym and blast your forearm muscles!