How to strengthen your wrists for a strong grip and injury prevention

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Push-ups, kettlebell strength exercises, gymnastic elements on rings and a horizontal bar, handstand - all these exercises require strong and flexible wrists. A life hacker will tell you how to develop wrist strength and do exercises without pain or discomfort.

Gymnastics, rock climbing, crossfit, all kinds of martial arts - all these sports require strong wrists. Wrist strength should be developed in parallel with flexibility. This will help you cope with exercises that require not only a good grip, but also joint mobility.

In addition, strong wrists will allow you to train without pain or injury if you are learning to do a handstand, walk on your hands, or exercise with force on a horizontal bar or rings.

Exercises for the wrists are also useful for people who are far from sports. Warming up and stretching the wrists can help avoid tunnel syndrome - the compression of the median nerve between the bones and tendons of the wrist. Warming up will help relieve tension and will be an excellent pain prevention.

All of these exercises will help you develop wrist strength and flexibility. First you need to stretch and warm up the target muscles.

Warm up for the wrists

Repeat each exercise ten times.

Now let's move on to strength exercises.

Strength exercises to strengthen muscles

Raising from wrists to fists

Sit on the floor with your legs bent under you. Place your hands on the floor on the back of your hand, fingers facing each other. With the strength of your wrists, try to move your hands to fists. If this works out easily and without pain, transfer your weight to your hands and try again. Reduce the load if pain occurs.

Do three sets of 15 reps. When your wrists get used to the load, you can do the same exercise while lying down with your feet on your knees.

The most advanced option is in the usual lying position. However, it will take more than a week before you strengthen your wrists so well. Do not chase after the result, your goal is to perform the exercise without pain (at first there will be discomfort in any case).

Dumbbell Rows

Place your forearm on a level platform, such as a pedestal. Turn your wrist so that your palm is facing the ceiling. Take the dumbbell with your fingers and start lifting it with the power of your wrist.

Start with small weights and gradually increase the load. Do three sets of 8-10 reps.

Reverse grip bodybar lift

You will need a bodybar for this exercise. Unlike the barbell bar, it is lighter so you can practice without overexertion and pain.

Grasp the bodybar with a reverse grip, bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle. Open and tilt your palms slightly so that the bodybar rolls onto bent fingers. At the extreme point, the angle at the wrist should be 90 degrees. With the power of your wrist, lift the bodybar back up. Perform four sets of 8-10 times.

Lifting the bodybar with a direct grip

Grasp the bodybar with a straight grip, bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle. Raise and lower your wrists. Perform four sets of 8-10 times. If the exercise is easy, increase the weight.

Holding dumbbells

Grasp the top of the dumbbells with your fingers. Hold as much as you can - 30 seconds or longer.

Hand rotation with dumbbells

Take dumbbells in both hands, bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle. In the starting position, the back of the hand looks up. Flip your hands over so that your fingers are on top, and then return to the starting position. Turning back and forth counts in one go. Perform four sets of 8-10 times.

Stretching exercises

Stretching on the floor

Sit on the floor on your feet, place your palms in front of you, fingers towards you. Pull your torso back, increasing the angle at the wrist. Hold at the extreme point for 3-5 seconds, come back and repeat. Do it 5-10 times.

Stretching with clenched fists

Sit on the floor on your feet, place your hands in front of you with the backs on the floor, fingers to each other. Keep your elbows straight and transfer some of your weight to your arms to help stretch the muscles. From this position, pull your fingers towards the middle of your palm, trying to clench your fists. Repeat the exercise eight times, rest a little and do three more approaches.

Do these exercises 1–2 times a week, then you will quickly strengthen your wrists, increase your grip strength and protect yourself from injury.