Best Forearms Exercises
25 exercises target the forearms as a primary muscle. Browse by equipment type below — each includes form guides and images from RepStack's 873-exercise database.
Barbell Forearms Exercises
Finger Curls
Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over A Bench
Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench
Seated Palm-Up Barbell Wrist Curl
Seated Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curl
Standing Palms-Up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curl
Wrist Rotations with Straight Bar
Dumbbell Forearms Exercises
Dumbbell Lying Pronation
Dumbbell Lying Supination
Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench
Palms-Up Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench
Seated Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl
Seated Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl
Seated One-Arm Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl
Seated One-Arm Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl
Cable & Machine Forearms Exercises
Bodyweight Forearms Exercises
Other Equipment Forearms Exercises
Sample Forearms Workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Bottoms-Up Clean From The Hang Position | 4 | 6-8 |
| Farmer's Walk | 4 | 6-8 |
| Cable Wrist Curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Lying Pronation | 3 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Lying Supination | 3 | 10-12 |
Rest 2-3 minutes between compound sets and 60-90 seconds between isolation sets. Adjust volume based on your training experience and recovery capacity.
How to Train Forearms
Research suggests 10-20 sets per muscle group per week for hypertrophy (Schoenfeld 2017). Spread volume across 2-3 sessions per week rather than cramming it into one.
Progressive overload drives growth — add reps within your target range, then increase weight. RepStack's rule engine handles this progression automatically, bumping weight only when all sets hit the top of the rep range.
Mix compound and isolation work. Start with heavy compounds when fresh, then use isolation exercises to accumulate volume on the forearms without systemic fatigue.
Often Trained With
Pair forearms training with complementary muscle groups for efficiency. See our exercise database to find movements that hit multiple groups at once.
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