uksparky

Hey all,

I've searched for some info about tight forearms but most of it sounds as though its injury related.

Just recently whenever doing curls and rows I've noticed my forearms getting exceptionally tight. They are swelling up as muscles do when being worked, but it becomes exceptionally hard to use the arms any more without letting them recover for 20minutes or so to let the swelling go down.

I've noticed recently I've been able to add quite alot of weight to my curls and such and am just wondering if its possible my forearms are just "catching up" and whether it would actually be a good idea to do some forearm specific exercises? In the past I have actually neglected my forearms as I assumed these would be worked along with my biceps/etc when doing curls and other exercises?

Charno

I second this assumption, I feel my forearms get used a lot when doing curls, bench, dips, pull ups, dead lifts ... just about everything upper body related. I sometimes get tightness, pain in my left forearm, I usually think it's a slight strain or pull but I haven't given it much though since it's not a big problem at the minute. Head in the sand really.

Anyway I feel that my forearms are stronger than my biceps so maybe when I do curls they take the strain. So when I think I'm training biceps I'm really training forearms. Maybe you're the same.

ghostdog

yep I get that too from time to time... sometimes feels like shin-splints in my arms! reverse cable curls for high reps just chucked in on leg day sorted it for me. Nowdays I work them properly and it really has helped avoid this tightness.
I think you're right in thinking they're trying to catch up, at least it feels that way to me too.

Nytol

When I 1st started training I used to feel bicep work in my forearms more than my biceps, over the years this has subsided totally.

I did find that preacher curls do a great job of isolating the bicep, with minimal forearm activation.

Paul

I always do 5 mins of cardio before my workouts, on bicep days i do the treadmill and for 5 mins im opening then closing my fingers making a tight fist for 5 mins, something we were taught at jui-jitsu, gets the blood pumping through your forearms, never had a problem doing curls since.

Snorbitz1uk

sometimes when i am on a cycle my forearms pump up so much that i struggle to let go of the bar but thats only when i use tren