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Sylvester Stallone, with his huge forearms, needs no introduction. The 76-year-old, who embodied Rocky Balboa, is still going strong and frequently posts clips from the rigorous training he undertook to build his body for the Rocky and Rambo films.
Stallone is especially known for his muscular and brawny arms. When it comes to arm exercises, most people concentrate only on biceps, at most including some trciep workouts in their routine.
However, that can cause muscle imbalance in the arms. The forearms, too, deserve attention. You can squeeze the weights harder, use more muscles, and exert more force with each movement if your forearms are stronger.
Forearm muscles are also employed in regular activities, like carrying objects and opening glass jars. They are important in sports like basketball, racquetball, and golf as well.
Exercises to Build Sylvester Stallone-like Forearms
On that note, here's a look at six exercises that can help you develop arms like Sylvester Stallone's:
1) Farmer's Carry
The farmer's carry is an important exercise that can help you develop a vice-like grip and powerful forearms. Additionally, it strengthens the core and enhances shoulder stability.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Stand straight, with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms by your sides.
- Keep a set of dumbbells or kettlebells next to each foot on the ground.
- Grab a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand as you kneel down.
- Stand up engaging your core and drawing your shoulder blades back and down.
- With your shoulders pulled back and core muscles tight, begin to walk.
- Perform the walk 2-3 times over a distance of 20 yards.
2) Towel Curl
By wrapping a towel around a barbell, you can work harder to maintain your grip on the weight, which means more exercise for the forearms. The bicep muscles, forearm flexors, and brachioradialis are all worked out during a towel curl.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Wrap a barbell in a thick towel so that you are able to grab the barbell properly.
- Place the barbell in front of your thighs and hold it with an overhand grip at shoulder width.
- Curl the bar, making sure your upper arms are stable.
- Add greater weight each time as your reps decrease with each set.
3) Towel Pull-up
The secret to strengthening the forearms is practicing on your grip. Pull-ups are a terrific exercise for developing a firm grip and large arms, but the workout can be made more challenging by using a towel in place of a bar.
Doing so means you will need to squeeze much tighter to lift yourself up and squeeze the towels even harder to stay up.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Grab hold of a pull-up bar that has two towels wrapped around it. Make sure you are able to wrap your hands around it properly.
- Keep your shoulders down and chest high as you pull yourself up.
- If you are unable to use two towels (one for each hand) at the start, start by grabbing the pull-up bar with one hand and a towel with the other.
- If you have done ten reps with your left hand grabbing the towel and the right one grabbing the bar, do the same number of reps after alternating sides.
4) Grip Crusher
Grip crushers can isolate and develop your grip and forearms. This exercise can help you reduce age-related strength decline, build muscular endurance, and help you perform better in daily chores too. Interestingly, this workout is also a good stress buster and can improve your mental well-being.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Wrap your hand around a grip crusher, and squeeze it firmly till the handles touch each other.
- It can be easier to do if you warm up with lower-level resistances initially.
- Use a gripper for 2-3 sets, closing it completely 5–10 times. Move on to a harder gripper if you can accomplish more.
5) Plank with Shoulder Tap
As the full weight of your body is supported by one arm while the other performs the tap, plank shoulder taps build the forearms as well as the biceps.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Start by assuming a high plank position with your feet hip-width apart and hands just beneath your shoulders.
- Your hips and shoulders should be in line, and your neck and back should be neutral.
- To keep your body flat and stable, contract your glutes, and engage your core.
- Tap your right shoulder with your left hand, and lower it. When your left arm is raised in the air, your right hand will support your bodyweight.
- Use your other hand to carry out the same action.
- Aim for 15 taps on each side as you alternate between touching both shoulders in this manner. Execute three sets.
6) Pinch Carry
Pinch carries make you push your fingers together so that the plates don't separate, which works the forearms. To keep the plates from slipping, you will need to pinch two (or more) of them together.
Here's how you do this exercise:
- Pinch two plates together. Be careful to keep the smooth side out.
- Use both hands to complete the action at once.
- Constrict your core as you stand up straight and begin walking.
- You can perform two or three sets of 15 yards.
Takeaway
The aforementioned exercises can help you build strong and sexy forearms like Sylvester Stallone's.
