gongfu

 Forearms are of immense importance. They are more ifluential to grip strength then the fingers themselves. In fact, I don’t think it is possible to have strong fingers and not have strong forearms, or vice versa, since the major muscles of the fingers are in the forearms. In gong fu, not only does a dense, strong forearm mean the ability to utilise a hard block when necessary, but we strike with the forearm and use the grip extensively. Therefore, if you don’t strengthen the forearms, your kung fu’s usability will suffer.

 One of the easiest and most effective ways to train the forearms are with pull ups. Pull ups will strengthen and harden the forearms, biceps, lats, chest and abdomen, making this an incredibly important gong li exercise. Many people will do them in big sets, for example, repeating the exercises to failure, doing something else for a while, then going back to do them again to failure. If you really tear yourself up from doing pull ups, they say that you should rest the next day. If you do rest, you can still train the forearms with specific exercises.  Also, if you cannot do pullup, just hang from the bar, and relax so that you drop a little then come back up that inch or whatever. After a few days you’ll be able to do half reps, and in a week or two, the pullup. One popular grip training device in kung fu is called an “eagle catcher” but it looks like it could cause tendon problems to me, so I have never used it. I do like the grippers though, and have always been quite partial to those.

 With a dumbell, you can isoloate the forearm with two major exercises. For the first exercise, you simply stabilize the elbow on a bench, or on your leg while sitting and do wrist curls to failure. I will do 6 sets to failure like this: repeat the exercise to failure, switch to the other arm and repeat to failure on that side, then immediatly switch back. This exercise really works the underside of the forearms. After a week or two, your muscles will start to swell up after you do the exercises, and you will have huge forearms for 15 minutes or so. After a month or two, some of the swelling will stay, and you will notice that your forearms are growing, and your grip is improving.

 The next isolating exercise is easiest done standing. I do both sides at the same time, because I like to train the whole body that way whenever possible. Simply lift the dumbells straight in front of you, parallel to the floor, with your elbows at your sides and rotate your forearms through their full range of motion. In other words, fist down, and fist up. Sometimes I will hold at each position, other times I will just very briefly pause at each of the two positions that are the peaks of that direction. Since most gong fu strikes use a rotation of the forearm, this exercise will put some power into your techniques. You don’t want to hurt yourself but need enough weight to only be able to do 12 reps max. You should also toss your iron palm bag around and catch it. Do it playfully.

 I do my forearms and abdomen everyday. Following the lead of Bruce Lee. And I have only had the opposite of injury or poor growth/strength development.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS