The size of your wrist bones is largely determined by birth. However, there are some things you can do to make your wrists bigger. In this article, I’m about to lay out 10 exercises you can do to enhance your wrist flexion, wrist extension, strength, and size. At the same time, you will build strength in the forearm muscle and increase your gripping strength. These exercises can also be used for workout routines after wrist injuries.
1. Wrist Curls
Description:
Wrist curls are a basic exercise that involves wrist flexion. It will increase your wrist and forearm strength.
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Kneel in front of a bench and hang your wrists over the edge, with a barbell held in your hands. Your palms should be facing up towards the ceiling and your pinkies should be about six inches apart.
2. Roll the bar down your fingers to full extension, then close your fingers around the bar as you flex your wrists up. Do not bring your forearms off the bar.
3. Reverse this action and continue to complete your rep count.
2. Reverse Wrist Curls
Description:
Reverse wrist curls, being the opposite of wrist curls, work the wrist extensors. It will increase your wrist and forearm strength.
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Kneel in front of a bench and hang your wrists over the edge, with a barbell held in your hands. Your palms should be facing down towards the floor and your thumbs should be about six inches apart.
2. Pull your knuckles up toward the ceiling to extend the wrists.
3. Reverse this action and continue to complete your rep count.
3. Wrist Roller
Description:
A wrist roller is a device that has a weight at one end and a handle at the other. They are connected by a rope that you roll up with your wrists. This exercise will help to build strength in your wrist muscles.
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Stand with the wrist roller held at arm’s length in front of you.
2. Begin winding yo the rope, using an alternating wrist flexion action.
3. Continue until the rope is completely wound up.
4. Now reverse the action, with wrist extension, to unwind the rope.
4. Behind-the-Back Wrist Curls
Description:
Th bend the back wrist curl is an alternative version of the kneeling bench wrist curls. This variation may allow for a greater range of motion. It is also a stricter version because it doesn’t allow you to cheat by lifting your forearms.
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Stand with a barbell held behind your back at full arm extension and palms facing away from your grip. Your thumbs should be about six inches apart.
2. Curl the wrists to bring the bar up a few inches. Do not move any other part of the arms.
3. Lower the bar and repeat for the desired rep count.
5. Towel Pull Ups
Description:
Towel pull-ups are great for building strength in the wrists and the forearms. That’s because your wrists and forearms have to work a lot harder to maintain their grip on a towel than on a bar.
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Loop a towel over a pull-up bar and reach up to grab the ends of the towel with your palms facing your grip.
2. From a hanging starting position, pull yourself up until your shin reaches the level of the bar.
3. Lower under control and repeat.
6. SED Wrist Abduction
Description:
SED Wrist Adduction is similar to a wrist curl but allows for a wider range of movement. For this exercise, you will have to use an adjustable dumbbell with the weight removed from one end. You do not have to use a very heavy dumbbell for this exercise.
Sept-by-Step Guide:
1. Stand with the half-weighted dumbbell in your right arm at full arm’s length by your side. Hold it by its unweighted end.
2. From a neutral position, lower the dumbbell toward the floor. Do not move the elbow as you do this.
3. Lift the dumbbell directly up as high as possible, moving only the wrist.
4. Repeat for the required rep count and then do the same with the left arm.
7. SED Wrist Abduction
Description:
The SED Wrist Abduction is similar to the wrist adduction exercise. This time you are moving the wrist horizontally rather than vertically. Again, you will be using a dumbbell that is weighted only on one end. You only need to use a light weight for this exercise.
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Stand with the half-weighted dumbbell in your right arm at full arm’s length by your side. Hold it by its unweighted end.
2. From a neutral position, pull the wrist back to move the dumbbell horizontally. Do not move the elbow as you do this.
3. Pull the wrist back as far as possible, moving only the wrist.
4. Repeat for the required rep count and then do the same with the left arm.
8. Single-Handed Dead Hangs
Description:
The single-handed dead hang is a great exercise to strengthen the forearms and wrists as they support the entire body from a dead hang. This is one of the most advanced unweighted wrist movements.
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Stand beneath a pull-up bar and reach up to grab the bar with an overhand grip. Your thumbs should be about six inches apart.
2. Hang from the bar at a dead hang.
3. When you feel comfortable, release one hand so that your body weight is being supported by a single arm.
4. Hold for 30-60 seconds.
5. Repeat with the other arm supporting your body weight.
9. Chair Wrist Lift
Description:
For this exercise, you will need a standard dining table chair. It involves lying on the floor snd gripping the back legs at their base and lifting the chair as you lift your wrists. This is another advanced exercise.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. lie on the floor directly behind a chair resting on your forearms. Grab the rear chair legs at their base.
2. Keeping your forearms on the floor. lift the wrist to bring the chair off the floor.
3. Hold the top position for a 2-count.
4. Lower and repeat.
10. Wrist Walking
Description:
Wrist Walking involves walking your hands up and down a wall. After a few repetitions, you will feel your wrists flexors and extensors working.
Step-by-Step Guide:
1. Stand alongside a wall, facing it. Place your arms above your hands against the wall with your fingers outspread.
2. Begin walking your hands down the wall all the way down as far as they will go.
3. Turn your hands so they are pointed down and reverse the action to walk your hands back to the start position.
Conclusion
Combine these exercises into a wrist and forearm workout to help give you thicker wrists and increase your wrist strength. Your wrist exercises workout should involve 2-3 exercises and 8-10 sets in total. You can also do the dumbbell exercises with resistance bands.
Can you actually get thicker wrists?
Yes, you can get thicker wrists. But the difference will not be very great. The wrists are mainly made up of bone, which is determined by genetics. Wrist and forearm exercises will help to strengthen the wrists more than making them bigger.
Why worry about wrist strength?
Increasing your wrist strength will make it less likely that you will suffer a wrist injury through strength training. You will also be able to boost your grip strength, so you can hold the bar more securely without fatiguing on such exercises as the deadlift.
