Forearms

[xSHoX]

What do you think are the best way to train your forearms? I was watching an old video clip of Lau Kar Leung and his forearms were crazy!

Also, how can I further develop my punching power and kicking power?

[Blacktiger]

Get into some ring training

[Samurai Jack]

Coc grippers, Forearm curls, and good ol' deadlifts do the trick for me. I've got 13 1/2" forearms from the above. started out with 11 1/2" in 1998.

[Samurai Jack]

Actually just started the Coc's in 2003... I used regular hand grippers until then.

[Chief Fox]

I'll add rope climbing and towel pullups. Both are great for the grip/forearms.

Kicking and punching power. Get a heavy bag. Kicking an actual object gives you direct feedback on your form and allows you to develop speed and power.

Samurai Jack - 13 1/2 inch forearms! :eek: Maybe you should change your name to Popeye Jack. :D

[TenTigers]

corny as it sounds, stick to lien gung exercises, rather than dead weight. Use body weight skills like pullups, hanging, staff drills with a thicker, heavier staff, kali drills with heavier sticks, or pipes. The partner drills that are done by holding and twisting three rattaan staves nack and forth-this builds grip as well as technique.
From what I have been told by a Lung Ying Master in his sixties-whio is powefully built, as well as a Chinese Doctor, who is a Bak Mei Sifu-and has hands of steel,they both told me to lay off the weight training. They said lien gung will develop functional strength,core strength, and it does not "choke off the meridians", which means over the years, weight lifting will inhibit chi flow. Lien Gung exercises also work on stretching and elongating the muscles. Blockages occur at "energy gates", such as shoulders, elbows,wrists, etc. Stretching while strengthening the body opens up the channels.
There is a HUGE difference between strength that comes from weight lifting and Lien Gung strength. You can feel it. I may be able to lift more than them, but they can crush me, and in Kung-Fu related movements, they go right through me. It is a very strange feeling, but I realized that my past teachers never really taught these. Sure they showed them, but it was not a part of the training.
I now make it part of class.

oh yeah, next time you order take out Chinese food, watch the guy making it. Watch the way he flips the food in the wok. Then look at his forearms. Usually they are big and well defined. This is lien gung as well. go buy a wok.

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Towel wringing.. wet a towel and wring it dry, in doing so, start with arms extended and draw them into your center.. end up by wrapping your torso around the wringing hands which are positioned at the solar plexus area.. this is a great forearm exercise that also works on core strength as well.. repeat this exercise as needed..

Work with staffs of varying length and weight, holding one end.. raise and lower the staff with the wrist in different positions..

Be well..

[Mr Punch]

...They said lien gung will develop functional strength,core strength, and it does not "choke off the meridians", which means over the years, weight lifting will inhibit chi flow. Lien Gung exercises also work on stretching and elongating the muscles. Blockages occur at "energy gates", such as shoulders, elbows,wrists, etc. Stretching while strengthening the body opens up the channels.While I'm not dissing your advice as I prefer that kind of exercise anyway, what's the difference if you do say, weights and yoga, to make sure your 'chi isn't blocked'?

Plus, this assumes he's into the internal methodology. While the distinction between internal and external is moot, there are plenty of traditional styles that include weight training as a part of their curriculum. A stressed muscle is a stressed muscle, and if you stretch and breathe and do some breathwork the chi should look after itself no?

[SevenStar]

corny as it sounds, stick to lien gung exercises, rather than dead weight. Use body weight skills like pullups, hanging, staff drills with a thicker, heavier staff, kali drills with heavier sticks, or pipes. The partner drills that are done by holding and twisting three rattaan staves nack and forth-this builds grip as well as technique.
From what I have been told by a Lung Ying Master in his sixties-whio is powefully built, as well as a Chinese Doctor, who is a Bak Mei Sifu-and has hands of steel,they both told me to lay off the weight training. They said lien gung will develop functional strength,core strength, and it does not "choke off the meridians", which means over the years, weight lifting will inhibit chi flow. Lien Gung exercises also work on stretching and elongating the muscles. Blockages occur at "energy gates", such as shoulders, elbows,wrists, etc. Stretching while strengthening the body opens up the channels.
There is a HUGE difference between strength that comes from weight lifting and Lien Gung strength. You can feel it. I may be able to lift more than them, but they can crush me, and in Kung-Fu related movements, they go right through me. It is a very strange feeling, but I realized that my past teachers never really taught these. Sure they showed them, but it was not a part of the training.
I now make it part of class.

oh yeah, next time you order take out Chinese food, watch the guy making it. Watch the way he flips the food in the wok. Then look at his forearms. Usually they are big and well defined. This is lien gung as well. go buy a wok.

Are you referring to weight lifting in general, or specifically forearms?

[Oso]

TT, what is your definition of 'lien' as you are using it in 'lien gung'?


the old dowel rod w/ a rope and a weight works great too.

[_William_]

http://www.dieselcrew.com - Lots of great articles and videos here, but "Combat Grip Training" is a good place to start.

http://powerandbulk.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=7 - Grip forum

Hope this helps.

Grip athletes are pretty darn crazy. Some can even roll up frying pans...

[5Animals1Path]

Any job in which physical labor is required. Preferably, mechanic, plumber, or carpenter. ;)



But really, in addition to what everyone-else said, I've got a ridiculously simple excercise you can do any time something isn't in your hands.

Open all fingers fully. Close all fingers into a fist. Repeat 500 times without pause, remembering to always fully open and close your fingers. If it's too easy, go faster. If you're going as fast as you can, add more numbers. Stretch your forearms after your done.


If you mean conditioning them so you can take harder hits, the only way to do that is to take hits and heal. There's a coupla methods for it, but I haven't found one that I like more then "just get used to it".