What kind of Forearm Conditioning do You Use?

[roaring fist]

Hello, I am a long time reader, but a first time poster. This is an awesome tool to exchange information. As a southern practitioner, forearm conditioning is very important. I was curious as to what trainings are out there for arm conditioning.

Currently, I do 4 main exercises:

12 star with a partner

An open and closing of the hand drill with the wrists at 90 degree angle - do this for a specific number of sets, for a specific time, ie, 3 sets for 1 min.

Another open hand set forming the tiger mouth with wrists at 90 degrees rotating the hands at the wrists - (like twisting a doorknob)

open hand set involving 5 different exercises with the hand in the tiger mouth position, wrists straight.
1st - one hand moves from the waist opposite side to the same side shoulder, other hand starts at waist level moving to shoulder hieght, keeping arm straight. Do both arms.
2nd - much like the first, but the straight up and down arm is doing a curl to the same side. Repeat for other side.
3rd - in the bow stance, both hands about chest width apart bringing the hands in and out running parellel to the ground.
4th - same as the 3rd, but moving hands from a knee level to chest level instead of an even line.
5th - bringing arms outstretched up at the sides of the body, when hands reach head height, pressing the arms together like a chest fly exercise, then pushing the hands down to the dan tien level. Relaxing the hands until repeating the exercise again.
What one should do is pick a specific number of repetitions and do all exercises one after the other with the hands and forearms under tension.

Please share what you do. I am looking forward to the diversity of trainings in the martial arts world.

[sanjuro_ronin]

I bang my arms against a metal post, just for ****s and giggles.

[banditshaw]

I use a Iron Broom to tap the arms and shins.
Sam Sing exercises with a partner.
Bridework with partners in the form of drills.
If I'm solo I palm strike arms just above the wrist area in a grinding fashion. Using both sides of the arm.
Also banging any wood or metal post that is available. Trees and such.

Make sure you have some good Jow.

[IronWeasel]

Please share what you do. I am looking forward to the diversity of trainings in the martial arts world.



Snake Turns Over or "arm grabs" (see the vid).

http://www.noweightsworkout.com/exercises/armgrabs.php

[Snake77]

I have a tree in spitting distance of my back door that I use when conditions are favorable. For inside use I have a doorway that I use

[IronFist]

Back in the day I used to do the "Iron Forearm" part of Wing Lam's Iron Body program.

[Piercinghammer]

I am a big fan of the exercise that Iron Weasel mentioned, 40 reps, added to that are two other iron arm type excersises 40 reps each then 30 tiger like push ups. Followed by a set of 4 types of vigorous arm and shoulder whipping excercises
40 each arm. Then beating the arms with a heavy braded copper whisk or 3 star
on a nice tree about 7 inches in diameter. After that any number of two person
bridging drills. All of these should be done daily, no missing if you can help it.

Thats been my approach for years


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahRC295Z_E



Mike Biggie
Akron Kung Fu Academy
1155 Canton Rd
Akron Ohio 44312

[RFM]

I don't use conditioner in my hair. I keep it short most of the time. A good quality shampoo usually keeps my jet black hair full and shiny.....uh...what's this thread about?

Ooooh man am I embarassed. Never mind.

Bob

[sanjuro_ronin]

I am a big fan of the exercise that Iron Weasel mentioned, 40 reps, added to that are two other iron arm type excersises 40 reps each then 30 tiger like push ups. Followed by a set of 4 types of vigorous arm and shoulder whipping excercises
40 each arm. Then beating the arms with a heavy braded copper whisk or 3 star
on a nice tree about 7 inches in diameter. After that any number of two person
bridging drills. All of these should be done daily, no missing if you can help it.

Thats been my approach for years


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahRC295Z_E



Mike Biggie
Akron Kung Fu Academy
1155 Canton Rd
Akron Ohio 44312

You should invest in a belly pad and thigh guards, will help take the pad work to the next level.

[Mr Punch]

Snake Turns Over or "arm grabs" (see the vid).

http://www.noweightsworkout.com/exercises/armgrabs.phpInteresting. Just tried that with a 5 kg plate (and without of course). Good stuff. What's it from? I've learnt something similar in chi kung (based on yang style tai chi) and in wing chun (well in wing chun you're just taught to do the first section of sil lum tao really really slowly and to extremes with the circular movements).

BTW, nobody seems to have noticed that the OP is talking about strength conditioning for the forearms and a lot of people have started on about toughness conditioning (arm banging etc)... oh well.

For other strength conditioning exercises I do good ol' forearm curls and forearm raises. Also as mentioned the first part of SLT, and also from wing chun the pole exercises are killers, but you need a pole! I don't have one, but I've found wrapping a 1 kg wrist weight on the end of my 1 kg suburi bokuto does the same kind of trick... one of the exercises is like a kenjutsu/do sword-wringing exercise, another is a figure 7 (Western!) flicking out the staff.

[Mr Punch]

You should invest in a belly pad and thigh guards, will help take the pad work to the next level.Yeah and try going into the next hit in the combo without stopping.

[Mike Sheng]

I do three star training against a tree if i don't have a partner and i also do forearm grinding with bamboo stick with /without a partner and a good bottle of Dit da jow.:)

[Lama Pai Sifu]

Do any of you guys ever try stuff like this?

Forearm Training 101 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-vdspthj1o)

Let me know if you guys do stuff like this or if you try it from watching the video. I'd like to know how it works out for you.

Peace

[Golden Spider]

Ahhh, the Nosy-Hammer exercise, I used to do that, and then got lazy. I still love my Ivanko Super Gripper, though.

For inner edge conditioning of the forearm I really like the *roller bar. Galvanized pipe, wrapped in electric tape, filled with lead, and capped on both ends. At 44lbs I need to make a heavier one, but rolling from the bicep to the thumb is a great way to go. Anything up to 100 reps is good. You will need good 'jow. *Use at your own risk!

[Mike Sheng]

Do any of you guys ever try stuff like this?

Forearm Training 101 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-vdspthj1o)

Let me know if you guys do stuff like this or if you try it from watching the video. I'd like to know how it works out for you.

PeaceActually i just saw that the other day looking for some new Forearm workouts,YES thats really an intense exercises.Thank for sharing that.

[BUK SING]

At home i Bang my arms against metal posts at training we have body conditioning (we hit and kick each other)

[deeperthantao]

I bang my arms with a rattan pole, works pretty good. Also in the past I have used similiar sledge hammer type methods.

I never had a sledge hammer so I used a bat and simply added 4L milk jugs filled with water for weight using the same exercises. This works great for building wrist strength.

[andyhaas]

At home i Bang my arms against metal posts at training we have body conditioning (we hit and kick each other)

Bagua has a standard 4-star striking training that's done in the bagua way with turning/twisting. For more info you'll have to buy the training DVD, but it's so secret I'll never publish one. LOL

[Black Jack II]

Wrist roller with weights. Hammer curls. Reverse curls.

[Egg fu young]

Ivanko supper gripper, Captains of Crush #2, wrist roller, Levering and Forearm Blaster.

[No_Know]

Conditioning I tend to think of solely that area which means beating or massage. But if it's the thing where you use your shouders to benefit your forearms...

Moving the arms:

Ernie Moore Jr.'s Kung-Fu, Squirrel's Insect Cleans It's Pincers-- a bug on a towel on a bench near a pool some Summers ago. 90° at the elbows. forearms parallel to the ground. Raise elbows 90°. Rotate arms inward. Palm over elbow. Back of other hand under elbow. Elbows back 90°(shoulder height at the sides). Drop elbows 90° (to ribs). Raise elbows 90°. Drop elbows passed back. Raise elbows, fingertips up, straighten elbows. Drop elbows passed back. Raise elbows shoulder height...do all again in order alternating the side that has the palm over the elbow.


Hitting the arms:

Erniw Moore Jr.'s Kung-Fu Squirrel's Wall Work (Kung): Five Forearms-- assume a Tall Squirrel stance (Knees over toes, back behind waist, waist over feet, upper back back and up~). With or without a wall...Movement from stomach region, shoulders even and level, grab yourself at stomach level(use the local muscles),forearm out hitting solar plexus level, of you,

Fingers straight and down

Fingers straight and up

Fingers straight and left

Fingers straight and right

Hand pulled back over the head-slanted roof (up)

Initially done with the outter forearm but should incorporate individual sessions of forearm edge and then also forearm underside.

No_Know, Basically some-such perhaps

[SanHeChuan]

We do a nearly year long daily regime of 3 star on progressively harder hanging materials, sand to logs from 15 min. to an hour. You can't miss a day with out having to start over. And there are specific rules like no eating or dinking for an hour before or after. It is very time consuming. There is also the liberal use of Jow and exercises for chi circulation.

[SteveLau]

SanHeChuan,

Doing it for 15 mins to one hour seems too much time spent. Also, doing it on a daily basis is unneccessary. Look, missing a day training of such forearm conditiong is not going to make any difference. I train now for 10 mins once weekly. Even in the early stage, I would suggest training on every other day as a maximum in frequency. Any how more frequent than that is a waste of effort.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[SanHeChuan]

I don't make the rules, that's just how it is in my school. :cool:

And when it progresses to one hour a day, it's in two intervals of 30 mins each, 12hours apart. :eek: So, it ends up being every day twice a day, for like two months.

Once you complete the program up-keep is suppose to be minimal.

Personal I think my forearms, while not heroic, are fairly well conditioned without this regime.

There are a lot of things about Chinese methodology/thought/medicine that don't make a lot of sense to me, but what are you going to do. ;)

I have heard that if you do the hung 5 sounds form wrong, you will develop internal bleeding after years of poor training. Doesn't make sense to me...

[SteveLau]

SanHeChuan,




Personal I think my forearms, while not heroic, are fairly well conditioned without this regime.


That's good for you. Are you doing other exercises that will condition your forearms well, say labour work?


There are a lot of things about Chinese methodology/thought/medicine that don't make a lot of sense to me, but what are you going to do.

A while ago I watched a TV documentary show named something like "Martial Art Science". In the show, it talks about such body parts conditioning too. Well, the Chinese methodology does not usually tell why the exercise will strengthen our body parts. However, modern sports science does. The TV show says that hitting the bone in such way will make it stronger. Bone density scanning indicates the bone gets denser with such conditioning. I love modern sports science!


Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[sanjuro_ronin]

We also can't forget hard contact sparring.

[SanHeChuan]

The TV show says that hitting the bone in such way will make it stronger. Bone density scanning indicates the bone gets denser with such conditioning. I love modern sports science!

This I do understand, it's call wolff's Law (http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~skeleton/pdfs/2004f.pdf).


That's good for you. Are you doing other exercises that will condition your forearms well, say labour work?

I don't do any regular conditions now. Years ago I would irregularly do three star against a metal column that was in the school I was at then. I did about two months of daily three star against a hanging sand bag, before life got the best of me, 6 months ago. I've gotten a few comments about the hardness of my forearms and I haven't yet noticed a difference with those who have completed the 8 month program. :cool:

[FooFighter]

The best exercises for the hands, grip, and forearms that I have done are wing chun Iron bar drills, tan sao drills, chi sao, forearm roller, weighted jar pinch work, and working with kettlebells and clubbells.

[SteveLau]

To further supplement to my post in other forum on the said topic, the iron arm work is catergorised as a hard gi kung because there is another dimension in it. I agree with what others have said that the muscles act as a pad to protect our forearm. The muscle tension with breathing technique help to enable us to tense our muscles to iron hard.

So the bottom line is that even with good forearm conditioning, one could easily injure his forearm without tensing the muscles at the moment of hit. That is also why I would regard the iron arm work as a defense work. If one uses it for attack purpose, one could increase the chance of receiving injury.


Disclaimer: The above knowledge is obtained through self-realization during training the iron arm work by myself alone.



Regards,

KC
Hong Kong

[SanHeChuan]

When training Iron arm, we consciously relax our muscles. :cool:

And I think I'm starting to notice a deference between myself and a training partner who has finished Iron arm at my school. :eek: