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.

[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.

[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

[Mr Punch]

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

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

Interesting. 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.

[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.

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