Are there any specific exercise you can do

[saksamies]

to make your wrist bigger? I've got quite thin wrists, like a ladys. Was just wondering if theres anything i can do to beef them up a bit. Im a bit self-conscious about them, and normally wear two watches (one on each wrist) to try and hide it. But one watch has recently packed up, and instead of shelling out on a new one i thought id try to work my wrists out a bit. Any fitness gurus on here can help?

[smilesalot]

There are quite a few exercises you can do to strengthen your wrists, as for thickening them up it all depends on your body type. If you want to make it interesting many of the grappleing martial arts help strengthen the wrists. How much money, time and effort do you want to invest in this is a better question and it would take approximately 90 days to double the strength if you are diligent. Thats the biggest problem with most people they do it for a couple of weeks and then get side tracked

smilesalot

There is no chance, fate or destiny that can circumvent, hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul.

[saksamies]

How much money, time and effort do you want to invest

Thanks for the reply. I'm looking for something that takes about 5-10 minutes, maybe a few times a day, and something I can do at home. I don't want to spend too much money.

[mrjimsfc]

Chop wood with an axe! Just don't hurt yourself.

[sinikala]

Press ups 10 on the flat of your hands, + 10 on your knuckles, before bed and when you wake up.

[saksamies]

Thanks for the suggestions, but I'm not sure they will be so effective, I was thinking of some light shadow boxing or something like that.

[mrjimsfc]

If you had already made up your mind, why did you ask? BTW, unless you put some sort of stress on your wrists, they will not grow stonger or larger. Shadow boxing does not place any stress on the wrists. Punching the heavy bag will put a lot of stress on your wrists but it may be too much and cause damage rather than acheive the results that you want. Do some push-ups and chop/split some wood for the sauna.

[snowcelt]

1. Push-ups done on the knuckles. Start with ten, and then increase over time. When you can do 50, change the position of your fists so you are doing the push ups on the knuckles of the index and middle fingers. For both excercises, the fists are placed with the thumb towards your head.
2. Get half kilo hand weights, these cost a few euros from Anttila. (or use water-filled half litre bottles). Extend your arms at shoulder height. Holding the weights with the knuckles downwards, curl your hands upwards and inwards from the wrists until your knuckles are pointing upwards. Your arms should also bend at the elbows as you do this. With your wrists still curled, extend you arms until they are straight again at shoulder height and straighten your wrists as you reach full extension. Flip your hands over and you are back to the start position. This is one rep. Do 50 every day. When you can comfortably do 50, increase the number of reps. When you can comfortably do 100, increase the weight to 1kg, and so on.
3. Cut a length of round dowel, or use a 30cm piece of brush handle. Attach a string to this. The string should be long enough such that when you hold the stick in both hands in front of you with you elbows on your stomach, the other end of the string can reach the floor. Attach a half kilo weight to the other end of the string. Hold the stick as described and wind up the weight by rolling the stick using rolling movements of your hands and wrists. When you get the weight to touch the stick, wind it back down to the floor using the same movements. This is one rep. Start by trying to do ten reps.
All reps should be done slowly.
A word of caution, these excercises, specifically the latter two are designed specifically for working the wrists jointsand muscles. As such you must start slowly and build them up slowly. If you get impatient and rush it, you are in for a world of trouble. Be warned. Do remember to also stretch the wrists daily to maintain flexibility and to keep the blood flowing.

These excercise were prescribed for me as a longsword fencer. They work. Shadow boxing will not achieve what you want.

Kevin.

[saksamies]

Thanks for the reply, but I think that could be a bit dangerous. I'm quite chunky (150 Kg) everywhere else, just not my wrists. The weight concentrated on my weak ladylike wrists might snap them. I think I need an activity where I can rapidly move my wrists at a fluctuating speed.

[sinikala]

Thanks for the reply, but I think that could be a bit dangerous. I'm quite chunky (150 Kg) everywhere else, just not my wrists. The weight concentrated on my weak ladylike wrists might snap them. I think I need an activity where I can rapidly move my wrists at a fluctuating speed.

Sounds like pressups are not for you just yet then, but Kevin's excercises 2 and 3 sound ideal.

Another we did in karate - hold your arms out directly infront of you with palms down. Extend your fingers, then close them like you are snatching at something, open as fast as you can, then close them

Repeat this rapidly 50-100x and you will start to feel a burn in your forearms after half a minute. This will not bulk up your wrists much, but it will certainly tone your forearms.

[teddibiase]

The "wrist" proper doesn't have muscle density. Strong wrists come from strong forearms and strong ligaments connecting the forearm muscles to the hands.

So you shouldn't be concentrating on "the wrists". In fact, even mentally focusing on the wrist will probably lead to bad form and injury.

So, search for forearm exercises... there's a lot of good hockey ones...
such as... attaching a weight to a broom handle via a string and trying to roll the weight up to the handle while keeping your arms out in front of you...

[snowcelt]

Hi sinikala,

this excercise is wonderful for the forearms and reminds me of my days as a karateka. I still practice them (100 or so reps) while standing in kiba dachi stance. Fun! Armwork and legwork combined!
I learned a slight variation; the hands are held with the palm facing forward so in this position there is already a slight pull felt along the bottom of the forearm. Mmmm, feel the burn!


Kev.