Comments on Hardbody Geeks: Choose Your Weapon: Determining the Best Weight Sy...

And, believe it or not, I have actually heard that...

2008-07-09T01:16:00.000-04:00

And, believe it or not, I have actually heard that about LEGS (that you don't really need to do them). As you can imagine, I took that with a grain of salt since at the very least the legs house some of the largest muscle groups in the body and even limited work just increasing density in those big muscles will raise RMR.

Roger that. P90 has a set of forearms so I have b...

2008-07-09T01:11:00.000-04:00

Roger that. P90 has a set of forearms so I have been doing them already. I wasn't sure if P90X included them or not.

I have heard that about forearms and I have also heard that about abs. I used to not really do abs at all and after doing the TH 100 and 200's for the past nearly 3 months, I can say that doing abs makes a HUGE difference. Is it the same for forearms? I dunno. I'm guessing it's a matter of individual preference. I can see some advantages to independently strengthening the wrist, especially for sports-specific things. But you are probably right that the forearms do get enough work otherwise during hammer curls and the like.

Did you guys check out the Ironmaster Quick-Locks in your dumbbell search? They are not exactly selectorized, but they sure do look tough..

On another note, check out http://www.exrx.net for...

2008-07-09T00:24:00.000-04:00

On another note, check out http://www.exrx.net for great examples exercises, movement, and the muscles involved. Here's a quick link just to show the forearm extensions:

http://www.exrx.net/Articulations/Wrist.html#anchor260949

For forearm curls you are limited slightly in your...

2008-07-09T00:23:00.000-04:00

For forearm curls you are limited slightly in your motion. For example, when doing a forearm curl in flexion (palm facing up and flexing your wrist so you hand comes up) you won't be able to extend your fingers all the way in extension. When working forearm curls in extension you don't get as much of a problem.

However, many functional strength advocates will say that you don't need to work your forearms separately because they get plenty of work during other exercises. I'm sure you've felt your forearms burn when doing biceps curls. If you increase your weight to the point where your forearms are burning out before the major muscle you're working they'll get stronger until they can handle the weight. Granted you can work them faster by working them independently, but now you're increasing your total workout time to work a small muscle.

Separately working your forearms is not a necessity unless you're lifting such massive weights that you can't get them to handle the weights as fast as the major muscle groups. For things like P90X and other functional strength training you usually don't run into this issue.

As far as portability and getting weight to another location, the Power Blocks are definitely the way to go. You can lug around 100 lbs in weights and have a full set wherever you go. Even if you go with the big boys you're only dealing with 260 lbs total, and that's replacing close to 1000 lbs of free weights.

If you're going to be traveling, especially when you kick over the P90X, the Power Blocks are HIGHLY recommended.

Er, do a google search for "forearm curls" and che...

2008-07-09T00:06:00.000-04:00

Er, do a google search for "forearm curls" and check out the images..

Outstanding post, FT. I have been using those lit...

2008-07-09T00:05:00.000-04:00

Outstanding post, FT. I have been using those little crap screw on jobbies I picked up at Play It Again sports for my P90 workouts. In the past I have used Olympic style weights, which are great for bench press and EZ curl work, but suck most egregiously for dumbbell work.

I have been hemming and hawing about whether or not to buy selectorized dumbbells and if so, which ones to get. It's hard to get over the cost of these things. But since I travel so much for work they make the most sense for me. Lugging 500lbs of dumbbells or handles and plates from car to hotel room and back again is not a fun task. But it sure is a workout!

Tell me, how would the Power Blocks work for something like forearm work, where you roll the dumbbell to your fingertips and then up again? http://kbierek.powweb.com/shapefit-pics/forearms-exercises-palms-up-dumbbell-wrist-curls-over-bench.gif