Complete wrist mobility routine to strengthen your wrists and forearms to withstand more stress and keep them safe.
Wrist injuries and chronic pain are common problems many people face. If it's chronic, then there is almost always a solution to fix it.
Most chronic injuries and pains come from lack of structural balance and weak/tight/nonexistent muscles in the area. It's possible the major muscle groups are doing just fine, but the smaller muscles are immobile and weak.
By strengthening your wrists, you will make sure you will never need wrist supports at the gym. You will also be able progress in many bodyweight skills and movement without anything holding you back.
Weak links, whether it's in the wrists or any other part like shoulders, can be major hindrances to your progress. By doing enough mobility work in all joints and areas of the body, you will maximize your progress in the long term.
Training and developing the body is a long progress, not a short one. It's a lifelong progress that takes years and decades. You can make fast progress in a short time but it often comes with a price.
When you make slow and steady progress, you will in the end progress to a much higher level!
Basic Wrist Functions
Wrist Flexion
Wrist flexion will work the forearm flexors (6 different muscles), these are the muscles inside your forearm. You will be utilizing lots of these muscles when you grip anything or do exercises such as bicep curls or pull ups.
Focus on slow and controlled repetitions. Feel the muscles contract. Only the wrist should move. Using too much weight and doing bad repetitions is the number 1 mistake people make.
Wrist Extension
Wrist extensions will work the forearm extensors (9 different muscles!) and these are the forearm muscles on the outside.
Keep the arm stationary and only move the wrist. You need to feel a nice sensation in the lower and upper portions of your forearm.
Ulnar Deviation
In ulnar deviation you move your little finger towards your forearm. Ulnar deviation will develop flexor carpi ulnaris and extensor carpi ulnaris muscles. You need these muscles when you use a hammer.
You need a long stick or an adjustable dumbbell (just use tiny weights in one side of the dumbbell, but an empty bar is enough as well) to train this function.
Radial Deviation
In radial deviation, you move your thumb towards your forearm. Radial deviation will mainly hit the forearm extensors but also one of the flexor muscles.
Training the radial deviation will help you to keep your wrist stable when you punch, which is why it's vital for martial artists and fighters.
Similar to the ulnar deviation, use an adjustable dumbbell or a stick.
Supination
In forearm supination you are rotating your little finger inside. Forearm supination will work the muscle called supinator which is a quite big muscle on the posterior side of the forearm. Your biceps also assist and work in supination.
You often supinate your forearms when you do chin ups or bicep curls.
One sided adjustable dumbbell or a stick will work the best to train forearm supination.
Pronation
In forearm pronation you rotate your little finger outside. Forearm pronation works the muscle group called "pronators": pronator quadratus and pronator teres. The sole function of these muscles is to pronate the forearm.
You need pronator strength in exercises such as facepulls and bench press.
I’ve been suffering from TFCC tear for the past 3 years on my right wrist, the doctors said surgery isn’t possible and I’ve been living with this pain since then and have stopped working out. The condition hasn’t improved a bit. I have ulnar side pain and I often tend to stretch my right wrist inward to releive myself of the pain. But this is limiting me in everyday activities. Can you help me ?
This is one of the best tools to fix wrist injuries: https://vahvafitness.com/shaolin-secret-forearms/
Otherwise it’s hard to say without seeing the problem first hand. I do online coaching if you need direct help which you can find here: https://vahvafitness.com/online-coaching/