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Arm Wrestling Workout Review


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Dear All,

just to give you a brief history about my workout. i used to powerlift for almost 1.5 to 2 years with success. But that what I wanted to do. I had a passion for arm wrestling since I was a kid. Now I want to join the world of arm wrestling and be good at it. While still focusing in strengthening all the body so I will not have a weak point in the table.

I am still looking for a good partner to train with me about the technique and on the table.

however, Can someone please review my workout. ( it has been taken from WS4SB which my older brother used to do for his arm wrestling training).

Monday:

1) M.E. Bench or Chins.

2) Dumbbell Bench Variation ==> 3 sets --- 8 to 12 reps

3) Row variation ===> 4 sets --- 8 to 12 reps.

4) Rear Delts ===> 3/4 sets --- 8 to 12 reps.

5) Traps ===> 3 sets 8 to 12 reps.

6) Biceps==> 5 sets 6 to 12 reps.

Tuesday:

OFF

Wednesday:

Lower body workout

( Quads , hams, lower back, abs).

+

(Grips / forearms / wrist) ==> 3/4 sets each .

Thursday:-

1) Bench or Chins Variations.

2) Vertical Pulling ====> 4 sets --- 8 to 12 reps.

3) Rear Delts ====> 3/4 sets --- 8 to 12 reps.

4) Middle Delts==> 3/4 sets --- 8 to 12 reps.

5) Triceps==> 4 sets 6 to 12 reps.

Friday:-

OFF.

Saturday:-

Biceps/Grips / forearms / wrist ===> 3/4 sets each .

If possible do a chins static holds.

+

table work and technique.

Sunday:-

Off.

thanks for taking time to read my topic.

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Your work looks fine. Just a regular bread and butter.

I think you need to focus on specific workouts. And try and get in a group of pullers. It may take a while, but it's the only way.

Try doing static/negative work. Focus on your wrist. Close grip, palm facing eachother for the pull ups. Close as you can get them.

There's a lot of different workouts. If your focus is aw, then focus on that.

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  • 2 months later...

I came up with a new idea for an arm wrestling workout that I plan on trying in the near future.

It's inspired by the Crossfit Devon Larratt piece now popular on the Internet, except using different exercises:

One Armed Dumbbell Row: 210 x 8, 210 x ???, 125 x 8, 125 x 8, 125 x ???

Thick Bar V-Bar Pull-Up Hold (face parallel to bar as long as possible): 15 to 45 seconds

Thick Bar Arm Wrestling Cable Pull (using preacher bench and cable cross over machine to simulate the "pin" ): 200 x 8, 200 x ???, 100 x 8, 100 x 8, 100 x ???*

Pushup: BW x 8, BW x 8, BW x 8, BW x ???, BW x ???

Per above, repeat for four to five rounds, no rest between sets or rounds.

You would do the one-armed rows, then the V-Bar holds, then arm wrestling pulls, then pushups: one set each and then repeat the entire round until you cannot do anything longer.

The weights above are only estimates.

At present, I can train forearms seven minutes straight using this method. After six or seven sets with 210, I drop down to 125 and do sets of ten - right, then left, then standing, behind the back wrist curls with a 45-pound Olympic bar, then repeat with the 125 again.

*Denotes not actual weight, just what the weight stack says, which is in reality roughly 50% because of the cable factor.

Edited by G-Man
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I came up with a new idea for an arm wrestling workout that I plan on trying in the near future.

Arm Wrestling Crossfit Training: One Armed Row (210 x 8), Thick V-Bar Pull-Up Hold (20-seconds), Thick Bar Cable Pulls ("200" x 10), Pushup BW (260) x 12

This is my first time doing this routine. The goal is to stay where we are as far as weight but tighten up the form and be able to do four or five circuits straight with no rest.

It might look easy but it is tougher than anything I've done in the gym - tougher than squats, jumping rope or sprinting on treadmill.

We came up with this idea when reading about what some of the biggest names in the sport do - and combined them all into one routine.

Per an old issue of ArmBender, Richard Lupkes - who in his prime was perhaps the most powerful superheavyweight ever - credits one armed rows to building his insane hook.

Travis Bagent, the greatest left-handed puller of the past decade, credits, V-Bar Pull-Up "holds" as the single best arm wrestling exercise. See:

Allen Fisher, who may have won more world titles than anyone else in the 165-pound class, credits using cables to simulate the arm wrestling pull as the single most important exercises.

Devon Larrat, who for the past two years has been the number one ranked arm wrestler in the world, uses "Crossfit" training to achieve extraordinary results.

Here, we put all these together in one training session.

I know the form on rows sucked, but we are using crappy straps and still waiting for the good ones to come in the mail.
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G-man your form is horrible but you're a very strong guy. I was impressed by the way you pulled that cable. When are you entering another AW tourney??

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Nice little routine. But since you are AW training, why use straps at all. Let the row also work the hand.

Very valid point, but my grip holding power is very weak; without straps, my hands would get a great workout but arms and back would suffer.

From about 90-minutes ago ...

We wanted to see the max we could do with these, so did them before the Crossfit training we normally do. Weight stack says 200 and the there were 10-pounds added to the stack for extra resistance.

As everyone who uses cable cross-overs knows, that's not the actual weight because of the pulley factor. Since we don't have an exact number, we must put the "210" in quotes (actual weight, maybe 50-66% that amount?).

After the Crossfit training, we dropped down to "120" and do slow, controlled sets of eight with special emphasis on doing a wrist curl with the cable pull in one continuous motion. Then, on the last rep, we "pin" the weight at the bottom for as long as we can to help with the "finish."

Form is very weak here, but we were just going for max reps to see what might be possible.

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  • 2 months later...

Did the below today:

Thick Bar Arm Wrestling Cable Pulls: 100 x 20, 150 x 12, 200 x 10 (for warmup)

CrossFit Giant Set with No Rest

Thick Bar Arm Wrestling Cable Pull: 200 x 8, 200 x 8, 200 x 6, 200 x 6

V-Bar Pull-Up: BW x 8, BW x 8, BW x 6, BW x 6

PushUp: BW x 8, BW x 8, BW x 6, BW x6

Rest: 5-10minutes

Thick Bar Arm Wrestling Cable Pull: 200 x 10, 200 x 10, 200 x 25R/20L, {100 x 20, 100 x 20}

Edited by G-Man
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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

I'm not crazy about posting my workouts any more, but today was out of ordinary - feel way stronger now than when I was competing. Need to get some table time and start competing again.

Arm wrestling cable pulls on a cable cross over machine are about 50% of stated weight because of the cable factor - same goes for cable curls on that machine. I had a 145-pound person stand on the 200-pound stack to add to resistance, which is a PR.

This was today:

Arm Wrestling Cable Pull:

100 x 20

100 x 20

150 x 10

200 x 10

345 x 5R, 200 x 25L

345 x 10R [!!!], 200 x 25L

345 x 7R, 200 x 20L

200 x 50R [!!!]

Seven minute break

CrossFit Training (no rest between sets, all 12 sets performed as a giant set)

V-Bar Pullup: BW x 8, BW x 6, BW x 6, BW x 5

Standing Rope Hammer Curl: 70 x 10, 70 x 8, 70 x 8, 70 x10R/6L

Pushup: BW x 15, BW x 12, BW x 8, BW x 8

BW is 260

Tomorrow I have an eight mile run and some light tricep work :cool

Edited by G-Man
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  • 4 weeks later...

Tried a different one today:

Warm-up

One Armed Row: 100 x 15, 150 x 10, 210 x 6

V-Bar Pull-Up: BW x 8

One Armed Lifestyles Machine Hammer Curl: 60 x 15

CrossFit Training (no rest between sets)

One Armed Row: 210 x 8

V-Bar Pull-Up: BW x 8

One Armed Lifestyles Machine Hammer Curl: 100 x 10

Pushup: BW x 10

One Armed Row: 210 x 6

V-Bar Pull-Up: BW x 5

One Armed Lifestyles Machine Hammer Curl: 100 x 6

Pushup: BW x 10

After 5-10 minute break, resumed Crossfit without the rows (no rest between sets):

Pull-Up: BW x 8

One Armed Lifestyles Machine Hammer Curl: 100 x 10

Pushup: BW x 10

Pull-Up: BW x 5

One Armed Lifestyles Machine Hammer Curl: 100 x 6

Pushup: BW x 10

Final Set - Pull-up: BW x 5

Edited by G-Man
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I went to an arm wrestling practice this week for the first time in about two years. My hands and right arm felt stronger than ever, so this training appears to be paying off. I plan on competing again this fall.

Edited by G-Man
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  • 2 months later...

I competed about three weeks ago at Travis' UAL tournament, which by the way, was one of the best and most professionally run tournaments that I have been a part of.

I ended up getting eliminated. I drew Tim Bresnan first round. I felt "in" the match and people say I gave him a little bit of a hook fight but ended up in a parallel pin. I won the next match and then got toprolled by Shawn Turner.

Although my hook is very strong, I felt a definite weakness in not being able to pull top notch pullers over to my side of the table. The problem, I strongly suspect, is that I do not and have never previously trained above the pull-up bar. I would do weighted pull-ups, sometimes quite heavy, but only until bar is parallel with forehead and not above it.

I decided to change up training going forward. Travis talks about "the best arm wrestling exercise" on that YouTube clip I posted a couple years ago - Negative Pull-ups on the assisted pull-up machine. I just started doing these are they are brutal - like squats for the upper body.

I bought a stopwatch just for this. For warm ups, I do two sets of eight close grip pull-ups (chin over bar). Then I set the weight on the assisted machine to -75 pounds and do a 30-second lock. Then I raise resistance to -45 pounds and do a 20-40 second lock. The goal is to step on the platform and not have it move more than an inch or so if possible and completely "lock out" at top of movement for as long as possible.

The heaviest you can go on the assisted machine is -45, so my goal is to eventually add weight and do a lock for several minutes or so. Can you imagine the power it would take to stand on that platform set at -45 with 180-pounds hanging from you and stay locked in that position for a minute or longer? You combine that with an equally strong hand and I don't see anyone beating you.

I haven't been on the table since the tournament, but already feel a lot stronger.

I think that was the missing link in my training, other than getting my hand where it really needs to be. I will update to when I get a sense of how this translates in terms of strength on the table.

Edited by G-Man
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If you got toprolled, isn't it a finger/wrist thing? Just curious.

Tough draw getting Tim B. first round, dang!

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If you got toprolled, isn't it a finger/wrist thing? Just curious.

Yea - my hand is a little weaker. I could not completely close the HG300 the last few times I tried - must have neglected hands somehow.

I suspect those assisted pull-up "locks" on a machine might be the missing link for developing great table strength, but won't know again until back on the table again (in Jan. maybe?). What's great too is that unlike many other arm wrestling exercises, they don't tear up your elbows.

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I know you're a AW champ at one point G-man, but I train people to enhance their needs whatever it is. Though I am still a amateur AWer, I was at Gary Ray home in Houston TX, I spotted him during an AW exercise, he spoke though his grunt "You help like a trainer you are". I feel you have enough muscle strength, but if you feel you're top rolled I would have you doing pronation and supination exercise with straps. I have 2 of those custom ankle straps (extra length) then I would wrap it with a towel to make thicker. Then I perform all possible angles curls with a twist of my forearm (cable machine) whether it supinate or pronate or side pressure, they all done with forearm rotated one way or another. Sometimes I do figure 8 formation: Both pronation and supination with wrist twirl in figure 8 fashion. After a few month I discovered my wrist and forearm made a huge jump ever. I knew you can blast through me, but that doesn't mean I cannot help you. Just as a basketball coach can coaches Kobe Bryan or Jordan...

I approach this rotation training with both heaviest weight I can handle, and a lighter-medium weight done at fastest speed I can muster. I last sometimes more than 60 minutes with rotation training. My theory based what I understand about human anatomy and isometric theory too. IMO it is better than gripper works. One thing I notice is if I do at the real fast speed rotation training with lighter weight, I don't lose my dexterity too much (I play drum too) . If live close to you, I love to see if my theory can helps you win against Bresnan and you can give me pointers on tournament.

Curiously when you're winning during a match with your hand low near the pad, the force against you is now upward as the opponent fights hard in opposite direction. I train at high angle for this but very few with flat hand, rather with a pronation and/or supination of palm. And at near bottom I can switch to supination or roll just as I saw Brzenk done may times in real matches. IMO, Wagner Bortolo (left hand) always hook and a press with supination of forearm. Rustam is almost same. But that's just observation any way from a humble trainer

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I know you're a AW champ at one point G-man, but I train people to enhance their needs whatever it is. Though I am still a amateur AWer, I was at Gary Ray home in Houston TX, I spotted him during an AW exercise, he spoke though his grunt "You help like a trainer you are". I feel you have enough muscle strength, but if you feel you're top rolled I would have you doing pronation and supination exercise with straps. I have 2 of those custom ankle straps (extra length) then I would wrap it with a towel to make thicker. Then I perform all possible angles curls with a twist of my forearm (cable machine) whether it supinate or pronate or side pressure, they all done with forearm rotated one way or another. Sometimes I do figure 8 formation: Both pronation and supination with wrist twirl in figure 8 fashion. After a few month I discovered my wrist and forearm made a huge jump ever. I knew you can blast through me, but that doesn't mean I cannot help you. Just as a basketball coach can coaches Kobe Bryan or Jordan...

I approach this rotation training with both heaviest weight I can handle, and a lighter-medium weight done at fastest speed I can muster. I last sometimes more than 60 minutes with rotation training. My theory based what I understand about human anatomy and isometric theory too. IMO it is better than gripper works. One thing I notice is if I do at the real fast speed rotation training with lighter weight, I don't lose my dexterity too much (I play drum too) . If live close to you, I love to see if my theory can helps you win against Bresnan and you can give me pointers on tournament.

Curiously when you're winning during a match with your hand low near the pad, the force against you is now upward as the opponent fights hard in opposite direction. I train at high angle for this but very few with flat hand, rather with a pronation and/or supination of palm. And at near bottom I can switch to supination or roll just as I saw Brzenk done may times in real matches. IMO, Wagner Bortolo (left hand) always hook and a press with supination of forearm. Rustam is almost same. But that's just observation any way from a humble trainer

You spend 60 min. on rotator training? Are you serious?

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"You spend 60 min. on rotator training? Are you serious?"

Yes I do, I would rotate my forearm one way for 20 reps and the other way. Increase the load one plate and repeat over n over until I can't no longer increase it. Then I can have option of going to ligh-medium load for super fast rotation. I may add straight wrist curl (straps) with sidepressure. Then train the outside of my forearm. Then do bicep curl (starting position in hammer style) with supination of forearm, with a my body follows through whether for backpressure or side pressure. Then bicep curl with palm up turning into pronated palm followed with backpressure/side. Then I have add isometric hold after a rotation for time. I use bands too

I believe super fast/high reps movement against lighter weight has a benefit of tendon training different than heavy weight style isometric with less reps.This based on observation of classical pianist have fast scale run on the key for 15-20 years, they have very strong fingers for their size. And I read Brzenk uses light hand grip as fast as he can for hundred of reps and his hands are known to be super strong too. After this the forearm would be so pumped but recovery is surprisingly faster too. My fav. is to rotate my wrist fast in figure 8 fashion doing both pronation N supination in 1 fluid figure 8 motion.

Though my wrist is still small, but inside of forearm got real bumpy and gain almost an inch in size. But I don't think I peak yet or if I ever peak. I play drum professionally too, but so far fast motion seems hinders my dexterity just a little bit, not too bad like slow motion exercise.

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if you feel you're top rolled I would have you doing pronation and supination exercise with straps. I have 2 of those custom ankle straps (extra length) then I would wrap it with a towel to make thicker. Then I perform all possible angles curls with a twist of my forearm (cable machine) whether it supinate or pronate or side pressure, they all done with forearm rotated one way or another. Sometimes I do figure 8 formation: Both pronation and supination with wrist twirl in figure 8 fashion. After a few month I discovered my wrist and forearm made a huge jump ever.

I think this is great to share, but if you could illustrate with a Youtube clip, that would be awesome. Right now, I feel the hand is the real missing link for me. I pulled in practice with Dave Marracco in Sept or Oct and we felt very close in a hook. Dave has a supermatch today with Tom Taylor, the 2010 WAF Masters SHW champ. In my current form, I don't think I would be able to stop Tom's hand, but inside now, I feel unstoppable.

I wonder if there is an exercise for arm wrestling "hand strength" that is like the squats for legs? I would guess it's the axel handle deadlift, which I believe Andre Pushkar has the world record for - and who toprolls Pushkar? That is probably what I need to do.

I did those "Assisted Negative Pull-ups" on the machine and set a new PR again: -45 pounds for 55 seconds. Last week was -45 for 45 seconds and the week before was -45 for 40 seconds. I weigh 260 so today was like a 215-pound man locked out over a pull-up bar for 55-seconds on that one set. Those are like squats for arm wrestling strength, and unlike pull-ups, arm wrestling and table curls, they don't tear up for elbow. I wish I could do these for three hours but after an hour and ten minutes, I honestly thought I would start puking if I did not stop.

Edited by G-Man
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Thanks for being open minded Gman. I hope you understand me being a trainer foremost. My approach of strength training based on my undertstanding of forearm anatomy. In the past I always felt my forearm or lack of it is my weakest link. The way I see your arm power I feel you have more than enough to deal with high level AW. But than again the wrist which is the bridge between hand and forearm should be as strong as you can get. Typical wrist curl while helpful is but limted. Because IMO your opponent change angle on you and straight wrist curl will fail.

To understand the figure 8 motion of wrist is simple: hold you R hand (elbow at side and 90 degree) palm up and slight to the outside of body, now you turn hand to palm (fist) down position while bringing the hand toward inside (of body or left side). Now reverse the motion then you will have a figure 8 movement.

Put a cable strap handle in you hand and do the same thing against the load or use big rubber band (my Fav.). Remember the source of load's direction change, so you can compesate for it by turning your torso with your figure 8 motion rather than facing same exact way. Green band from jumstretch.com is more than enough for a lot of people. Blue band definately world class if stretched to 2 feet longer. I sometimes use 2 bands at once. Bigger band attached to my wrist via wrist strap, smaller band or equal band (or cable strap handle) in my hand for wrist work. This makes you feel like a human pulls on your arm very realistic. This is better way because your arm is stronger than your wrist so it can handle much more weight or tension, then the hand work seperately but at same motion exercise at once.

Cable is better if you want to know how much weight you fight against, band is better because as you stretch it longer it resists you harder. Kinda like a human in a way. So a combo of both was used by me in 1 exercise. Other options are: hang a heavy dumbbell to wrist via strap/rope then hold a band in your hand. The danger of this being the weight may swing against your legs. Cable machine combined with band is best, because you can change the load from high, medium to low real fast.

Sometime I train my pronators seperately, then switch to supinator. After I am done with this I then do super fast figure 8 motions to exaustion (lighter resistant), repeat as many time as I can. My straight wrist curl usually done with a cable row and fat handle: cable row in then cup your wrist in as your elbow come close to your body. This works innner forearm like the devil (but not rotators muscles) In fact it feel like the Travis B. pull up style you've mentioned. Point to remember is as elbow come close to your body hand must in cupped position maximum.

I was very obnoxious when it came to testing my forearm in the gym. I would walk up to a guy (who I knew of course) with biggest hand or forearm and say "Can I test your forearm?' He might say "what do you mean testing it, how?" . I would try to disarm him by repying "Oh...just a test not a contest, we're not trying to break arms here" This is what I would do to test...show him the motion, then ask him to stop it. If I manage to manipulate his hand at will, I would say "you're not weak at all, My small wrist's just well trained..." accompanied with my Asian friendly grins, hahaha. I must be an AWer at heart LOL

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IMHO, figure 8 wrist "twirl' motion could be the squat of the wrist strength training. While doing it, you can change it from bicep loading to side pressure just like that, by changing the way you face the loading source or directionn you look at. Say you was putting tension on bicep while figure 8ing your wrist, after the wrist tired turn side way to apply pressure for sidepressuring. 2nd band attached to your wrist is useful in this application. As it frees your wrist to work seperate load. Give it a 3 months try Gman

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  • 6 years later...
On 12/15/2011 at 10:55 PM, fightertrainer said:

I know you're a AW champ at one point G-man, but I train people to enhance their needs whatever it is. Though I am still a amateur AWer, I was at Gary Ray home in Houston TX, I spotted him during an AW exercise, he spoke though his grunt "You help like a trainer you are". I feel you have enough muscle strength, but if you feel you're top rolled I would have you doing pronation and supination exercise with straps. I have 2 of those custom ankle straps (extra length) then I would wrap it with a towel to make thicker. Then I perform all possible angles curls with a twist of my forearm (cable machine) whether it supinate or pronate or side pressure, they all done with forearm rotated one way or another. Sometimes I do figure 8 formation: Both pronation and supination with wrist twirl in figure 8 fashion. After a few month I discovered my wrist and forearm made a huge jump ever. I knew you can blast through me, but that doesn't mean I cannot help you. Just as a basketball coach can coaches Kobe Bryan or Jordan...

I approach this rotation training with both heaviest weight I can handle, and a lighter-medium weight done at fastest speed I can muster. I last sometimes more than 60 minutes with rotation training. My theory based what I understand about human anatomy and isometric theory too. IMO it is better than gripper works. One thing I notice is if I do at the real fast speed rotation training with lighter weight, I don't lose my dexterity too much (I play drum too) . If live close to you, I love to see if my theory can helps you win against Bresnan and you can give me pointers on tournament.

Curiously when you're winning during a match with your hand low near the pad, the force against you is now upward as the opponent fights hard in opposite direction. I train at high angle for this but very few with flat hand, rather with a pronation and/or supination of palm. And at near bottom I can switch to supination or roll just as I saw Brzenk done may times in real matches. IMO, Wagner Bortolo (left hand) always hook and a press with supination of forearm. Rustam is almost same. But that's just observation any way from a humble trainer

I wish you had a video of that figure 8 thing you do so i can better understand.

Edited by bigjohn28
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