Doing Thick Wrist Rollers Free-standing

[TelegraphKey]

I began doing my thick FBBC wrist rollers NOT mounted on a bar, but instead just holding them straight out in front of me -- the old-school way of doing wrist rollers.

Even though the weights are very light compared to doing them mounted & stabilized on a stationary bar, I'm now thinking this is a fantastic way to work literally everything -- thick grip, thumb, even ring & pinky fingers (because the outside of my hands has to grasp more desperately to keep hold of the roller), and wrists, because you really have to work harder just to keep hold of the thick bar (unlike a regular thin 1" wrist roller). Plus John Beatty makes them with such long ropes that it takes all freaking day to roll the dang thing all the way up.

There is the problem of incidentally doing front delt laterals but so far that doesn't limit me. Does anyone else do old-school free-standing wrist rollers with FBBC thick WR's?

[crobb1320]

i use the ironmind twistyowrist.i agree with you on the non supporting part for sure, seems to be more of a workout when you have to support the weigt.

[TelegraphKey]

I love the twist-yo-wrist! I guess I lost sight of how effective free-standing is. I get a great forearm pump with a stabilized thick WR, but so many more things get worked doing it free-standing. I do much less weight on one of the FBBC thick WR's than I do on the twist-yo-wrist, since I get my palms on the sides of the twist-yo-wrist. (Though I sometimes do the twist-yo-wrist using fingertips only, which is fantastic for pinch.)

[lifesnotfair]

I would thought that the problem would be that the weight is limited by the front delt strength... or maybe just in my case, maybe a strong fella could hold out a lot of weight, but I always thought that holding it like that would only allow me to use baby weights, and I bought the WR for pure forearm purposes, not delts, heh. I have FBBC's roller and will be mounting it soon on my power rack.

[philthy]

Supporting the wrist roller at shoulder length how heavy can you go? If your going to work triple digit wrist roller work it seems ridiculously hard to hold it at shoulder length for that long a period of time to actually do a wrist roller up and down.

I totally agree with lifesnotfair when i'm doing wrist rollers, I like to go heavy and isolate my forearms. The only way for me to do that is have it supported.

Edited August 22, 2007 by philthy

[Sultan_of_Spin]

If the wrist roller is above about 2.5 inches in diameter, I do it free standing with less weight, because I like how I can really feel my thumbs working. But if the wrist roller is smaller in diameter, I mount it so I can go heavy and really hit my forearms.

I guess it really depends on whether or not you want to hit your forearms really hard, or sacrifice a little weight to train other muscles in addition. Just my two cents.

[TelegraphKey]

Supporting the wrist roller at shoulder length how heavy can you go? If your going to work triple digit wrist roller work it seems ridiculously hard to hold it at shoulder length for that long a period of time to actually do a wrist roller up and down.

I totally agree with lifesnotfair when i'm doing wrist rollers, I like to go heavy and isolate my forearms. The only way for me to do that is have it supported.

I tested this out awhile back at a gym where I found some women's weight machine that had padding at shoulder height. I rested my forearms across it & rolled up the WR (about 1.6" thick). (In other words, the WR was NOT mounted, but my forearms were supported so it wasn't a front delt lateral).

I actually think this was harder than doing it free-standing "front delt" style -- it was really awkward for my wrists and for whatever reason it felt harder than when I tried the same weight or more with thicker WR's free-standing style. So, the upshot is that supporting the WR at shoulder length is absolutely not limited by my front delt lateral but by my grip & wrist strength, for sure. I don't know about other people, but it is absolutely true for me.

BTW, no way I do triple-digits on free-standing (I do on mounted WR though). So far my ratio is about 10% to 20% of my mounted stabilized WR vs. my free-standing WR. And I swear by how sore & painful the free-standing reefs on my forearms, wrists, thumbs & fingers compared to "only" the raw forearm pump I get doing mounted.

I guess it really depends on whether or not you want to hit your forearms really hard, or sacrifice a little weight to train other muscles in addition. Just my two cents.

Yes, absolutely. Thick bars are nasty, nasty, nasty on those other muscles of the lower arm when doing free-standing WR.

Edited August 22, 2007 by TelegraphKey

[Steve B.]

I would do them both ways.

Each style have it's advantages.

With the bar in a power rack you can go very heavy but your hands and wrists stay in the same position.

Doing a "free style roll"no rack"you are able to get your hands and wrists into more natural positions tilted one way or another thatt you can't do with a fixed bar.I usually keep the upper arms to my sides or let them hang and roll.Holding them straight out is another option but then shoulder, strength and endurance becomes a big factor not to mention your back and traps.You bring more into the exercise than grip,wrists and forearms.Not a bad thing just depends what your doing them for and what your goals are.I have not tried a max yet on an arms out roll.But you have me curious and maybe i'll give it a go.

Edited August 22, 2007 by Steve B.

[Mlstrass]

If doing them "free hand" style I'd suggest trying them standing on 2 chairs with your arms hanging down. Should take the delts out and probably let you use heavier weights. Should give you plenty of range of motion also...

[lloyd80s]

I love working with wrist rollers but I do find that my Delts normaly give up way before my forearms :o( I don't have anything to support the bar with so it's the only way I can do it. I suppose it's good to kill to birds with one stone though eh

You work out your grip but get stronger Delts for a bonus!!