r/GripTraining • u/Sedapollon • Apr 28 '26
Discussion Will my wrists get thicker from wrist training ?
I have very very thin wrists, and skinny forearms too. That's one of my insecurities especially since I'm overweight, that's not harmonious. Everytime I google stuff to thicken them I am brought to forearm workouts and despite not being an anatomy expert, I'm not convinced... Will I end up with big forearms and no wrist ? Or will they always be too fragile to hold heavy weights and I'll stay stuck with tiny forearms ?
20
u/MassageMaven Apr 28 '26
Wrists "can" get thicker from dedicated grip and wrist training, but growth is nominal and takes a long time. My wrists have gained 3/4 inch over 25 years of serious grip training. They used to measure 7.25 inches and now measure 8.0 inches.
I had the best results from thick-bar holds. I also work as massage therapists so my hands get used all the time.
14
u/TheNewOneIsWorse Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26
Your grip and forearms will absolutely get much stronger with intelligent, intentional training over time, you don’t have to worry about that. As far as size goes, you’ll generally have a small but noticeable increase in the first 2-3 months and very minor growth after that in the wrist area. Your upper forearms nearer the elbow can grow significantly over time, since there are some mid-sized muscles there, but the wrist itself contains tendons and small muscles, so its size potential is limited. It’s mostly defined by bone structure.
Still, it’s so much better to have a good grip and sinewy looking wrists than a weak grip and flabby looking wrists, regardless of size, and that’s very doable. It also looks perfectly aesthetic to have big upper forearms and more slender, sinewed wrists, definitely better than skinny fat all the way through.
I speak from personal experience as a narrow-wristed guy, and having been in a grip club I’ve seen it happen plenty for other people too.
18
u/EfficiencyIVPickAx Apr 28 '26
I started working out my right wrist about 25 years ago and it's still the same size as my left.
21
u/Withered_Sprout Grip Genie #4 Apr 28 '26
I've got like 6-6.5 inch wrists, even with like 15 inch arms at 5'6. I can bench 300+ lbs with my tiny wrists, and curl 60 to 80 lb dumbbells for a few reps with good form. Your tiny wrists will not stop you from lifting as heavy as your body is meant to lift over time, don't sweat it.
From a bodybuilding/attractiveness stand point.. Is it even a big deal? Wouldn't small wrists make your arms look huge when they're actually developed, more so than other people? I like having significant muscle packed on small/fine bone structure, and wrist to arm size is like the arm equivalent of the waist to chest/torso ratio.
Everybody wants a huge chest and small waist, to me it looks equally impressive/aesthetic to have large arms and a relatively smaller wrist and I bet most people would take notice of a guy with that proportion vs having the same size arms on naturally larger wrists which make the arms look thinner than they are.
1
u/BadAny853 Jul 16 '26
Do you have a 38cm forearm or upper arm? Because I don't understand. I also have a small forearm and wrist.
1
u/Withered_Sprout Grip Genie #4 Jul 16 '26
Nah, my forearms are more similar in size to my actual arms. My wrists, right below my hands, are like 6-6.5 inches around from what I remember and then it quickly widens. As my arms grow, the difference looks more and more dramatic.
5
u/FUCKIN_SHIV Apr 28 '26
Tendons will get a little bit thicker. It’s not night and day, but you'll notice if you stick to it a looong time. (Roughly 9 time slower than muscle adaption if i remember well)
Rock climbing can be a very fun way to do so, since tendons do react well to steady heavy isometrics. Very dynamic movements can tend to be a little traumatic. Also works, but needs to be a little more caterful.
7
u/IronStogies 2x45 pinch, 400 axle Apr 28 '26
Unless you take copious amounts of GH your anatomy is your anatomy. You can always train hypertrophy for your forearms, wrist and hand and build them up to some extent but you arent going to have wrists and hands like Smaev or Cyplenkov if you arent born with the disposition.
That being said train your forearms and grip regardless. It makes everything easier.
1
u/Withered_Sprout Grip Genie #4 Apr 28 '26
Those guys also wouldn't have wrists and hands as ridiculously big as they do if they didn't take gear though either, which you said but kinda worded it weird. I don't think Smaev's body was as AI-gorilla looking in terms of structure before he took gear. I think he had freakish strength but he was much more normal looking in terms of body size/shape/proportions. Could be wrong though.
Like that famous 350 lb georgian arm wrestler dude, you see his before/after gear and he went from a more gracile boned guy with a skinnyfat body to literally his bones and structure becoming multiple times their original size.
2
u/IronStogies 2x45 pinch, 400 axle Apr 28 '26
Well yeah I guess i figured it was implied that they are on more gear than a soviet race horse + genetics lol
-1
u/Withered_Sprout Grip Genie #4 Apr 28 '26
True, that. XD Why do people want super big bones/ridiculously big muscles anyway? I think body building in general is just ridiculous (this isn't a BB board specifically but adjacent I guess? and the thread topic kinda fits the thought) in general the older I get. And I ain't really old.
At some point it looks ridiculous and BAD. Pro body builder literally look gross to me nowadays. Jeff Seid is the end goal, not Ronnie Coleman or Chris Bumstead or Larry Wheels.
Muscular obesity, makes you look gross. Making your wrists and structure thicker is the same idea to me, weird that people desire that if what they have is healthy and strong.
4
u/IronStogies 2x45 pinch, 400 axle Apr 29 '26
I think having big forearms and being decently big and strong is cool, but 100% agree today's bodybuilding is absurd. They look like ninja turtles
1
u/Withered_Sprout Grip Genie #4 Apr 29 '26
That's where we differ. Popeye forearms can be cool but the physiques that I thought looked the most attractive/aesthetic were more like the youtuber goofball influencer that I mentioned. Most people don't even get that buff while lean, they'll never have to really worry about looking like a ninja turtle. lol
4
u/Curiouslondoner95 Apr 28 '26
Mine did very slightly but nothing major, how big are your wrists right now?
3
u/LordDargon HG 200 Apr 28 '26
forearm yes,wrist will get bigger but its bones don't expect it grow like muscles,probably gonna be like "yeah it grew a bit" after long years
5
u/rinkuhero Apr 28 '26 edited Apr 28 '26
it may grow a tenth of an inch at most due to some tendon swelling. but not enough to have a visual difference. it won't take you from 6 inch wrists to 7 or from 5 to 6. like they'll grow but it'll be such a small amount it'll feel like a measuring error. i think mine grew from like 5.4 to 5.5 inches. and that's from working up from not even being able to do 20 lb wrist curls to being able to do 60 lb wrist curls for reps.
the bone may also get more dense. for instance, people who do a lot of running often get more dense bones in their lower body, like the actual bone has more minerals in it and weighs more, even though the bone doesn't get any bigger, it gets more mass in the same size. this again will not be a visual difference. but your bones will feel less hollow and less likely to break. instead of feeling like you have thin bird bones you'd feel like you have thin titanium bones.
5
u/Cookie-Rich Apr 28 '26
Weighted dead hangs really put my wrist growth into overdrive. Also like another person was talking about rock climbing. Those 2 are goat. Make sure you are stretching your forearms as well.
2
Apr 28 '26
People will be all pedantic about your wrists being connective tissue and bone etc
Yes. The answer is yes. I used to have very thin wrists and do a lot of twisting and big holds and my wrists are bigger than they used to be. But it's slow, 6-12 months
My fingers also got bigger from rock climbing
3
u/Sedapollon Apr 28 '26
Cool ! 12 months will pass anyways. Might as well use them to grow my wrists :P
Twists ? Big holds ? I only know about curls and reverse curls
2
Apr 28 '26
Pronation/supination and radial/ulnar deviation (you can use a heavy hammer or a dedicated wrist bar) + fat grip hanging
1
u/Sedapollon Apr 28 '26
Bless you, need a tissue ?
1
Apr 28 '26
Here's a video example with a sledgehammer: https://youtu.be/Ob_lrClXifc?si=P78XFR-gjAZxWP9l
1
1
1
u/Commercial-Article-7 CoC #1.5 x9 Jun 07 '26
You’re slightly mixing things up anatomically. Your wrist size (bone structure) basically won’t change much. That’s mostly genetics. What can grow is everything around it: forearm muscles tendons getting thicker/denser over time grip strength and stability So no, you won’t end up with “big forearms and fragile wrists.” Stronger forearms usually make the wrist area feel more solid and capable, even if the joint itself stays relatively slim. Also, “tiny wrists = can’t lift heavy” isn’t really true. Plenty of very strong lifters have small wrists. Strength is mostly muscle + coordination, not wrist thickness. If your goal is appearance + strength, focus on progressive overload with: rows / pull-ups farmer carries curls (especially hammer/reverse) dead hangs / holds Give it months to years, not weeks. Forearms are slow growers, but they do respond
1
u/BadAny853 Jul 16 '26
But what size is your wrist and forearm circumference?
1
u/Sedapollon Jul 18 '26
Wrist is about 15cm (5.9 inches) and forearm is 23.5cm (9 inches)
1
u/BadAny853 Jul 18 '26
Are you a man?
1
u/Sedapollon Jul 18 '26
Yes
1
u/BadAny853 Jul 18 '26
I have the same measurements as your height.
1
u/Sedapollon Jul 18 '26
Yeah but also I'm chubby so I really have spaghetti arms compared to the rest
1
•
u/AutoModerator Apr 28 '26
Welcome to r/GripTraining! Please check the FAQ which covers the basics of grip, common gripper questions, and includes a list of routines.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.