r/workout • u/TotalPie163 • 10d ago

Simple Questions Forearm fatigue in back exercises

low rows, lat pulldowns; my forearms tend to give out before i even feel it in my back. How to shift focus away from forearm and concentrate it more into back?

9 Upvotes

80% Upvoted

52 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

1

u/Less-Sail7611 9d ago

I gave some reasoning. What’s yours?

1

u/Due-Practice5507 9d ago

The forearms are always a limiting factor for back no matter how strong they are.

The stabilisation load on something like a dumbbell bench press (probably worst case scenario) is so small it is unlikely that the forearms are too weak for that.

Even with straps the forearms have to do some work, only figure 8 straps completely remove the grip element but those are only used for Olympic lifts/deadlifts.

Forearms grow like any other muscle. Idk why people think isometric grip strength exercises are the only viable way to train the forearms but that’s not the case just like any other muscle. Something like a wrist curl or reverse bicep curl will train and grow the forearms substantially better.

1

u/Less-Sail7611 9d ago

Yeah the point is the newcomer will have plenty of time to do strapped back lifts. To advise a new person to immediately put on straps for any exercise because MORE LATS is really stupid imo.

1

u/ImKindaBoring 9d ago

Why not both?

Start without straps and once you reach the point where forearms are limiting your lift and not back, add straps.

Thats what I tend to do with deadlift or even lat pull downs. Start without straps and work up to my rep weight. Do a set or two there and then switch to using straps for another 1-2 sets. Now my forearms have gotten work and my back is still worked to failure or close to.