Wrist & Forearm Prep

This is a bodyweight mobility drill for your wrists and forearms. It moves your hands through a few simple positions to build range of motion and warm up the muscles around the front and back of your forearms before you train.

Start on your hands and knees on the floor. Place your hands flat with your fingers pointing forward and your wrists directly under your shoulders. Spread your fingers slightly and press your palms into the ground.

Keeping your palms flat, gently shift your body weight forward and back so your wrists move into flexion and extension. Then turn your hands so your fingers point backward, out to the sides, and forward again, spending a few seconds in each angle. Move slowly and only go as far as your wrists allow.

Breathe normally and keep your shoulders relaxed. To make it easier, perform the same wrist positions while standing with your arms in front of you and no weight on your hands. To make it harder, lean more weight over your hands or hold each position a little longer.

Fault: Lifting the palms or fingers off the floor. Fix: Keep your whole hand in contact with the ground during each position so the stretch reaches your wrist and forearm.

Fault: Forcing the wrist into a deep angle. Fix: Stop at the point where you feel a mild stretch, not pain, and use smaller movements until your range improves.

Fault: Holding your breath or tensing your shoulders. Fix: Keep a steady breath and let your shoulders stay soft and away from your ears.