Do you think you'd be any good a arm wrestling?

[murphyx500]

I'm better than any of my friends in the gym, even though a lot of them are bigger than me, I can out bench, squat and deadlift them. However, can't seem to beat them at arm wrestling! What the hell is up with that? What exercise can I add to make me win. You know how competetive it is with a group of friends.

[Crypty]

I think arm wrestling uses your delts mainly and pecs a little bit.

[Circle]

I've read somewhere that the key to arm wrestling all starts with your hand and works its way back to your body. So, develop better grip strength, then wrist, then forearm, etc... and you should be able to beat your friends.

Seeing as I can't remember where I read it, take that with a grain of salt.

[murphyx500]

Seems like a lot of exercises though, I'd really rather squat! That's the problem I guess.

[SneakyFerret]

I'm the same way.... can always lift more and stuff, but just can't win a damn arm wrestling match for my life

[Hmmm]

I believe it is your Infraspinatus & Teres Minor that help alot in arm wrestling, along with some pec, delt, forearm and grip strength. I used to work with a guy who whole work out for arm wrestling. By the cables there was a little grab bar, he would rest his elbow on it and use the cable to mimic armwrestling motion while doing reps.

This guy would goto work parties with like..100 people and could arm wrestle people all night, and win. He was 5'8, 200lbs and in good shape, but could beat people twice his size.

I started going the same exercises just so I could beat people, but after getting up to some decent weight I believe I ended up seriously injuring my Infraspinatus or Teres Minor because I have been having problems with them for years=(

[Pssst]

Forearm definitely helps a lot. I can pwn a ton of people with my right in arm wrestling (strong forearms from tennis), but my left arm can't get anything done.

[stealth_swimmer]

I'd be terrible. I messed up my right rotator cuff from too much arm wrestling in junior high,lol. It's mainly a rotator cuff movement.

I believe it is your Infraspinatus & Teres Minor that help alot in arm wrestling, along with some pec, delt, forearm and grip strength. I used to work with a guy who whole work out for arm wrestling. By the cables there was a little grab bar, he would rest his elbow on it and use the cable to mimic armwrestling motion while doing reps.

This guy would goto work parties with like..100 people and could arm wrestle people all night, and win. He was 5'8, 200lbs and in good shape, but could beat people twice his size.

I started going the same exercises just so I could beat people, but after getting up to some decent weight I believe I ended up seriously injuring my Infraspinatus or Teres Minor because I have been having problems with them for years=(

yup, I believe those are some of the muscles that make up the rotator cuff. SO that's pretty much spot on.

[Duckenheimer]

There's technique to factor in as well...

[Pssst]

There's technique to factor in as well...

Yeah, there is.

I know only one that I heard from someone else, but if you're winning, pull their arm closer to your body.

My friend totally messed up his right bicep or maybe his arm in general arm wrestling with me. I know he couldn't curl 10 pounds though.

[ITHURTZ]

I retired from arm wrestling, never been beating lefty, and only tied once. The most difficult matches I find are with the smaller guys. IMO you need a balance all over your body. I can lift my body off of whatever I am sitting on when I do do it so I gotta hold onto something, just practice. I did it for over 10 years, now if I jump back into it Im out of lifting for a month.

[Hengman]

Start and do the jet off.

There, I said it.

[mrwonderful56]

Watch this and learn!

[chazzy1864]

In the May 2008 Planet Muscle, they had a feature on Michael Todd (15 time and current National Arm Wrestling Champion). The article doesn't go into arm wrestling tips and tricks, it does show his workout, and just talks about him and daily activities, and what spurred him to go into arm wrestling.

Working your grip/forearms are the biggest thing. This guy likes to do neutral grip pull ups on 10" thick pipes, and also rope climb on 2" thick and 15' long rope as two of his exercises on his back day.


While in afghanistan, a guy that I was over there with was very good at arm wrestling also. He wasn't big into lifting weights, and I could outlift him at almost everything. He was very good at arm wrestling though. He had a strong grip and large forearms (he liked carpentry and things like that) and he knew a few tricks also. When you first lock your hands together, a cheap trick is to wrap your fingers over theirs and slightly tilt your wrist towards theirs (starts theirs with a slight backwards tilt...a disadvantage).

[yabbayabba]

I'm already starting to develop problems in my right R.C. Would be kind of stupid to throw away a lifting career for a mostly worthless 'test of strength'.

[popeondope]

In arm wrestling skill is as important as muscle. Practice makes perfect.

[jgreystoke]

Magnus Samuelsson, World's Strongest Man winner, and a giant at 6'6" and over 350lbs solid, is a competing arm wrestler.

He is one of the few grip fiends to be able to close the Ironmind Captains of Crush #4 gripper(365lbs!). That's just about as strong as it is possible for a human grip to be. He also has just about the strongest arms possible. And he has more muscular bodymass than almost everyone, to back all this up.

He still gets beaten by guys who are much smaller and weaker.

That tells us there is a LOT of technique involved.

I wouldn't arm wrestle anyone, no matter how weak they looked. I have enough shoulder issues as it is. Another injury at my age would set me back years, and I've only got so many of those left.......damn.

But if you enjoy it, and avoid injury, go for it. Become a grip, wrist and forearm fanatic. And learn the techniques of arm wrestling. It is actually quite technical. It is NOT just hand, wrist, forearm and arm, shoulder and overall strength.

[gotallanswers]

arm wesoling is all skill no strenght

[J-Cubed]

It's mainly the forearm and the tricep I think in arm wrestling. I have thick forearms and tri's from playing tennis all of the time and can normally take down someone bigger than me without a struggle. Except for a kid at my school named "Big J". He's 13, 6 ft. 1 in. and he weighs 195 lbs. It's not all fat either. Anyways if you want to get stronger arm strength try different grips and some wrist curls.

[mjohnell]

I think hand size and radius/ulna length definitely plays a part as well.

[ITHURTZ]

triceps HAHAHAHAHA

[FeeFieFoFum]

Most techniques use biceps for power, forearm strength is important as controlling your opponents hand is a major factor of the game.

Alot of times I pull my opponents hand towards my body and downward and then switch my grip to do a tricep pushdown, so yes you do use triceps SOMETIMES.

[Tommy W.]

I arm wrestled competitively for awhile and I'll tell you a good part of it is tecnique. As far as exercises go wrist curls were huge and also putting a bench next to a cable machine where you can get the cable about a foot higher than the bench. Grab the handle from the cable and put your elbow on the bench and duplicate an arm wrestling movement with a good amount of weight. These two exercises helped me get a lot of trophies. I was 180 and beating guys in the heavyweight div.

You don't have to be big. I have an employee that looks almost frail and he's state champ.

Its a really fun sport! (chicks dig it)

tw

[ben3133]

I believe it is your Infraspinatus & Teres Minor that help alot in arm wrestling, along with some pec, delt, forearm and grip strength.

Internal rotation is done by subscapularis - infraspinatus and teres minor externally rotate.

[ITHURTZ]

Most techniques use biceps for power, forearm strength is important as controlling your opponents hand is a major factor of the game.

Alot of times I pull my opponents hand towards my body and downward and then switch my grip to do a tricep pushdown, so yes you do use triceps SOMETIMES.

thats not a arm wrestle that a noob wrestle. Learn proper technique and get back to me.

[El_varouza]

Everyone has been talking about proper technique, yet nobody has posted anything on proper technique. Can anyone give some hints?