Arm-Wrestling FAQ

[Armbender]

Here are the most Frequently Asked Questions in the sport of Arm-Wrestling.

What muscle groups are involved in Arm-Wrestling and which are the most important?
This is what I feel to be the ranking of muscle groups for Arm Wrestling. (I include tendons in this group as this is the major attribute in this sport)

1. Hand & Fingers
2. Wrist
(These must be equally strong in order for them to be in the top 2)
3. Forearm
4. Shoulder
5. Bicep
6. Back
7. Triceps
8. Chest
9. Abs

Is there only one way to Arm-Wrestle?
No. there are actually three or four different ways to pull.

1. Top Roll - (pretend holding a glass of water in your right hand, without moving your elbow, pour that water into your left shirt pocket. This is the basic movement for a Top Roll)


2. Hook ? the most recognized in Arm-Wrestling. By turning your hand inwards with your opponent so your palm is facing you.


3. Press ? When you press with the lower part of your palm and leaving your fingers behind.

Is Arm-Wrestling Safe?
Just like all other sports, there is always risk involved. There is less of a chance to be injured at work than at the Arm-Wrestling table. The MOST IMPORTANT thing to do in Arm-Wrestling is to LOOK at your hand at ALL times...

I stress this because it is a proven fact that you greatly reduce the risk of breaking your arm (i.e. in the most common spot) if you are looking at your hand...I don?t want to scare anyone off from pulling because it is the best sport I know of but every great sport has a danger in it....

So always look at your hand...it will actually help you win more matches because when you look at your hand, you concentrate on how it is moving whether your fingers could move a little bit to gain an advantage or if your wrist is down....

Are there any rules in Arm-Wrestling?
Yes. Here are the current World Arm-Wrestling Federation Rules including all of the associated weight classes
http://armwrestling.proboards.com/in...ay&thread=2233

Is Arm-Wrestling mainly forearm strength?
No. But it does have a great deal of importance in the match on the style you pull.
The elbow is the key component in the lever of the arm. Therefore, I split the forearm into 4 parts:

1. Lower (area around the elbow)
2. Upper (area just below the wrist)
3. Brachialis
4. Area just above the Brach (centre of arm from wrist to elbow)


Each are used differently corresponding to the style of pulling....

1. Is used primarily for Side pressure
2. Is used for a Hook position
3. Is used for Toproll position
4. Is used for a Pressing position

What should I do to start my match?
The first thing to do when you start is to keep your hand 1 fist distance from your shoulder...at all times whether your winning or losing...it will look like your pivoting your body...this is where your most strong...

The 2nd thing you should do is when you grip your opponents hand, place your index finger on top of your thumb instead of below it, this helps with your grip...now, look at your hand from the side when you are gripped up, make sure your knuckles are facing the ceiling, this will straighten your wrist out by doing this. Just remember to keep everything tight and pull towards you.....

One of the biggest mistakes new people make is that they push their opponents arm to try and win. Arm Wrestling is all pulling, once you start to feel yourself pushing, your doing it wrong.

What are some good workouts to strengthen my Hands Wrists and Forearms?
Workout #1
Side Levers (3" thick PVC Pipe with weight fitted at 1 side)
Front Levers
Plate Wrist Curls (Try using 2 plates flush side out for the width)
Reverse Curls (Thumbs out)
Side Hammers (Thumbs out)
Front Hammers
Standing barbell wrist curls in front
Reverse Wrist Curls

Picture of front levers




Workout #2
Rope Pulls elbows in (1 1/4" thick, 10' long, hooked to a pulley at lowest level seted on the floor)
Rope Pulls elbows out
Plate Toss
Plate Pinch (Use Min 3 plates for the width)
DB Toss (Silver DB's standing on end)
Rope Pull-Ups

You can effectively hit the forearms by training hands and wrist also. I find that is the only way to strengthen and grow the entire forearm...Ensure to only train hand and wrist once every 4 days to begin with until you can handle it or you will find yourself overtraining...I directly and indirectly train my forearms everyday...Using ropes is an ideal way of tackling all of these areas with great results...

This will help with your grip strength?

Are there any tricks on beating people?
1. ALWAYS look at your hand. This drastically lowers the chance of you breaking your arm during a match...and if you look at your hand, you focus more on the angles of attack.

2. Keep your shoulder and hand tight together at all times whether it is in the winning or losing position...this will help increase the torque you need to remain in the match, just don?t allow your shoulder to touch your hand.

3. Place your index finger on top of your thumb not below it when setting up your hand...this will allow you to finger walk more easily and also allows you to stop a persons Top Roll.

4. TRAIN!!!...get to a real Arm-Wrestling table as this is really the only place to really learn and better...Start hitting tournaments even though you don?t "think" your ready, it?s a great way to understand what you have to do to be ready.

5. Look at the referee for the "ready, go" it will help you on timing it perfectly...that nano-second really does go to your advantage. Focus on those two little words and you will see great improvements.

6. You have 49 square inches of elbow pad. USE IT. So many new people plant there elbow in the centre of the pad and don?t utilize all that space. Concentrate on the angle of the arms and counter using your pad. It can change the whole outcome of the match. Practice using each corner against the same opponent to see how it feels for you, then start drag motions going from front to back in a half moon shape.

7. Try to always train in the losing position. I notice new people in the sport starting getting good, but when they get into the losing position, they give up because they straight out do not know what to do..."In order to win, you must first learn how to lose"...this has been my motto for quite some time....

8. If you are serious about staying in this sport, invest in a good joint supplement. If you are looking for an everyday healthy supp with a Multi-Vitamin - ORANGE TRIAD from Controlled labs If you are looking for and everyday basic repair supplement - ANIMAL FLEX from Universal Nutrition If you are looking for a serious Supplement for tendons/ligaments/joints for healing - SUPER CISSUS from USPLabs... It is well worth the investment

9. Be repetitive. You have to really stick with this sport to be successful. Don?t expect to win the 1st tournament you go to. Some people are gifted and can, but most of us wait a year before we win our 1st event. Consistency pays off in this sport and your gains are slow at the beginning but are very recognizable when they start getting better. Always remember, you are never as good as you think you are. Anyone can be beaten at any time. Stay focused and always train to your potential

10. Always train where you are weakest. If your hook is lacking, train it constantly at practice, vice versa with your top roll. You?re better off being really good at one move but also hold your own on other moves. Find what works and what doesn?t and use regular circuit tournaments to work on new moves. Don?t wait until a big event to try something you haven?t practiced before.

11. Never underestimate your opponent. There is a fine line between being confident and being cocky. Anyone can be beaten on any given day. Don?t think you?re the best. If you?re not nervous before your event, you?re not testing yourself enough

12. Listen to your body. Do not over-train; this can lead to injuries, especially in your hands, wrists, and elbows. I would rather not train in the gym and compete injury free than hit the gym for strength and compete injured. If your joints are sore going into a tourney, it will beat you mentally

13. If you lose against someone, don?t keep doing the same move...try something different...even if you feel weaker in that move try it...that person is bound to have a weak spot...keep trying stuff until you find it

14. Keep your non-competing arm off of the table. Having you arm lay on the table holding onto the peg at the side limits your manoeuvrability and can prevent you from pinning your opponent. Keep your elbow in the air and take it out of the picture.

15. To Counter a Hook, when setting your hand, drop your wrist so your fingers are facing your opponent, apply side pressure in your lower palm and post up so your hand is pressured to the roof, hit from top left of the pad and sweep your hand to the back right side of the pad. (right handed) Your opponent will end up pinning himself.

[swark]

Thanks for the info.

[DRM19]

Thanks ALOT. Much apprecicated! some great advice in there and your be suprised how some easy to adjust too tips help so much. I was losing to a guy and after putting a few of these tips into practice i whooped him.

[Armbender]

Thanks ALOT. Much apprecicated! some great advice in there and your be suprised how some easy to adjust too tips help so much. I was losing to a guy and after putting a few of these tips into practice i whooped him.

Great to here!...

[Armbender]

thanks for all of the pm's and reps...

[Armbender]

I would like to continue to post tips as I am still receiving lots of messages which tells me this was a good article.


#16 - Be respectful to all members at the table including the opponent accross from you and mostly the referees....Rememebr that the referee's word is always final. Disrespect at the table wether you win or lose is the worst thing that a competitor could display at a competition....

[AHF_DrgKing]

Great info, thanks for sharing.

[Expendable]

are 'hand grippers' effective to use for working out the forearm and strengthening grip?

[feared]

good post, gonna come in hand next time i arm wrestle

[Xtr3me]

nice one. I can't wait to kick my mates asses in the pub at arm wrestling after doing that wrist workout for a few weeks whilst doing my weights :P

[Armbender]

good post, gonna come in hand next time i arm wrestle

nice one. I can't wait to kick my mates asses in the pub at arm wrestling after doing that wrist workout for a few weeks whilst doing my weights :P

thanks guys glad you liked it

[almedic]

Great post buddy, looks like you are getting a good following here. I like what I see. Hope to see you at worlds. Great info for the beginners and even the more experienced. Always like seeing what others are doing training wise.

[mmabuzzsaw]

Great article. I never knew anything about arm wrestling outside of "Over the Top" (probably the least reputable source i know!). Thanks for enlightening me!

[Armbender]

Great article. I never knew anything about arm wrestling outside of "Over the Top" (probably the least reputable source i know!). Thanks for enlightening me!

glad i could help your reply was exactly the reason on writing the article

[newguy08]

thanks for the great info. keep posting more tips

[J-Cubed]

Awesome article! Very helpful! Keep posting tips man

[saku]

Good info! Thanks!

[Armbender]

Good info! Thanks!

i will def post some more soon...i am curently deployed with the military so computer access is extremely limited

[PrimeraRS]

Im finally gonna be able to beat my dad.

[Armbender]

Im finally gonna be able to beat my dad.

awesome man good luck!

[Armbender]

Tip #17 - recovering from the losing position in a hook ....this is a tough spot bu definately do-able. Once in the losing position you have to concentrate on your finger position...you have to drive your elbow forward to the top of the pad while turning your fingers so they are facing the ceiling and in one motion pull your opponents hand towards you using your lat for power...almost the same idea as a chin-up using your opponents hand as the bar...this move will put you in a more offensive position

[Rob_Hood]

Good read, how often would someone get their arm broken? I mean, are the chances fairly slim that it would happen?

[IJS]

I've been in the sport for about a year now, I love it. That was great info.

[colinmarcus]

Brb, gonna watch Stallone's Over the Top now

[bvt13]

Im finally gonna be able to beat my dad.

haha the age old challenge

[-NR]

i'm gonna try this, thanks!

[Armbender]

Good read, how often would someone get their arm broken? I mean, are the chances fairly slim that it would happen?

i have seen hundreds of thousands of matches in my carear and have only witnessed 8 breaks. It is rare but is a possible risk as any proffesional sport would also have.

[Armbender]

Tip #18 Foot Positioning this is very under- rated. In order to generate power to its potential you must be balanced at the table. If pulling right handed, place your right foot centered under the table, your left foot should be pressed against the left ou tside table leg, you should have a small bend .in your legs also. What you want is to feel like you would fall backwards if you let go of your opponents hand. When you begin you are posting off of your right leg and assuming a squat position with your left leg ensuring that you dont twist your body when you drop down for the pin. Your shoulders should remain level and squared with the table at all times

[shaun_19]

nice write up, props 2 u bra

[Armbender]

nice write up, props 2 u bra

thanks man, I really hope people can benifit from it