Grain Sacks and Plate Pinches
Forearm and wrist focused training is something I had done sporadically over the past 15 years up until I worked on an organic millet farm in northern Colorado. Manually bagging, sealing, stacking, wrapping, and organizing 600-750 50 lb grain sacks per day got me a hell of a forearm pump. When I’d out-bag the gravity table thet cleaned the millet before it was bagged, I’d eat high calorie foods and do pullups on the metal cage that supported the base of the gravity fed tank system. The training affect that came from this type of work is something I still try to mimic daily even as my situation has changed. When reflecting back on the experience, I don’t long for those windy days in the high desert surrounded by nothing but Antelope and rattlesnakes, but I’m glad I got to experience it, and it showed me that I can build my own version of that type of life wherever I want.
In spite of academic pursuits, the commitments I’ve made to my kids and family, etc, I feel a daily pull toward the physicality of life and feel obligated to get in touch with it as much as possible. I think most men do, but it’s often blunted by the screens in our faces and lack of intensity of our pursuits.
The past few weeks, I’ve reintegrated some of the forearm/wrist volume I’d get on the farm in hope for added density to the arms. What’s more awesome than a freaky set of forearms?
Lately, I’ve been getting a good effect from various forms of plate pinches, static bar holds, towel pullups, wrist curls, and several versions of calisthenic bodyweight “finishers” that tie the forearms in all kinds of knots. I’ll include a few examples with the workout below.
Warm-Up
Power-drag kids down the street to school for 1 mile. There’s no bus system up here in no man’s land, so I make them hoof it wind, rain, or hurricane force cyclones daily. It’s about 1/2 mile each way and its good for the soul, but my five-year-old drags way too much ass.
Work
Straight Bar Curls/Triceps Extension Superset (5X10 EA)
Behind Neck Press (6X8) (1XDrop set to Failure)
Upright Row/Heavy Plate Pinches Superset (5X10 Row, 5X1min. pinch)
6-Way Shoulder Blast (5X8)
Calisthenic Finisher
Cool-Down
10 Minute Squat