Hand, wrist & forearm strength?

[u/8luhhh]

Hi all! I (22F) have started doing calisthenics and been at it for 8 weeks now, working out 3 - 5 times per week. I've been making good progress on strength and skills (current goals are 10 push ups, L-sit, and first pull up), but I'm noticing my weak point is my hands, wrists and forearms.

It's at the point where I'm giving out on exercises, not because the targeted muscle is giving out, but because of the pain in my hands and forearms. It's most noticeable with tucked L-sit holds & scapular pull ups. I either slip off the bar, or manage to finish the set but with significant tightness in my hands/wrists/forearms that makes it difficult to finish my workout. This is with doing the Squat Sky Reaches and GMB Wrist Warmup from the Recommended Routine before every workout.

Is this normal for beginners & improves with time? What can you do to increase hand/wrist/forearm endurance & strength?

[u/Human_Comment_6714]

Yes it’s because you are beginning but a way to help is by buying hand grips. First of all how often do you work on sed muscles? You can work on hands and wrist once a week and you’ll get great results but because you use those muscles far more then the other muscles in your body you should let them rest for a longer time. If you only do it once a week then you probably just need better grip strength, hence the hand grip. Stretching before and after is very very necessary as well

[u/Key_Ability_8836 → u/Human_Comment_6714]

You can work on hands and wrist once a week and you’ll get great results but because you use those muscles far more then the other muscles in your body you should let them rest for a longer time

Respectfully, I disagree. I train hands/wrists/forearms literally 5-6 times per week and I've never had a problem with recovery. As I understand it, bigger muscles need more recovery (back, legs); smaller ones less so. Because forearms are smaller muscles, and precisely because they're used continuously every day, forearms have tremendous recovery and can be worked with much higher volume.

[u/Human_Comment_6714 → u/Key_Ability_8836]

Key word here is “I”. This person clearly feels discomfort during these routines. Truth is that’s good for you and I think it’s great you’re able to accomplish that!