Trainers Tip: Wrist Warmup

Whether you're working an upper or lower body day at the gym, there is almost no situation in which you wouldn't need your wrists to do some work. Whether you're relying on your grip strength to hold onto weights for squats, or putting your body weight through them for push ups, it is always a good idea to warm your wrists up before you lift. Check out these quick and simple (but not easy!) exercises to do at the start of your next gym session.

Exercise Instructions

1. Wrist Rocking

• A: Palms flat on the ground, pull your palm and fingers up as you rock backwards
• B: Palms rotated to face you, rock back and forth, putting weight through your wrist as much as comfortable
• C: Hands flipped upwards, rock back and forth, putting weight as much as is comfortable

2. Loaded Pronation/Supination: With elbows locked, rotate your arms so that your elbows face away from your then toward you

3. Wrist Pushups: Pouring weight through your knuckles and fingers, push up so that the base of your palm comes off the ground. Modifications include leaning back so that there's less weight through your hands or pushing up on one hand at a time

4. Wrist CARS: Gripping your forearm with the other hand to create stability, draw a circle with your fist without rotating through your forearm.