There are three categories of forearm exercise equipment that will help to isolate this part of the arm: hand-held grippers, forearm flexors, and dumbbells or barbells. Each pieces of exercise equipment allows for a wide range of motion to target the many muscles located in the forearm.
Some forearm exercise equipment devices require only movement in the hand through practicing a strong grip. This act of gripping, however, may help strengthen muscles all the way up the forearm. Resistance balls, sometimes called stress balls, are one kind of handgrip equipment. Resistance balls are usually a round piece of squeezable material, and they are sometimes weighted.
Another form of hand-held equipment is the gripper, which comes with two handles and a spring load to create resistance. A gripper is placed in the palm; the thumb is then hooked around one handle while the second handle is held with the four remaining fingers. The handles are then squeezed as closely together as possible. The squeezing motion required by both of these pieces of equipment utilizes several muscles that run along the inside of the forearm.
Forearm flexors resemble an appendage that slips over the forearm, generally with a grip for the hand. This forearm exercise equipment is typically adjustable so that it fits any arm length. The appendage helps to stabilize the forearm to ensure muscle isolation as one performs a wrist curl toward the inner forearm, or a reverse wrist curl as the wrist is bent with knuckles coming toward the topside of the forearm. Some equipment also allows for wrist rotation.
Barbells and dumbbells of various designs are widely used as forearm exercise equipment. Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls may be performed with these weights. The hammer curl is another type of move in which arms are held at the sides with palms facing in toward the body; weights are lifted until the elbows reach a 90-degree angle, then lowered slowly with control.
Some pieces of forearm equipment resemble a dumbbell with rotating handles that allow for a greater range of motion, which works more muscles. Finally, short bars that resemble bicycle handles with an attachment for free weights can be used in place of a normal barbell. Wider, angled handles allow for a better variety of grips so one can work all of the forearm muscles with just one piece of equipment.
Forearm muscles can be hard to isolate. Golfers, swimmers, and athletes of many other sports will find that strengthening all arm muscles may help with their game. Control and injury prevention could also be benefits from working with forearm exercise equipment.