If you’ve seen someone doing wrist exercises in the gym, your first thought may have been that they were rehabbing from an injury or surgery. While wrist exercises are not glamorous, they are important for injury prevention. Tennis, baseball and basketball players are often plagued with wrist problems. Even driving a car or typing on a keyboard can cause wrist issues. So often I’ve seen people doing bench press, shoulder press, triceps pushdowns and their wrists are liabilities. One wrist is extending while the other is bending inward. Not safe.

Sure wrist exercises are not something you show off to your friends. It’s more about preventing a potential setback. When your wrists are out of position, your lifting and pushing mechanics are greatly affected. This can lead not only to a wrist injury but injuries to other parts of your body like the elbow, shoulder or back.

What about using wrist wraps or lifting straps, Eric? That depends. If you’re bench pressing 600 lbs or dead lifting 1000 lbs, using straps or wraps is crucial. You are pressing and lifting weights that are pushing your body’s limit. But if you’re working our like the majority of us, getting a good sweat and a pump, you should strengthen your weak points, not protect them. So the next time you’re lifting, add these three wrist exercises to your workout program.

Wrist Radial Deviation
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1HZTF5p5fg[/youtube]
Begin exercise by holding dumbbell in one hand with your forearm supported on a bench, thumb facing up. Slowly curl your wrist up tightening your forearm muscles. Lower weight to starting position following the same motion. Be sure to exhale as you lift the dumbbell and inhale as you lower the dumbbell.

Wrist Extension
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqi_SUE2D9k[/youtube]
Begin exercise by holding a dumbbell in one hand with your forearm supported by a bench and your palm facing down. Slowly curl your wrist and fingers up, tightening your forearm muscles. Lower weight to starting position following the same motion. Be sure to exhale as you lift the weight up and inhale as you lower the weight down.

Wrist Flexion
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDwW_WjjRyI[/youtube]
Begin exercise by holding dumbbell in one hand with your forearm supported by a bench and your palm facing up. Slowly curl your wrist and fingers up, tightening your hand and forearm muscles. Lower weight to starting position following the same motion. Be sure to exhale as you lift weight up and inhale as you lower weight down.