Forearms exercise
Wrist Flexor StretchHow to do it, with form in numbers
- Main muscles
- Forearms
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
How do you do the Wrist Flexor Stretch?
- Hold one arm straight out in front at shoulder height, palm facing up.
- Let that hand drop back at the wrist so your fingers point to the floor.
- Use your other hand to gently draw the fingers back towards you.
- Stop when you feel a stretch along the inside of your forearm.
- Hold for 15–30 seconds, then switch arms.
Cues
- Elbow stays straight.
- Shoulder relaxed and down.
- Gentle pull, never forced.
Common mistakes
- Bending the elbow: keep it straight the whole time.
- Pulling too hard: ease off to a gentle stretch.
- Shrugging the shoulder: let it drop away from your ear.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
Standing, right arm straight out in front at shoulder height, palm up; the left hand cups the right palm and fingers and gently draws them down and back towards the body, so the right fingers point at the floor. This is the South Tees NHS version. Sherwood Forest's leaflet does the same stretch with the fingers pointing up; the palm-up form keeps the elbow straight more easily and reads clearly from the side.
Starting position
Stand tall, feet hip width, shoulders relaxed and down. Raise the straight right arm forward to shoulder height (shoulder flexion about 90°), elbow straight, palm facing the ceiling (forearm fully turned up). Bring the left hand across and rest the left palm and fingers over the right fingers.
The movement
Keeping the right elbow straight, let the right hand bend back at the wrist so the fingers drop towards the floor, and use the left hand to draw the fingers and palm gently further back towards the body until a stretch is felt along the inside (palm side) of the right forearm. Hold. The right arm stays at shoulder height and the shoulder stays relaxed; only the wrist and fingers move.
Tempo
Real sets: hold 15–30 s, 3 times per arm, 2–3 times a day.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Right fingers straight, pointing down and slightly back towards the body at the end.
- Right elbow 0° (straight) throughout; forearm fully turned palm up.
- Right shoulder flexion about 90°, no shrug.
- Left hand contact over the right palm and fingers; left elbow bent about 90–110°.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Wrist Flexor Stretch is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
