Beginner

Kneeling Forearm Extensor Stretch

Placing the backs of the hands on the floor and leaning back loads both forearm extensors at once using body weight, so you can dial the intensity precisely. It is a favorite of lifters and climbers managing tight, achy forearms. Ease into it, the tissues on top of the forearm can be sensitive.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Forearms
Type
Stretching
Browse by muscle
Extensors
Muscles worked
Target
Extensors
Secondary
Extensor Carpi Ulnaris

How to do it

  1. 1

    Kneel and place the backs of both hands on the floor with the fingertips pointing back toward your knees.

  2. 2

    Keep the elbows fairly straight and the shoulders stacked over the hands.

  3. 3

    Slowly shift your weight back toward your heels.

  4. 4

    Feel the stretch build across the tops of both forearms.

  5. 5

    Hold 20 to 30 seconds, ease forward to release, and repeat if needed.

Tips

  • Lean back gradually; a small shift creates a strong stretch.
  • Spread the load across both hands evenly and keep the fingers relaxed.
  • If the wrists complain, reduce how far you lean or do one hand at a time.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The fingertips point out to the sides rather than back toward the knees, which twists the wrists instead of bending them and puts the strain into the joint.
  • Weight is shifted back in one motion, and body weight is a heavy tool for a small joint; travel an inch at a time and wait for the stretch to build.
  • The elbows bend to take the pressure off, which slackens the stretch and quietly hands the load to the shoulders.
  • The knuckles lift so only the backs of the wrists take contact; keep the backs of the hands flat so the pressure spreads across the whole hand.
  • The exit is a quick collapse forward onto the palms, and coming out fast is where wrists get tweaked; walk the weight forward slowly.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the kneeling forearm extensor stretch?
Two or three holds of 20 to 30 seconds, best placed after climbing, gripping, or pressing sessions rather than before them. Progress by shifting the hips a little further back so more weight travels over the hands, and stop adding weight the moment the wrists rather than the forearms are what you feel.
How do I make the kneeling forearm extensor stretch easier or harder?
For an easier version, keep the shoulders over or slightly in front of the hands so the wrists bend less and less body weight passes through them, or do the standing version where your other hand controls the pressure exactly. To make it harder, sit the hips a little further back toward the heels so the wrists bend more, and hold the position for longer rather than leaning further in one go.
What is the kneeling forearm extensor stretch for?
Body weight lets you dial the pressure across both forearms at once, which suits climbers and lifters managing thick, achy extensors after a hard session. It is a poor choice for wrists that already hurt under pressure, since there is no way to reduce the load below your own weight; the standing version is controllable. It also reaches only the top of the forearm, so the palm side needs its own position.

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