# How do I build up my wrists? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 2, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927 "2019-04-02T15:32:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/1 "2019-04-02T15:32:36Z")
No, not _that_ way, you pervs! Get your minds out of the gutter. :mad: I’ve lost 65 pounds over the past year. (BMI is three points into the ‘you’re fat’ zone, so I need to lose another 10 pounds or so.) The downside is that none of my watches fit. Even dad’s Vulcain Cricket with the Speidel Twist-O-Flex bracelet is loose. I could have a link removed from each of my watches, but it offends my sense of symmetry. And Rolex links are expensive and I’m always misplacing small things. Even if I’m not using them, I’d hate to lose them. (The Seiko bracelets are less of a concern, but still…) So I’d like to make my wrists thicker. I have some 25.5-pound dumbbells, and I should have been using them for years to work on my biceps. Would doing reps with those make my wrists bigger? Any other ideas? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/2 "2019-04-02T15:38:51Z")
Not sure if this will help your wrists, but it might. A friend who was heavily into pistol shooting used to work out by having a stick with a rope wrapped around it. The rope ended in a coffee can filled with weights. He would hold the stick between both fists, arms fully extended in front of him, and slowly unroll the rope by turning the stick, lowering the coffeecan weight. When it reached the ground, he’d slowly roll the rope back up, using only his hands to turn the stick. It’s a real forearm workout, and presumably that’ll strengthen your wrists as well. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/3 "2019-04-02T15:47:32Z")
Get a [large bolt cutter](https://www.homedepot.com/p/TEKTON-30-in-Bolt-Cutter-3416/205585555). Hold it by the handles, elbows bent, straight out horizontally. Moving only your wrists slowly let the bolt cutters dip down to vertical, then slowly bring them back up to horizontal again. It should take about 20-30 seconds per rep. Do that 20 times a day. There are probably other ways to accomplish the same thing but the bolt cutters were handy when I was a teenager. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/4 "2019-04-02T15:55:34Z")
I happen to have a large bolt cutter. 20-30 seconds per rep? Man, I hate slow things! ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/5 "2019-04-02T15:55:38Z")
There isn’t a lot of muscle right at the wrist to bulk up; most of the muscles that move the wrist are further up the forearm. Doing wrist extension exercises is probably your best bet, making sure the fingers extend too, as the extensor digitorum has the most muscle bulk near the wrist. But seriously, doing wrist exercises so your watch fits is pretty weird. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/6 "2019-04-02T16:07:00Z")
I used to do A LOT of work on my wrists and hands back when I was fighting. Got pretty strong, but never noticed any change in size. What **Cal** describes is pretty classic. You can do the bolt cutter thing w/ just a nice long hammer. Other than that, just a ton of wrist curls (both ways) with WAY less than 25#. You keep your watches somewhere, don’t you? Go to a jewelry store and get a nice leather or fabric drawstring bag, and keep the extra links in that bag in the same place as your watches. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/7 "2019-04-02T16:13:16Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > You keep your watches somewhere, don’t you? Go to a jewelry store and get a nice leather or fabric drawstring bag, and keep the extra links in that bag in the same place as your watches. They live on the winder. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/8 "2019-04-02T16:16:25Z")
Knew some guys who played foosball a lot in college. It really built up their wrists, so it is doable and, in this case, fun. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/9 "2019-04-02T16:18:11Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > There isn’t a lot of muscle right at the wrist to bulk up; most of the muscles that move the wrist are further up the forearm. Concur, but wish you good luck in accomplishing this goal without simultaneously giving yourself carpal tunnel. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/10 "2019-04-02T16:22:50Z")
Also, congrats on losing the weight. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/11 "2019-04-02T16:27:57Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Concur, but wish you good luck in accomplishing this goal without simultaneously giving yourself carpal tunnel. 🙂 I drive alone, and there’s only one place in Seattle where I go underground. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/12 "2019-04-02T16:43:36Z")
Look at some of the anatomical images of [the wrist](http://handsport.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/wristanat-ex1xx.jpg). It’s mostly tendons and ligaments, which are not going to really bulk up much. There is a bit of muscle, but it’s the end of the muscle. There’s a lot you can do to strengthen the wrist, but that will be from building up the forearm muscles rather than building up muscles at the wrist specifically. Proceed carefully if you decide to try this. I would guess there’s a lot of ways things could go wrong and you’d end up damaging those tendons and ligaments, which are very problematic to heal. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/13 "2019-04-02T19:58:46Z")
You can build up your forearm muscles but your actual wrist is a joint, not a muscle. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/14 "2019-04-02T20:03:31Z")
Turns out the Seiko I’m wearing had another space to take in. I’ll check the other one when I get home. (Same watch, slightly different bracelet.) I’m sure the Rolexes are as small as they can get, but I’ll check them again just to make sure. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/15 "2019-04-02T21:30:39Z")
Maybe you could get a small leather wristband made (or make it yourself, IDK your skill set) to wear under watches that are too loose to snug them up. (I got the idea when I remembered a girl in high school who was dating a guy and wore his class ring, but his fingers were as you would expect larger than hers, so she wrapped a few strands of yarn around her finger underneath it.) ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ab097/32.png) [@Enola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/16 "2019-04-02T22:27:30Z")
Handstands. Not sure it will increase girth, but it absolutely makes your wrists strong as hell. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/17 "2019-04-02T23:06:15Z")
Silicone implants. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/18 "2019-04-02T23:55:01Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Silicone implants. How about some cooking oil? ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/19 "2019-04-03T00:23:44Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I happen to have a large bolt cutter. 20-30 seconds per rep? Man, I hate slow things! If you’re in a hurry, there’s always duct tape. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927/20 "2019-04-03T01:22:31Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I’ve lost 65 pounds over the past year. > … > > So I’d like to make my wrists thicker. There can be enough fat and water storage in the wrists that when one loses that sort of weight the wrists get noticeably smaller. Unfortunately, the muscles that terminate there are so small in that area that it’s unlikely you’ll get them noticeably thicker. Unless you’re interested in having thicker forearms, I wouldn’t bother with exercises. Also, as another has mentioned, focusing on exercises like wrist curls often results in carpal tunnel like issues. If you decide to do them, don’t use a full range of motion (don’t let the hands drop below parallel- focus on the top prion of the movement). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-build-up-my-wrists/831927.md?page=2)