Bodybuilding Beast Lou Ferrigno Once Gave Precious Insights for Forearm Development: “Wasn’t One of Those Lucky Guys Whose Forearms Grew Just From Holding Weights”

Lou Ferrigno became famous after appearing in the 1977 docu-drama, ‘Pumping Iron’. In the 70s, Lou was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biggest rival on the bodybuilding stage, both literally and metaphorically. With a 6’5 frame, Ferrigno was a few inches taller and heavier than Arnold. At 6’2, Arnold was already one of the biggest bodybuilders of his time.

Even though Lou didn’t beat Arnold in the 1975 Mr. Olympia, he carried even more muscle mass than the seven-time Mr. Olympia. It’s safe to say Lou has a wealth of knowledge about gaining muscle. The former Mr. Universe once imparted some of that knowledge when he told Greg Merritt how he grew his solid forearm muscles.

Lou Ferrigno revealed the trick that developed his forearms

Lou Ferrigno once chatted with Greg Merritt and discussed his training philosophy. While speaking about the range of motion and the need to maintain time under tension, Lou spoke about his forearm training. “I wasn’t one of those lucky guys whose forearms grew just from holding weights.” said ‘The Incredible Hulk’ actor.

Ferrigno said he had to put a lot of effort into developing his forearms. Lou trained forearms three times a week but mostly stuck to just two exercises, barbell wrist curls and reverse curls. Instead of switching between different exercises, Lou maintained consistency and pushed for extra reps with each set.

The former Mr. Universe said he trained with a partner who switched weights to minimize rest between sets. “I reach failure or near-failure and then my partner removes just enough stress for me to get 2–3 more forced reps,” said Lou. 

READ MORE: Training Changes During the Incredible Hulk Shoot Left Bodybuilding Legend Lou Ferrigno ‘Immobilized’

Those two or three extra reps and the minimum rest between sets forced Lou’s forearm muscles to grow. You also talked about maximizing time under tension by not locking out the joints with each rep. Lou said strain in the muscle gets reduced when one locks up the joint.

Don’t forget to relax

While Lou may have minimized rest between each set, he highlighted the necessity of resting after a workout. Ferrigno’s workouts were intense, and he got ample rest, including “at least eight hours of quality sleep each night.”

Ferrigno said the muscle grows during rest and not while busting out reps in the gym. So anyone looking to put on muscle should prioritize sleep and recovery, said Lou.

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Lou was a mountain of muscle during his bodybuilding days. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that he trained with such intensity inside the gym. What do you think of Lou’s tips? Will you try replicating his forearm workout in the gym?