Many shun this in favour of pecs, bis, etc but just a short training session with some specialised grip work can work wonders. Forget the information some of the magazines which say what the pro's say, i.e. their forearms get all the work they need from bicep work. This article is based around us amateurs fighting for every ounce of muscle.
Don't bother with exercises like wrist extensions off the end of a bench; they wont build the kind of strength and mass that we're after. Here are three easy exercises to start you on your grip road to super strength and can all be done with minimal kit.
1. Wrist rollers
A great exercise that can be made cheaply: from a DIY / hardware store buy a mop handle, cut it down to about 20-25 inches long and drill a hole through the centre. Thread through the hole some solid rope, eg climbing cord or some old electrical flex cable (which is what I use), and tie a knot in the top end. It needs to be long enough so that when you stand with your arms out in front of you it hangs down to your shins. Next simply loop the end through a weight plate and loosely knot it; start with a 5-10lb plate.
Keeping your arms straight out in front of you 90° to your body with the wrist roller fully extended, simply wind the weight up to the top position by using your wrists. Once at the top lower the same way to the fully extended position then repeat. Believe me if you're just starting then 10lb for 6-8 reps will stop most in their tracks!
2. Plate grip
Take hold of an Olympic plate in one hand and pinch grip it so your fingers are along the smooth side of the plate with your thumb on the other side, hold it for as long as possible and then change hands. Do this twice per hand aiming for around 45-60 seconds. Once achieved increase the weight.
3. Captain of crush grippers (if you can afford one)
Real solid steel crush grippers are better than the ones you will buy from the shops. Start with the trainer model if you're new to grip work which is set at 100lbs pressure and is enough for most. Do 3 sets of 8-10 reps and remember to fully close the gripper and hold for one second before releasing.
There you have it, 5-6 sets of pure torture that will have your forearms put on mass like you wouldn't believe and your grip so strong you won't ever dig your straps out for deadlifts again!