Neutral Wrist Workout

I was recently challenged to come up with a workout that is easy on the wrist as far as extension & flexion are concerned. A buddy injured his wrist awhile back & has been cleared to hit the gym again. As always, you'll want to consult a licensed physical therapist & actually listen to them and complete any and all rehab exercises they prescribe. Once completing this, it is advisable to take it easy, which in this particular case will involve at least wrapping your wrists until they get stronger. Outside of working out in the gym, you'll want to continue your rehab exercises & stretching to regain as much function as possible in the injured joint. Certain exercises either need to be avoided or modified to prevent re-injury. Things like push-ups, forearm curls & certain types of fly movements are out of the question right now. So we'll want to focus on exercises that keep the wrist fairly neutral but still achieve the desired muscle hypertrophy. We also have to watch the wrist even when performing exercises that do not work the upper body. Things like holding the bar while squatting could become problematic if you normally have some extension in your wrist (like I do). This can be overcome by adjusting your form. In my case, if I move the bar a litter higher up on my traps & widen my grip, my wrists are fairly neutral when supporting the bar.

DAY 1: BACK 1 - Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns: Example Video ***Alternate: Machine pulldowns / Wide Overhand Grip Pull-ups (weighted or assisted) 2 - Wide Grip Barbell Rows: Example Video ***Alternate: Cable or machine rows 3 - Rack Pulls (Barbell): Example Video Use a slightly wider, double overhand grip (easier on wrist) ***Alternate: Back extension machine or Smith machine 4 - Neutral Grip Lat Pulldowns: Example Video ***Alternate: Machine pulldowns / Neutral Grip Pull-ups (weighted or assisted) 5 - Bent Over Dumbbell Rows: Example Video ***Alternate: Cable or machine rows DAY 2: CHEST 1 - Incline Barbell Press: Example Video ***Alternate: Incline Dumbbell or Machine press 2 - Standing Cable Fly: Example Video Keep wrists locked ***Alternate: Machine or dumbbell fly 3 - Flat Dumbbell Press: Example Video ***Alternate: Flat Barbell or Machine press 4 - Incline Dumbbell/Kettlebell Fly: Example Video ***Alternate: Cable flys w/ low mounting point 5 - Dumbbell Push-Ups: Example Video Do not bend your wrist & use a wide grip ***Alternate:Dips (assisted or weighted) DAY 3: ARMS 1 - Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extension: Example Video ***Alternate:Tricep Kickbacks 2 - Hammer Curls: Example Video ***Alternate: Standing Cable Curls 3 - Tricep Press Machine: Example Video ***Alternate:Two Hand Standing Cable Tricep Pulldown 4 - Standing Two Hand Cable Curls: Example Video ***Alternate:EZ Bar Curls 5 - Dips: Example Video Do not do bench dips. That will cause wrist extension. Use a standing setup & keep wrist nuetral. If wrist still causes pain, perform one of the other alternate tricep exercises. ***Alternate:Machine Assisted Dips DAY 4: LEGS 1 - Hack Squat (Smith Machine): Example Video ***Alternate: Machine or Barbell Squats 2 - Static Lunge (Smith): Example Video ***Alternate:Walking Barbell Lunges or Unweighted Lunges 3 - Calf Press Machine: Example Video ***Alternate:Standing Smith Machine Calf Press 4 - Hamstring Curl Machine: Example Video ***Alternate:Should be several options for machines 5 - Leg Press: Example Video ***Alternate:Should be several options for machines DAY 5: SHOULDER/TRAPS 1 - Dumbbell Lateral Raises: Example Video Use lighter weight & be careful not to flex your wrists. ***Alternate:Cable lateral raise or lateral shoulder machine 2 - Barbell Shoulder Raise: Example Video ***Alternate:Shoulder raise machine or Dumbbell shoulder raises 3 - Barbell Front Raise: Example Video ***Alternate:Dumbbell front raise or cable front raise 4 - Hex Bar Shrugs: Example Video Neutral Grip ***Alternate:Dumbbell or machine shrugs 5 - Face Pulls: Example Video ***Alternate:Upright rows or Rear delt machine