July Fitness Challenge

Daily fitness challenge for the month of July focused on forearm strength and wrist mobility.

Daily Challenge

As a functional fitness coach of several years, I run a community-based fitness group outside of my gym. We discuss goals, meet weekly for outdoor workouts, and tackle a new daily challenge each month.

The intent of these daily challenges is to create productive habits and induce both mental and physical adaptations. The at-home exercise is never more than ten minutes - often less. Short, achievable tasks provide an opportunity to still earn the day when your plans get disrupted.

Consistency will always produce better and more lasting results than intermittent intensity.

Anyone can find a few minutes a day to do something beneficial for themselves.

That’s all you need to begin seeing progress.

The Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID) Principle is an exercise physiology concept that demonstrates the more you do anything, the better you get at that specific thing.

The body’s ability to physiologically adapt and optimize performance based on what we consistently put it through is amazing. Even more impressive is the mind’s plasticity in response to stress.

Machine learning for humans.

Fitness serves as a vehicle for resilience training, with the physical benefits secondary to the mental skills developed.

Showing up daily isn’t easy but it’s how lasting change is formed.

Enhance resilience by consistently embracing self-created challenges.

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July Daily Challenge: Forearm Fortifier

Using a light dumbbell or handheld weight of any kind, complete:

• 25 wrist curls

• 25 reverse wrist curls

• 25 wrist rockers

• 25 forearm windmills

• Accumulate one minute dead hang or farmer’s carry (medium to heavy weight)

Modifications for all movements offered below allowing this challenge to be accessible for all regardless of age, weight, or ability.

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Wrist Rehab

I’ve dealt with a nagging wrist issue for years. Maybe it’s from poor ergonomics while primarily carrying my kids with my left arm. Maybe it’s years of Jiu-Jitsu and countless burpees. But I bet it’s because I rarely train my forearm strength and wrist mobility. Sure I hold/carry heavy things and grab onto stuff for climbing and grappling regularly, but I’m never intentionally moving my wrists in all planes of motion with resistance.

That’s going to change this month.

Neglecting parts of the body creates vulnerabilities. Our weaknesses eventually are revealed. Continue to avoid them, as I have with my wrist, and they’ll eventually fail you. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Either fortify the link or eventually watch it break.

The purpose of this month’s daily challenge is to enhance forearm strength and wrist mobility. Consistently moving the wrists with resistance through their full range of motion will begin to cause adaptations in ways your lifestyle is either missing or compromising.

I’m excited to see what objective and subjective progress results from this short workout throughout the month.

Make sure you read the technique instructions and watch the videos below to learn about modifications so you can start at a manageable level based on your experience and current ability.

The primary purpose of all of this - resilience development physically, mentally, and spiritually.

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Technique & Modifications

* Watch videos for technical demonstration and discussion. The written steps can help add detail to the micro-movements as needed *

Wrist Curls

1. Stand or sit while tightly holding a dumbbell, barbell, or other type of handheld weight with a palms-up grip

2. Lock your elbows to your sides if standing or rest your forearms on your thighs or a bench if sitting with your wrists extending just beyond where your forearms are resting

3. Allow your wrists to bend as far back as possible while holding the desired weight to enter the starting position

4. Keeping your forearms still, curl the weight upward by lifting only at the wrists

5. Pause briefly at the height of your lift

6. Return to starting position for one repetition

7. Maintain controlled movements throughout and avoid bouncing or using momentum as you complete your chosen rep count

Reverse Wrist Curls

1. Stand or sit while tightly holding a dumbbell, barbell, or other type of handheld weight with a palms-down grip

2. Lock your elbows to your sides if standing or rest your forearms on your thighs or a bench if sitting with your wrists extending just beyond where your forearms are resting

3. Allow your wrists to flex as far back as possible while holding the desired weight to enter the starting position

4. Keeping your forearms still, curl the weight upward by lifting only at the wrists

5. Pause briefly at the height of your lift

6. Return to starting position for one repetition

7. Maintain controlled movements throughout and avoid bouncing or using momentum as you complete your chosen rep count

* This movement often requires a lighter weight than wrist curls

Wrist Rockers

1. Stand or sit while tightly holding a kettlebell, dumbbell, or other type of handheld weight with your arms resting along the side of your body

2. Lock your elbows to your sides and let the weight hang alongside you if standing or below you if sitting to enter the starting position

3. While keeping your forearm still, raise the weight toward your thumb

4. Pause briefly at the height of your lift

5. Return to the starting position and then raise the weight toward your pinkie finger while pausing at the height of your lift

6. Return to the starting position again for one repetition

7. Maintain controlled movements throughout and avoid bouncing or using momentum as you complete your chosen rep count

Forearm Windmills

1. Stand while tightly holding a dumbbell, barbell, or other type of handheld weight with your elbows locked to your sides, bent 90 degrees, and a palms-up grip to enter the starting position

2. While keeping your forearms locked to your sides, rotate your forearm until your palm faces downward

3. Reverse the movement until your palm faces upward again for one repetition

4. Pause briefly at the extent of each of your turns

5. Avoid bouncing or using momentum while continuing to rotate back and forth with controlled movements as you complete your chosen rep count

Dead Hang

1. Stand beneath a pull-up bar or ledge

2. Lock your thumbs to your hands as you step or jump up to grasp it with both hands facing forward about shoulder-width apart

3. All five fingers on each hand should be wrapped around the bar/ledge as you allow your arms to straighten while maintaining slight engagement in your shoulders and core

4. Hold the position for the intended amount of time (break as needed)

Farmer’s Carry

1. Stand between two dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell, a trap bar, buckets full of water/rocks, or other handheld weights

2. Hinge at your hips, bend your knees, and squat down to grasp the weight(s)

3. Brace your core, maintain posture throughout your spine, and stand up to enter the starting position

4. Walk forward for intended amount of time

5. Maintain posture and initial form throughout the carry (break as needed)

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Progression Guide

For beginners:

• Use an extremely light or no weight at all for wrist/forearm movements

• Decrease repetition count or time for each movement

• Complete smaller sets/break up time of each movement

• Progressively increase difficulty until you are able to complete the entire workout unmodified and unbroken (preferably in five minutes or less)

For intermediate/advanced:

If you can complete challenge unmodified and unbroken:

• Increase weight of wrist/forearm/farmer’s carry movements or wear weight for dead hang

• Increase repetitions of wrist/forearm movements or add time to dead hang/farmer’s carry

As always, compete with yourself yesterday.

Quality of form is more important than quantity of reps. Become comfortable with the technique first, then increase your volume.

Show up and do your best.

Battle your internal resistance and get that small win.

Everything feels easier when you occasionally make things a little harder on purpose.

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Get Ready

I’m posting this a day early so everyone, including my international friends, can prepare to start strong on day one at their own skill and comfort level.

Track your times and modifications only to set a goal for the following day. The outcome doesn’t matter as long as you show up and put out.

Consistent effort leads to improved performance over time.

How will you respond when you don’t feel like it?

These are the days that matter most.

These are the moments you see what you’re made of.

These are the days that change you.

This is how resilient mental states are developed.

Embrace the challenge of discipline to optimize the skill of resilience.

Deliberate discomfort daily can lead to improved comfort elsewhere forever.

By the end of July, if you consistently complete this challenge regardless of modifications, you will cause multiple adaptations to enhance forearm strength, wrist mobility and stability.

Stacking valuable inputs in training adds quality to the limited quantity of time we have throughout the day. Use a brief fitness routine to insert control and success into every day.

Self-care through self-challenge.

A few minutes a day can change your life.

Resilient Mental State is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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*Special Offer*

Join our community and earn a one month subscription to Resilient Mental State:

• Complete the challenge for more than half the month.

• Bonus giveaway for anyone who completes it every day.

In our community chat, we’ll hold each other accountable by posting a ✅ after completing each day’s challenge. Timing and modifications don’t matter—just show up and do your best.

To claim your one month subscription, share your story at the end July:

Share a reflection on your progress (either in the community chat or privately with me) and then I’ll confirm your ✅ count.

Join our community, and let’s improve together.

Disclaimer:

The content provided is intended for general knowledge and informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to making any decisions or changes relating to your health. Kyle Shepard is not responsible for any adverse effects resulting from the use of information in this publication.