We have been getting a lot of inquiries about forearm training through tearing phonebooks. One of the most common questions we have received relates to the size of the phonebooks. Some have said that the phonebooks in their area are too thin to present any real challenge, while most have said that the phonebooks in their cities are actually too thick for them to be able to tear them in half. Fear not; there is a way to cope with each of these situations.
Problem #1: Phonebooks are too thin to present a challengeFor the minority of you out there who either live outside of major metropolitan areas or who are just too strong for your own good, there is a way to make a thin phonebook much more challenging. The solution is simple: Put on oven mits before you try to tear the phonebook in half. You will not believe how much harder this is to do. Not only will the book feel thicker, but it will be significantly harder for you to get a solid grip on the book. The absolute most important part of phonebook tearing is getting a vice grip on the phonebook, so the oven mits will definitely turn that "easy" phonebook into a very challenging task!
Problem #2: Phonebooks are too thick to tear in halfFor many of you who live in areas that have large phonebooks (2 inches plus) and who are having trouble ripping them in half, there is also a solution. Remeber that the hardest part of tearing any book in half is getting an ironclad grip on the book. Once you can keep the book from moving AT ALL in your hands when you tear into it, you will be able to rip the books in half in no time flat. How should you do this when the book is too thick for you (right now, anyway)? The solution is simple. Go to the store and purchase two of those "jar openers." You know what I am talking about - these small pads that look sort of like mesh and allow you to grip onto a jar lid. The concept is actually quite similar; just as it enables you to grip the jar lid more easily, it also allows you to grip the phonebook more easily. Use these pads and you will be ripping that phonebook in half in no time!