Devon Larratt teaches me how to arm wrestle. Check out recent podcasts:
- Devon Larratt: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nvBEXXnNaNQ
- Elon Musk: https://youtube.com/watch?v=DxREm3s1scA
- GSP: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KdmDtqB46Jc

DEVON LARRATT:
Devon's Instagram: https://instagram.com/devlarratt
Devon's YouTube: https://youtube.com/devlarratt
Devon's Facebook: https://facebook.com/devon.larratt.5
Devon's Website: https://nolimitsarmwrestling.com/

SOCIAL:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lexfridman
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexfridman
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexfridman
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexfridman
- Medium: https://medium.com/@lexfridman
- Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/lexfridman
- Support on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lexfridman

Now, if I wanted to beat you, what would I do here?

So if I can make you come to me, this is the first step.

It lets you use more muscles against less muscles.

You target my fingertips, you get to use more muscles.

The higher up this ridge is in my hand, the better.

The more the pressure is in my fingers, as opposed to your fingers, the better.

Maybe we'll start with a move called the post.

The post by itself is not that powerful of a move, but it's a fantastic opening.

Once you have a post established, the world completely opens up for you.

The Post is very simply an upwards drive of the knuckles.

And it's all about generating better angles.

You're always trying, like if you open up your hand, you're always trying to get deeper as well.

So you're trying to get deeper and deeper.

Always climbing, always improving position.

So basically, inside and outside, that'll be your first division.

So when we're arm wrestling outside, basically it's all these pulling motions, pulling, pulling, and to some degree they all attack the fingers.

A standard top roll will look something like this.

I'll start to apply pressure up into the fingers.

I'll start to bend my wrist, and as I'm bending my wrist, you will be attempting to bend your wrist, and I will block you with something called pronation, which is this turning, and I'll carry through the fingers, and I'll take you all the way to the pin pad through the fingertips.

It's a fantastic move for beating people.

It's 1 of the best techniques in arm wrestling, the top

Most world champions, I would say, I'd say most use top roll.

I also seen you compliment somebody that, it's not over here yet

of the strongest people in the world like this, and that's, I think you're complimenting somebody that they were able to do that against.

Another way to talk about arm wrestling, so we started to touch on like the top roll, the hook, So a hook is basically wrist flexor driven.

So it's more about attacking the person's pronation.

So you establish a hook, and then you can pull out of it.

Or you make it more of a press and it's more shoulders coming right forward.

You're coming right in on okay So hooking and pressing are so all the moves in arm wrestling are similar.

But the role results in an asymmetric like I'm losing your way I feels like the hook is where

You get to stay in the match a little bit more.

But a good arm wrestler isn't gonna necessarily give you that.

You don't see a lot of world-class matches where the guy is just pressing, you don't see it.

The controversial King's move, what is that?

Okay, so the King's move is actually a defensive move.

So the only thing I'm trying to do when I King's move is I'm trying to attack your arm angle through dragging, okay, and I'm trying to target your fingers through pronation.

I'm trying to do all the other things as well, but these are my anchors, okay, so I'll fight for all the other stuff, but I'll give them away.

This is the 1 that I hold, so I will turn, right, And a lot of times there's a dipping, okay?

Are you like basically pulling me towards you?

So normally a king's move is used against a very strong opponent.

The king's move is throwing a big wrench into the sport, but this has been happening a lot as the sport evolves.

I'd say that the break is the 1 that's...

The strongest arm I've ever felt in my life.


Speaker 0: Devin Larratt, you son of a bitch. Thanks for eating.

Speaker 1: What's the matter? MIT got you pushing too many pencils?

Speaker 0: All right, you got me. Now, if I wanted to beat you, what would I do here?

Speaker 1: It starts before we even arm wrestle. It's all postural really. So if I can make you come to me, this is the first step. Always make me come to you. Exactly.

It lets you use more muscles against less muscles. You target weakness, right? You target my fingertips, you get to use more muscles. So, you see this ridge? Yeah.

Very important. The higher up this ridge is in my hand, the better. The more the pressure is in my fingers, as opposed to your fingers, the better. Right? What are some basics

Speaker 0: here that you

Speaker 1: must know? Some basics. Okay. Maybe we'll start with a move called the post. The post by itself is not that powerful of a move, but it's a fantastic opening.

Once you have a post established, the world completely opens up for you. The Post is very simply an upwards drive of the knuckles. Yeah.

Speaker 0: And there are also climbs at this point.

Speaker 1: Yes, exactly. And it's all about generating better angles. That's it, yeah. You're always trying, like if you open up your hand, you're always trying to get deeper as well. So you're trying to get deeper and deeper.

Climbing up and over. Both. Yeah. That's it. Advancing that position all the time.

Yeah.

Speaker 0: So you're always climbing. You're always climbing over

Speaker 1: and over. That's the goal. Yeah. Always climbing, always improving position. ABC.

Always be climbing. So basically, inside and outside, that'll be your first division. So when we're arm wrestling outside, basically it's all these pulling motions, pulling, pulling, and to some degree they all attack the fingers. A standard top roll will look something like this. I'll start to apply pressure up into the fingers.

I'll start to bend my wrist, and as I'm bending my wrist, you will be attempting to bend your wrist, and I will block you with something called pronation, which is this turning, and I'll carry through the fingers, and I'll take you all the way to the pin pad through the fingertips. It's a fantastic move for beating people. It's 1 of the best techniques in arm wrestling, the top

Speaker 0: roll.

Speaker 1: Most world champions, I would say, I'd say most use top roll.

Speaker 0: I also seen you compliment somebody that, it's not over here yet

Speaker 1: for me. No, absolutely not. That You can hold some

Speaker 0: of the strongest people in the world like this, and that's, I think you're complimenting somebody that they were able to do that against.

Speaker 1: Yeah. Another way to talk about arm wrestling, so we started to touch on like the top roll, the hook, So a hook is basically wrist flexor driven. So it's more about attacking the person's pronation. So you establish a hook, and then you can pull out of it. Or you make it more of a press and it's more shoulders coming right forward.

You're coming right in on okay So hooking and pressing are so all the moves in arm wrestling are similar. Okay, just subtle differences

Speaker 0: But the role results in an asymmetric like I'm losing your way I feels like the hook is where

Speaker 1: You get to stay in the match a little bit more. You stay in the match, yeah. You do, yeah. But a good arm wrestler isn't gonna necessarily give you that. You don't see a lot of world-class matches where the guy is just pressing, you don't see it.

Speaker 0: The controversial King's move, what is that?

Speaker 1: Okay, so the King's move is actually a defensive move. So the only thing I'm trying to do when I King's move is I'm trying to attack your arm angle through dragging, okay, and I'm trying to target your fingers through pronation. I'm trying to do all the other things as well, but these are my anchors, okay, so I'll fight for all the other stuff, but I'll give them away. This is the 1 that I hold, so I will turn, right, And a lot of times there's a dipping, okay?

Speaker 0: So you're pulling also? Are you like basically pulling me towards you?

Speaker 1: I'll try, but I may not be able to. So normally a king's move is used against a very strong opponent. The king's move is throwing a big wrench into the sport, but this has been happening a lot as the sport evolves. The king's move is here to stay.

Speaker 0: Where do the injuries come from?

Speaker 1: Right here. That's the 1. The bad 1 is the break. Is the break. Of what?

Yeah. Humerus. Oh wow. Yeah, right here. Yeah.

So literally break your arm. Test your frame, man. We are, we're like...

Speaker 0: So not a bicep tear, not...

Speaker 1: It can happen. Bicep tears can happen. I'd say that the break is the 1 that's...

Speaker 0: It's a literal arm break.

Speaker 1: Oh yeah. And when it goes, it's like... Yep.

Speaker 0: Wow. The strongest arm I've ever felt in my life. And he's not even trying.

Speaker 1: I'm very specialized. I'm a super specialized athlete. Ladies and gentlemen, Devin Larratt. This is a huge honor.

Speaker 0: Thank you so much. Hey, for me too. Come on, give it. You got it. Yeah.

Go. You got it. Go, go, go. Go, go, go. Yeah.

Go. Go. Go. Go. Yeah, go!

See all Lex Fridman transcripts on Youtube

Devon Larratt vs Lex Fridman: How to arm wrestle