Stronger

Cable Wrist Curl

Cable Wrist Curl demonstration

Category

isolation

Difficulty

beginner

Equipment

cable

Force Type

pull

How to Perform the Cable Wrist Curl

  1. Set a cable pulley to the lowest position and attach a straight bar or short bar handle.
  2. Kneel or sit in front of the cable machine and grasp the bar with an underhand grip (palms facing up), hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Rest your forearms on your thighs or on a bench so that your wrists hang over the edge with full freedom of movement.
  4. Allow the weight to pull your wrists down into extension, stretching the forearm flexors.
  5. Curl the bar upward by flexing your wrists as high as possible, squeezing the forearm muscles at the top.
  6. Slowly lower the bar back to the stretched position under control. Avoid using momentum or rocking your forearms.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Moving the forearms off the support

Keep your forearms firmly pressed against your thighs or the bench. Only your wrists and hands should move.

Using too heavy a weight

Forearm muscles respond well to moderate weight with higher reps. Use a load that allows full range of motion.

Rushing through reps

Perform each rep with a slow, controlled tempo. Pause at the top of each curl for a brief squeeze.

Muscles Worked

Benefits

  • Builds forearm size and improves wrist flexor strength for better grip performance.
  • Constant cable tension provides a more effective stimulus than free weight wrist curls, especially at the top of the movement.
  • Stronger forearms and grip improve performance on pulling exercises like deadlifts, rows, and pull-ups.

Pro Tips

  • Allow the bar to roll to your fingertips at the bottom for an extended range of motion and greater muscle activation.
  • Perform these at the end of your workout to avoid fatiguing your grip before compound pulling exercises.
  • Superset with reverse wrist curls to train both the flexors and extensors of the forearm for balanced development.

Variations

Recommended Sets & Reps

Strength

4-5 sets of 6-8 reps at 75-85% 1RM

Hypertrophy

3-4 sets of 12-15 reps at 60-70% 1RM

Endurance

2-3 sets of 20-25 reps at 40-50% 1RM

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