Wrist Curl

Category
isolationDifficulty
beginner
Equipment
barbell
Force Type
pull
How to Perform the Wrist Curl
- Sit on a bench and rest your forearms on your thighs with your wrists hanging just past your knees, palms facing up.
- Grip a barbell or pair of dumbbells with an underhand (supinated) grip.
- Allow the weight to roll down to your fingertips by extending your wrists fully for a deep stretch.
- Curl the weight upward by flexing your wrists as high as possible, squeezing the forearm muscles.
- Hold the top contraction for a one-second squeeze.
- Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position, allowing a controlled stretch at the bottom.
- Keep your forearms pressed firmly against your thighs throughout the movement to isolate the wrist flexors.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using too much weight and moving the forearms off the thighs
Choose a weight that allows you to isolate the wrist flexors; your forearms should remain stationary throughout.
Using a partial range of motion
Allow full wrist extension at the bottom and full flexion at the top for maximum forearm development.
Performing reps too quickly
Use a slow, controlled tempo to maximize time under tension on the forearm muscles.
Muscles Worked
Benefits
- ✓Directly targets the wrist flexors for forearm size and aesthetics
- ✓Improves grip strength and endurance for pulling exercises like deadlifts and rows
- ✓Contributes to wrist stability and resilience for everyday and athletic activities
Pro Tips
- ●Allow the bar to roll down to your fingertips at the bottom for an even greater range of motion and forearm stretch.
- ●Try higher rep ranges (15-25 reps) as the forearm muscles respond well to endurance-style training.
- ●Alternate between barbell and dumbbell variations to work each wrist independently and address imbalances.
Variations
Recommended Sets & Reps
Strength
4-5 sets of 8-10 reps at heavy weight
Hypertrophy
3-4 sets of 12-15 reps at moderate weight
Endurance
2-3 sets of 20-30 reps at light weight


