The humble wrist curl is an underrated exercise—unless you live in one of the corners of the internet where it’s trending, and then you’ll have a million questions about how to do wrist curls and which kinds are the best. The truth is that they aren’t magic (and the details don’t matter that much), but they are definitely an exercise worth trying.
What are wrist curls?
Think of a bicep curl, where you’re working the bicep by bending your elbow. A wrist curl is the same idea, but you’re using your wrist flexors (the meaty muscles on the inside of your forearm) to bend your wrist.
Wrist curls can be done standing (with your arms hanging down) or seated (with your forearm resting on a horizontal surface, such as the top of your thigh, palm facing up. They are most commonly done with dumbbells, but you can also use a barbell, resistance bands, or anything else convenient.
What are reverse wrist curls?
These work the opposite muscles, the wrist extensors. To do these in the seated position, you would rest your forearm on your lap or a bench with your palm facing down. To do the reverse wrist curl, you’ll raise the back of your hand toward the ceiling.
Reverse wrist curls, like the regular version, can be done seated or standing, and with any type of weight but are most commonly done with a dumbbell.
What are the benefits of wrist curls and reverse wrist curls?
Muscle mass. These exercises build the muscles on the front and back of your forearms, so if you’re lifting for muscle mass or looks, wrist curls will help you to get a meatier-looking forearm. If you think veiny forearms look hot, wrist curls will help you accentuate that look (although it’s important to remember the appearance of your veins has a large genetic component, and also depends on how much body fat you have).
Grip strength. There’s a big functional advantage, too: wrist curls (especially the regular, palms-up type) improve your grip. It’s impossible to isolate just the wrist flexors—especially as you are holding a weight in your hand—so you’ll end up working finger flexors and hand muscles as well. A well-rounded grip strength routine will include more than just wrist curls, but wrist curls (and finger curls!) are going to be a staple of almost any grip routine.
Tendon health. Wrist curls can help if you are prone to “golfer’s elbow” or “tennis elbow,” two conditions that involve irritation or pain in the tendons surrounding the wrist. Anecdotally, wrist curls often help people with golfer’s elbow, and reverse wrist curls help those with tennis elbow. Feel free to try these exercises for prevention or to see if they can help calm down a flare-up, but if you’re in real pain or if the pain isn’t getting better, seek care from a physical therapist or other medical professional. Not everything can be fixed with a magic exercise from the internet.
How do I do wrist curls?
There are multiple ways to do these, so try a few types and pick your favorite.
Standing wrist curls
I like to do mine standing, with a barbell. I hold the bar with an underhand grip, and curl my wrists upward, palms toward the sky. Then I put the bar down and regrip it with my palms facing me. I do another set, this time doing reverse wrist curls, trying to lift the backs of my hands to the sky.
I like to add finger curls to this routine as well. I’ll actually do the finger curls first, in the same position as the regular wrist curls (palms facing away from me). When I can’t curl my fingers anymore, I switch to wrist curls and then reverse wrist curls. Then I rest a minute, and start the circuit over again.
Another way to do these is to stand with a barbell behind your back. Palms face away from you. Curl your wrist to lift your palms skyward. Some people like these better than the type I described above.
Seated wrist curls, on your lap (or a bench or table)
This type combines the wrist and finger curl. You can do it with a barbell or with dumbbells. Support your forearm on your lap (or kneel behind a bench, or use any convenient flat surface like the top of a reverse hyper machine).
With your palm facing up, let the dumbbell roll to the tips of your fingers, getting as low as possible toward the floor. Then curl your fingers up toward your palm, and once the dumbbell is securely in your hand, continue the movement so your palm ends up facing your body.
For the reverse version, there will be no finger component. Just hold the dumbbell in your hand, palm down, forearm resting on a surface as above. Raise the back of your hand as high as you can while keeping your forearm fully on the surface.