The forearms are an often-overlooked muscle by many lifters, despite their practical and aesthetic importance.

The muscles of the forearms are used heavily during any exercise or movement that involves gripping a barbell, dumbbell, or cable attachment.

They also contribute greatly to an aesthetic physique. Your forearms are shown almost constantly, whether you’re wearing a t-shirt, vest, or a shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the forearms are the muscle most often on display, so why ignore them?

Many people focus on their biceps and triceps yet completely neglect the entire lower half of the arm, or mistakenly think that simply performing compound exercises without straps is enough to grow the forearm muscles effectively.

If you want to develop a pair of strong, muscular forearms then you need to target them through direct isolation work. That’s where wrist curls come in.

The Difference Between Wrist Curls and Reverse Wrist Curls

There are two main types of wrist curl - the standard version and the reverse wrist curl.

Standard wrist curls mostly work the wrist flexors, the muscles on the underside of the forearm, while reverse wrist curls target the wrist extensors, located on the top of the forearm.

So, to develop well-rounded forearms, alongside stronger wrists, it’s a good idea to include both in your routine.

How to Perform Wrist Curls

• Sit on a weight bench with your feet flat on the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand.

• Rest your forearms on your thighs, allowing the wrists to hang just past your knees with your palms facing up.

• Using only your wrists and keeping your forearms flat, curl the dumbbells up.

• Slowly lower the weights back down as far as you comfortably can.

The reverse version is performed the same way, just with your palms facing the floor instead of the ceiling.

Both versions can also be performed across a weight bench instead, simply sit or kneel on the floor and lay your forearms across the bench with your hands hanging freely off the end, then perform the exercise as normal.

The wrists can be a delicate joint for some people, so it’s important to start with light Hand Weights and go slowly to prevent injury.

Wrist Curl Benefits

Both wrist curls and reverse wrist curls make great additions to any routine. They help in the gym, allowing you to perform better on deadlifts, pull ups, rows, and the Preacher Curl Machine, they make your physique look better, and they also provide a lot of functional benefits.

Any time you grip an object in your daily life you are using the muscles of the forearm - the same muscles trained by wrist curls.

They also help prevent injury, the wrists can be a problematic joint for many people and strengthening the surrounding muscles and tendons through precise isolation work can help to make them more resilient to injury and wear and tear.

Barbell Wrist Curls vs Dumbbell Wrist Curls

Each has its pros and cons; dumbbells can be easier on the wrists as they are able to move and flex freely without being locked in place with a barbell.

However, a barbell can provide a more stable and even weight distribution, whereas the dumbbells might cause one arm to fail before the other due to muscular imbalances.

You can use an EZ Curling Bar for a middle ground that provides the stability of a barbell with a more comfortable wrist position due to the angled grip, alleviating some strain on the wrists.

Ultimately, it’s up to you, and it’s best to try out all the different combinations of dumbbell and barbell as well as performing the curls against your knees vs across a bench to find out what works best for you.

There you have it, everything you need to know to get started with wrist curls. Take the time to explore the different variations of grips, equipment, and positions to find the approach that best suits you.

You'll soon be on your way to developing stronger, well-defined forearms that support both your lifting goals and daily activities!

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Tags: Equipment > Bars & Weight Plates ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Exercise Type > Strength