Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Barbell Reverse Wrist Curl
The barbell reverse wrist curl trains the muscles on the back of your forearms by lifting a light bar with your palms down and your forearms supported.
- Beginner
- Isolation
- Low injury risk
- Rest 1 min
How to do it
- Kneel beside the long edge of a flat bench.
- Hold the bar with a palms-down grip about shoulder-width apart.
- Rest your forearms on the bench with your wrists beyond the edge and your hands angled slightly downward.
- Raise the bar by bending your wrists upward.
- Lower the bar back to the starting position.
Form cues
- Keep your fingers wrapped around the bar
- Keep your shoulders relaxed
- Use a smooth, even tempo
Common mistakes
- Lifting your forearmsKeep your forearms in contact with the bench so the movement comes only from your wrists.
- Bending your wrists sidewaysAdjust your grip width so your hands stay aligned with your forearms throughout the rep.
Safety
Excessive weight or forcing the wrists through their end range can irritate the wrists and the tendons near the outer elbows.
- Start with a very light bar; a standard full-size barbell may be too heavy.
- Use only a comfortable wrist range without forcing a stretch at either end.
- Increase weight in small increments once all reps feel controlled.
- Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in your wrists or elbows.
If you have ongoing wrist or outer-elbow discomfort, ask a physiotherapist about a suitable variation before adding resistance.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Equipment
- Flat Bench
- Short Straight Bar
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 12–20 reps
- Rest
- 1 min
Finish each set with enough strength left for about two more clean reps.