Forearms · Barbell

Barbell Standing Wrist Curl

The barbell standing wrist curl is an isolation exercise designed to strengthen the forearm flexors and build grip strength. It suits lifters of all experience levels and belongs at the very end of an arm or pull workout so your grip is not pre-exhausted for compound lifts.

Muscles: Forearms
Equipment: Barbell
Type: Strength
Animation: Men

How to do it

Stand upright holding a barbell with an underhand grip, arms at your sides.
Keep your forearms against your body and elbows stationary.
Allow the barbell to roll down to your fingertips.
Curl the barbell up by flexing your wrists as high as possible.
Slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.

Common mistakes

Using too much weight forces body swing and overloads the wrist joints instead of isolating the forearms.
Bending the elbows during the curl shifts the tension away from the forearms and onto the biceps.
Dropping the barbell quickly without control removes tension from the eccentric phase and risks joint strain.

Tips

Allow the barbell to roll down into your fingertips at the bottom to maximize the stretch on the forearm flexors.
Hold a brief pause at the peak of the curl to reinforce maximal contraction.
Switch to an EZ-curl bar if a straight barbell puts uncomfortable torque on your wrists.

Sets and reps

Perform 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 20 repetitions with 60 to 90 seconds of rest between sets to target forearm hypertrophy and endurance.

Muscles worked

Your coach guides every set

Turn on the coach in Gloox: it asks how you feel, picks the weight from your history and cues technique and rest. Rate each set and the next one is tuned to you.

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On a computer? Point your phone's camera here to get the app.

Questions

Can dumbbells replace the barbell for this exercise?

Yes, dumbbells allow each wrist to move along its natural path and help balance strength asymmetries between arms.

What should you do if you experience wrist pain during this movement?

Reduce the weight, try an EZ-bar or dumbbells for a more neutral angle, and stop the movement to consult a specialist if pain persists.

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