Barbell Wrist Curl

A barbell wrist curl is a resistance exercise, which involves the primary wrist flexors, the flexor carpi radialis and flexor carpi ulnaris. This exercise is performed seated with an Olympic bar or other barbell alternative. The concentric portion of the lift is wrist flexion, which involves the lifting of the weight. The eccentric portion is wrist extension, which involves the descent of the weight.

The purpose of the barbell wrist curl is to strengthen the wrist flexors while promoting hypertrophy (increases in size) of the forearms.

Barbell wrist curls strengthen and increase the size of the primary wrist flexors, the flexor carpi radialis and flexor carpi ulnaris. Barbell wrist curls increase the size of the wrist flexors, increasing forearm strength and aesthetics. Stronger forearms also complement exercise performance when training larger muscle groups and with multi-joint exercises.

The wrist flexors are located on the front of the forearms with their origins on the medial side of the elbows (with palms facing out, the side of the elbow closest to your body). Their insertions are located at the wrists and hands. Upon wrist flexion, you can see superficial tendons of the wrist flexors rise near their point of insertion at the wrist.

The two primary wrist flexors are the flexor carpi radialis and the flexor carpi ulnaris. The flexor carpi radialis originates at the medial epicondyle of the humerus at the elbow joint and inserts at the base of the second and third metacarpals of the hand.

The flexor carpi ulnaris is a two-headed muscle originating at the medial epicondyle of the humerus and the olecranon process of the elbow. Its insertion is at the pisiform and hamate carpal bones at the wrist and at the base of the fifth metacarpal of the hand.

Aiding in wrist flexion are the flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor digitorum profundus. The flexor digitorum superficialis is a two-headed muscle that is located under the flexor carpi radialis and flexor carpi ulnaris. It originates at the medial epicondyle of the humerus, the coronoid process of the ulna and the shaft of the radius. It inserts by four tendons into the middle phalanges of all fingers except the thumb.

The flexor digitorum profundus, as its name suggests, is a deep muscle, located underneath the flexor digitorum superficialis. Its origin is located at the anteromedial surface of the ulna and at the interosseous membrane (located between the ulna and radius). Like the flexor digitorum superficialis, the insertion of the flexor digitorum profundus inserts by four tendons into the phalanges of all fingers except the thumb, but at the distal portion of the phalanges (further down the finger bones).

Aiding in wrist flexion while also providing stability is the palmaris longus. The palmaris longus is a small muscle that runs superficially down the forearm with the flexor carpi radialis and flexor carpi ulnaris at each side. Its origin is located at the medial epicondyle of the humerus and inserts at the fascia of the palm of the hand.

Finger curls, Behind-the-back barbell wrist curls, cable wrist curls, dumbbell wrist curls, reverse wrist curls (wrist extension).

Wrist curls improve the strength and performance of the wrist flexors, improving forearm contribution to other exercises. Wrist curls also complement the aesthetics of the forearms by increasing their size.

Forearm training should be done at the end of an exercise session that trains upper body (e.g. biceps and back) to not jeopardize the quality of exercise when training larger muscle groups. Perform a few sets of wrist curls followed by wrist extensions to ensure you’re targeting both sides of the forearm. When performing wrist curls, incorporating finger curls will ensure you place a maximal stretch on the wrist flexors, increasing their activation with flexion.

Focus on the concentric portion of the contraction, concentrating on “squeezing” at the end of wrist flexion as the barbell is curled all the way.

Emphasis on eccentric contractions, prolonging the eccentric portion of the contraction, may also be incorporated in a training program focused on increasing strength. This should be implemented accordingly and with adequate muscle recovery as eccentric contractions cause substantial damage to muscle tissue.


It’s important to note that your repetition and set volume will depend on your goals (e.g. strength, hypertrophy, muscular endurance). Strategically varying your intensity (load) and volume (number of repetitions in a set) will optimize forearm development with time.

Training forearms before training larger muscle groups can decrease the quality of a lifting session if forearm muscles are fatigued initially. Many resistance exercises (e.g. biceps exercises) activate the forearm muscles in the process to assist with larger muscles. This is why it is important to train them after training large muscles, at the end of a session.

Bouncing the barbell at the bottom of the movement before the upward phase can result in wrist injury. Therefore, it is important to control the downward and upward phases of the exercise.

If proper technique is not adhered to (e.g. dropping the weight quickly instead of controlling the descent on the eccentric portion of the lift, lifting a load too heavy for the lifter), the likelihood of injury increases.

If proper recovery is not implemented between training days for optimal muscle repair of the wrist flexors, the wrist flexors’ tendons become inflamed. Without proper rest and treatment, the inflammation remains and results in tendonitis.