Arms · Wrist extension

Reverse Wrist Curls

The reverse wrist curl is a forearm exercise where you rest your forearms on a bench with your palms down and extend your wrists upward against a weight. It trains the wrist extensors on top of the forearm, which are often weak compared with the flexors, and helps with balanced forearms, grip and elbow health.

Also known as: Wrist extension, Overhand wrist curl, Forearm extension

Muscle group: Arms
Movement pattern: Wrist extension
Type: Isolation
Equipment: Dumbbell or barbell, Bench
Difficulty: Beginner

What muscles does the reverse wrist curls work?

Primary movers

Wrist extensors

Assisting muscles

Brachioradialis
Finger extensors

The wrist extensors run along the top of the forearm and lift the hand back. They are used in gripping and stabilising the wrist, but get little direct work.

They tend to be weaker than the flexors, since most lifting works the flexors. A balance helps wrist and elbow health, particularly for lifters with tennis-elbow type pain.

The weight is light. The muscles are small and the leverage is poor, so heavy weights strain the wrist.

Pairing wrist curls with reverse wrist curls trains both sides of the forearm.

How to do the reverse wrist curls

Setup

1
Sit on a bench and rest your forearms on your thighs or the bench, palms down.
2
Let your wrists hang off the edge.
3
Hold a light dumbbell or barbell with an overhand grip.
4
Keep your forearms still.

Execution

1
Lower the weight by flexing your wrists forward.
2
Extend your wrists to lift the weight up.
3
Squeeze at the top.
4
Lower slowly.
5
Keep your forearms on the support.
6
Use only your wrists.

Common reverse wrist curls mistakes

Too heavy

Heavy weights strain the wrists and elbows.

The fix: Start with a very light weight.

Lifting the forearms

Raising the arms lets the elbows help.

The fix: Keep your forearms on the support.

Using momentum

Bouncing the weight reduces the work.

The fix: Lift and lower with control.

Short range

Not lowering fully loses the stretch.

The fix: Use a full range of motion.

How many sets and reps?

Goal	Sets	Reps	Load	Rest
Hypertrophy	3	15–20	Very light, 1–2 RIR	45–60 s
Elbow health	2–3	15–20	Very light	30–45 s
Beginner	2	12–15	Very light	60 s

Start much lighter than with wrist curls. Do it once or twice a week and build gradually. If you have elbow pain, stop and check with a professional.

Running the reverse wrist curls in your next block? Hercules logs every set, shows last session's numbers before you lift, and suggests when to add weight.

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Frequently asked questions

What do reverse wrist curls work?

The wrist extensors on top of the forearm.

Are reverse wrist curls important?

They balance the forearm and may help elbow health. They are optional for most people.

How heavy should I go?

Very light. These muscles are small.

How often should I do them?

Once or twice a week.

Can I do them with a band?

Yes, a light band works well.

Hercules tracks every reverse wrist curls you log, shows you last session's numbers before you lift, and flags when your progress stalls.