Cable Wrist CurlMuscles Worked
The cable wrist curl works your forearms, mainly the wrist flexors on the palm side. The cable keeps a steady pull on the muscle through the whole curl, so the resistance feels smoother than a barbell, especially at the top.
PrimaryForearms
- Equipment
- Cable
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
How to do it
- Sit on a bench facing a low pulley fitted with a straight bar.
- Grab the bar with your palms up, hands shoulder width or a little narrower, and rest your forearms on your thighs with your wrists just past your knees.
- Let your wrists bend back so the bar lowers toward the floor.
- Curl your wrists up as far as they go and hold the squeeze for a second.
- Lower slowly and repeat, keeping your forearms planted on your thighs.
Form tips
- Sit far enough from the pulley that the stack never rests between reps.
- Only your hands should move; rocking your torso or lifting your forearms takes the work away from the wrist.
Why it made the list
No. 6 of 10
Best Forearm Exercises
Cable version provides constant tension through the full curl. Smooth resistance compared to barbell.
More forearm exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Cable Wrist Curl sets in KasMaker and watch your forearms fill in on the map, weighted by how much you did. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
