Finger CurlsMuscles Worked
Finger curls work your forearms, zeroing in on the finger flexors that drive your grip. Letting the bar roll down to your fingertips and then closing your hands around it builds the kind of grip strength that helps you hold on to heavy bars, dumbbells and pull-up bars.
PrimaryForearms
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
How to do it
- Sit on the end of a bench with your feet flat and a bit wider than shoulder width, holding a barbell with palms up and hands about shoulder width.
- Rest your forearms on your thighs so your wrists and hands are just past your knees.
- Slowly open your fingers and let the bar roll down your palms until it hangs in the last joints of your fingers.
- Close your fingers to roll the bar back into your palms, then squeeze your fist hard at the top.
- Pause, then let the bar roll back down under control for the next rep.
Form tips
- Keep a light but secure hold at the fingertips, and lower only as far as you can still control the bar.
- Keep your forearms still on your thighs so your fingers and wrists do the work.
- Move slowly in both directions, since the rolling motion is where the work happens.
Why it made the list
No. 4 of 10
Best Forearm Exercises
Grip strength builder. Targets the finger flexors directly. Simple and effective.
More forearm exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Finger Curls 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.
