Best Forearm Exercises10 Picks, Ranked
Your forearms hold many small muscles that bend and extend the wrist and close the fingers, plus the brachioradialis near the elbow, which helps bend the arm with a thumbs-up or overhand grip. Palms-up wrist curls train the flexors on the inner side, palms-down curls train the extensors on the outer side, and carries and holds train your grip. Reverse curls bring in the brachioradialis. Covering each of those motions is the simplest way to train the whole forearm.
- Weekly working sets
- 4–16
- The weekly range KasMaker measures forearms volume against. Fewer is a light week; more is past what most lifters recover from.
- Recovery window
- ~36 hours
- The base time KasMaker's recovery map allows for forearms to recover, scaled up or down by how much you did.
The list
The list mixes barbell, dumbbell, cable and loaded carry options. Pick one or two from the top as staples: a palms-down and a palms-up wrist curl, so both sides get direct work. Then add Farmer's Walk or Reverse Barbell Curl for grip and the brachioradialis. Your grip also works during rows, deadlifts and pull-ups. Progress in small steps, adding a few reps or a little weight at a time.
Covers: Wrist flexors and extensors, the finger flexors, and the brachioradialis.
Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over A Bench
Targets the wrist extensors. Most fundamental forearm isolation movement.
Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench
Targets the wrist flexors. The counterpart to palms-down. Together they cover both sides of the forearm.
Farmer's Walk
Compound grip strength builder. Hits forearms under heavy isometric load. Also trains traps, core, and conditioning. Popular in functional and CrossFit settings.
Finger Curls
Grip strength builder. Targets the finger flexors directly. Simple and effective.
Reverse Barbell Curl
Hits the brachioradialis — the thick forearm muscle. Doubles as a bicep exercise. Overhand grip is the key differentiator.
Cable Wrist Curl
Cable version provides constant tension through the full curl. Smooth resistance compared to barbell.
Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench
Dumbbell version allows independent wrist work. Addresses left/right strength imbalances in forearms.
Wrist Roller
Continuous wrist flexion/extension under load. One of the most effective forearm builders if equipment is available.
Seated Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl
Seated dumbbell wrist curl isolates the wrist flexors with individual arm control.
Standing Palms-Up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curl
Behind-the-back position changes the angle for wrist flexor activation. Allows heavier loading than standard wrist curls.
Other muscle groups
See how much each muscle is getting
KasMaker colors every muscle on a body map by how much you've trained it, so you can tell at a glance whether your forearms got enough work this week. Logging and the body map are free on iPhone.
