Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A BenchMuscles Worked
This palms-down wrist curl works your forearms, specifically the wrist extensors that run along the top of the forearm. Kneeling with your forearms flat on a bench keeps everything but the wrists still, and two dumbbells let each wrist work on its own.
PrimaryForearms
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Level
- Beginner
- Type
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
How to do it
- Kneel in front of a flat bench with a light dumbbell in each hand.
- Rest your forearms flat on the bench, palms facing down, so your hands and wrists hang just past the edge.
- Let the dumbbells lower until your knuckles point toward the floor and you feel a gentle stretch along the top of your forearms.
- Lift the backs of your hands toward the ceiling by extending your wrists, keeping your forearms pressed into the bench.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower slowly back to the stretch.
Form tips
- Go lighter than you expect, because the wrist extensors are small muscles and lose form quickly once the weight is too heavy.
- Keep a firm but relaxed grip and move only at the wrist, without lifting your elbows or forearms off the bench.
- Work through a full, slow range instead of short, fast pulses.
Why it made the list
No. 7 of 10
Best Forearm Exercises
Dumbbell version allows independent wrist work. Addresses left/right strength imbalances in forearms.
More forearm exercises
See it on your own body map
Log your Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench 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.
