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Overview
Barbell wrist curls can either be performed with the palm facing up or down. In either case, the portion of your forearm that is facing upward toward the ceiling is doing the effort to pull the weight upward and is the part of your forearm that is worked.
You can effectively switch between working the top and bottom portions of your forearms simply by flipping your hands over and doing the same movement on the other side. Stress is placed on the forearm flexor muscles when the palms are facing upward, and stress is placed on the forearm extensors when the palms are facing downward to the floor (called reverse wrist curls).
Setup
Take a lighter weighted straight bar and sit at the end of a workout bench. Lay your forearms on top of your thighs so that your hands hold the bar just beyond the end of your knees with the palms facing upward. Lean forward slightly and keep your forearms pressed firmly against your thighs.
For added support, these forearm curls can also be performed by sitting further back and straddling the bench with the feet on either side. Lay your forearms flat against the bench with the hands extending beyond the end. This added support may be helpful to individuals who have naturally thin wrist bones.
To perform reverse wrist curls and to work the opposite side of your forearm, simply flip your hands over and point the palm towards the floor.
Movement
Allow your wrist to bend until the weight is fully lowered to the bottom position. Use your forearm muscles to pull the weight upward as far as possible. Once at the top, squeeze your forearm muscles for a good pump. Complete the exercise by lowering the bar back downward to the original position.
Tips From the Trainer
To increase the peak contraction of this exercise, try standing at the preacher curl bench and resting your forearm downward along the arm rest so that the end of the hand extends just beyond the end. This can also add great variation to your forearm workout and help prevent muscle resistance.
If you feel any pain in your wrist bones during this exercise, discontinue this exercise for a while to let yourself heal. Later, try switching away from doing this exercise on your knees to performing it directly on the bench for greater support. If you still experience problems, try doing dumbbell wrist curls while supporting your wrist with the opposite hand.
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