Seated Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curl
The seated palms-down barbell wrist curl trains the wrist extensors, the muscles along the top of your forearm, using a barbell gripped with your palms facing down. It is the reverse-grip counterpart to the standard barbell wrist curl, and most lifters need a noticeably lighter bar for it since the extensors are smaller and weaker than the flexors that dominate most grip training. Resting your forearms on your thighs keeps the work isolated to the wrist instead of spreading into the elbow or shoulder.
Why it works
The extensors on the back of your forearm lift your hand and wrist upward, the opposite action of the flexors that dominate gripping and pulling exercises. Because deadlifts, rows, and pull-ups all train the flexors heavily and rarely touch the extensors, this muscle group tends to lag behind in strength, which is part of why a much lighter barbell is appropriate here than for the palms-up version. Resting your forearms on a fixed surface and moving only the wrist keeps the extensors doing the work without help from the rest of the arm.
Set up
- Sit on a bench and rest both forearms along your thighs, palms facing down, wrists hanging just past your knees.
- Grip the barbell with a shoulder-width, overhand grip.
- Brace your forearms against your thighs so only your wrists move.
- Start with your wrists relaxed and slightly bent downward.
How to do it
- Lift the back of your hands up as high as your wrists allow, keeping your forearms pinned to your thighs.
- Pause briefly at the top of the lift.
- Lower the bar back down slowly, letting your wrists bend past neutral into a light stretch.
- Keep the motion isolated to the wrists; do not let your forearms lift or your elbows bend.
- Repeat for the full set without resting the bar down between reps.
Form cues
- Forearms stay pinned to your thighs the whole set.
- Lift with the wrists only, not the fingers.
- Pause briefly at the top.
- Lower slowly into the stretch.
Breathing: Exhale as you lift the bar up, inhale as you lower it back down.
Common mistakes
Using the same weight you would use for the palms-up version.
Fix: Drop the weight significantly; the extensors are much weaker than the flexors and a heavy bar here strains the tendons fast.
Letting the forearms lift off the thighs to help lift the bar.
Fix: Pin your forearms down for the whole set; if they keep lifting, the bar is too heavy.
Rushing through reps without pausing at the top.
Fix: Hold the top position for a full second so the extensors do the work instead of momentum.
Letting the bar drop fast on the way down.
Fix: Lower it on a slow two-count instead of letting gravity snap your wrists down.
How to program it
- Keep the load light and progress slowly; the wrist extensors are a small muscle group that tightens up fast if pushed too hard too soon.
- Two sets of 12 to 15 reps, two or three times a week, is a sensible dose to start with, adding a third set only once the first two feel easy.
- Train this before heavier grip-dominant lifts in a session, not after, since fatigued extensors offer less wrist stability under a loaded bar or dumbbell.
- If your gym does not stock small enough plates, a resistance band or a lighter dumbbell version gives you finer control over the load.
Safety notes
- Start noticeably lighter than you would for the palms-up version, since overloading the extensors can aggravate the tendons near your elbow.
- Stop the set if you feel sharp pain on the outside of your elbow rather than continuing through it.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
Why do I need so much less weight for this than a regular wrist curl?
The wrist extensors are smaller and weaker than the flexors on the underside of your forearm, which handle most grip and pulling work. A fraction of your palms-up wrist curl weight is normal here.
What is this exercise also called?
It is often called a reverse wrist curl, since the palms-down grip reverses the motion of a standard wrist curl.
Can I train this at home without a barbell?
A single dumbbell, held one hand at a time with your palm facing down, trains the same extensor muscles.
Why does the outside of my elbow feel sore after this exercise?
That usually means the extensor tendons near your elbow are working harder than they are ready for. Lower the weight and shorten your range of motion, and stop the exercise if sharp pain continues.