Cable Standing Back Wrist Curl
- Músculo objetivo
- Wrist Flexors
- Equipamiento
- Cable
- Parte del cuerpo
- Forearms
- Tipo
- Strength
The cable standing back wrist curl is a forearm isolation exercise that targets the wrist flexors, the muscles on the underside of your forearm that close your hand and bend your wrist. Performed standing with a low cable behind you, the constant tension of the cable keeps the flexors loaded through the full range, making it a useful finisher for grip and forearm development.
Cómo hacer el Cable Standing Back Wrist Curl
- 1Set the pulley to the lowest position and attach a straight bar. Stand with your back to the machine, straddling the cable so it runs up behind your legs.
- 2Reach back and grip the bar with an underhand (palms-facing-back) grip at about shoulder width, letting your arms hang straight down behind your hips.
- 3Stand tall with your knees slightly bent, core braced, and upper arms fixed against your sides so only your wrists will move.
- 4Let the bar pull your wrists into extension, allowing your fingers to open slightly and the bar to roll toward your fingertips.
- 5Curl the bar up by flexing your wrists, closing your hand and bringing your knuckles toward your forearms.
- 6Squeeze the wrist flexors hard at the top for a brief pause without letting your elbows or upper arms move.
- 7Lower the bar under control back into full wrist extension, resisting the cable the whole way down.
- 8Complete your reps, then step forward and return the bar to the stack with control.
Consejos de técnica
- Keep your upper arms and elbows pinned to your sides so the work stays in the wrists, not the biceps or shoulders.
- Move only at the wrist joint and use a slow, controlled tempo — the cable rewards smooth tension over momentum.
- Let the bar roll down to your fingers at the bottom and curl it back up to train the full flexor range and a bit of grip.
- Start light: the forearms fatigue quickly, and clean reps through a full range beat heavy partials.
Errores comunes
- Using the arms or a backward lean to swing the weight up, which takes tension off the wrist flexors and turns the lift into a cheat.
- Cutting the range short by not letting the wrists fully extend at the bottom, which trains only a fraction of the flexors.
- Loading too heavy, which forces the elbows and shoulders to assist and can strain the wrists.
- Letting the bar drop fast on the way down, wasting the eccentric where much of the forearm growth happens.
Preguntas frecuentes
What muscles does the cable standing back wrist curl work?
It isolates the wrist flexors — the muscles on the underside of the forearm that bend the wrist and close the hand. The cable keeps them under constant tension through the full range.
What's the difference between a wrist curl and a reverse wrist curl?
A wrist curl trains the flexors on the underside of the forearm by curling the palm toward you. A reverse (back) wrist curl works the extensors on top of the forearm by lifting the back of the hand. This standing cable version targets the flexors.
How many sets and reps should I do?
The forearms respond well to higher reps, so 2–4 sets of 12–20 reps with controlled tempo is a sensible default. Use a weight you can move through a full wrist range without swinging.
Is the cable wrist curl good for beginners?
Yes. It is a simple isolation movement, and the cable's steady tension makes it easy to feel the wrist flexors working. Start light, fix your elbows to your sides, and focus on a full, controlled range.
Where should I feel this exercise?
You should feel it in the underside of your forearms and through your grip. If you feel it mainly in your biceps or shoulders, you're using too much weight or moving your arms instead of just your wrists.
