Barbell Palms Up Wrist Curl Over A Bench
- Target muscle
- Wrist Flexors
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Body part
- Forearms
- Type
- Strength
The barbell palms up wrist curl over a bench is a forearm isolation exercise that targets the wrist flexors on the inside of your forearms. You rest your forearms on a bench with your palms facing up and wrists hanging off the edge, then curl the bar up by flexing your wrists. It is a simple accessory move for building forearm strength and grip endurance.
How to do the Barbell Palms Up Wrist Curl Over A Bench
- 1Load a barbell with a light weight and place it on the floor in front of a flat bench.
- 2Kneel or sit beside the bench and rest your forearms flat on top of it, palms facing up (supinated), with your wrists and hands hanging just off the edge.
- 3Reach forward and grasp the bar with an underhand grip about shoulder-width apart, keeping your forearms pressed into the bench.
- 4Let the bar roll toward your fingertips and your wrists extend down fully, feeling a stretch along the underside of your forearms.
- 5Curl the bar upward by flexing your wrists, raising your hands as high as your range allows while your forearms stay glued to the bench.
- 6Pause briefly at the top and squeeze the wrist flexors.
- 7Lower the bar under control back to the fully stretched starting position.
- 8Complete your reps, then set the bar back down on the floor.
Form tips
- Keep your forearms firmly anchored on the bench so only your wrists move through the rep.
- Use a light load and a full but controlled range of motion — momentum and partial reps waste the work.
- Let the bar roll down to your fingers at the bottom and curl it back, adding a small grip element to each rep.
- Move slowly and pause at the top to keep tension on the wrist flexors throughout the set.
Common mistakes
- Using too heavy a barbell, which forces your forearms off the bench and turns the lift into a swing instead of an isolated wrist curl.
- Lifting your forearms or elbows off the bench, which recruits the upper arm and removes tension from the wrist flexors.
- Cutting the range short at the bottom, which skips the stretch where the wrist flexors do the most work.
- Bouncing or jerking the bar up with momentum, which reduces muscular tension and strains the wrist joint.
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the barbell palms up wrist curl work?
It isolates the wrist flexors, the muscles on the inside (palm side) of your forearms that bend your wrist and help grip.
How much weight should I use for wrist curls?
Use a light load you can control through a full range of motion. The forearms respond to controlled reps, so prioritize clean technique over heavy weight.
Are barbell wrist curls good for beginners?
Yes. The movement is simple, low-risk with a light bar, and a straightforward way to start building forearm and grip strength.
How many sets and reps should I do?
The wrist flexors tolerate higher reps well. Try 2–4 sets of 12–20 controlled reps as a forearm accessory at the end of your session.
Where should I feel this exercise?
You should feel it along the underside of your forearms — the wrist flexors. If your upper arms take over, lighten the load and keep your forearms pinned to the bench.
