Cable Standing Wrist Curl

How to do the Cable Standing Wrist Curl

1. 1Attach a straight bar or handle to the low pulley of a cable machine and set it near the floor.
2. 2Stand facing away from the machine with the cable running behind you, holding the bar with an underhand (palms-forward) grip at shoulder-width.
3. 3Stand tall with a slight bend in your knees and let your arms hang straight down at your sides, palms facing forward.
4. 4Curl the bar upward by flexing only your wrists, keeping your forearms and elbows still against your sides.
5. 5Squeeze at the top, holding the contraction briefly with your wrists fully flexed.
6. 6Lower the bar under control by letting your wrists extend back, allowing the fingers to open slightly for a full stretch.
7. 7Complete your reps with smooth, controlled tempo, then step back and return the bar to the floor.

Form tips

• Move only at the wrist joint — keep your elbows and forearms locked in place so the flexors do the work.
• Use a slow, controlled tempo in both directions rather than swinging the weight up.
• Let your fingers open a little at the bottom and re-grip on the way up to engage the finger flexors fully.
• Start light; the forearm flexors fatigue quickly, and constant cable tension makes the load feel heavier than it looks.

Common mistakes

• Using your whole arm or elbows to lift the weight, which shifts work away from the forearms and turns it into a partial curl.
• Going too heavy and cutting the range short, so you miss the stretch and contraction that build the flexors.
• Bouncing or jerking the bar at the bottom, which strains the wrist instead of loading the muscle.
• Rushing the eccentric by dropping the weight, losing the tension that makes the exercise effective.

Frequently asked questions