Barbell Reverse Wrist Curl

What is the Barbell Reverse Wrist Curl?

The barbell reverse wrist curl trains the forearm extensors with a barbell held palms-down, so you can load both wrists together and add weight in small steps. Bracing the forearms and raising the bar by extending the wrists directly builds the back of the forearm, balancing the more commonly trained flexors and supporting the elbows.

Muscles worked

Primary: Forearms

The wrist extensors on top of the forearm contract to lift the bar; with the forearms braced and both hands on one bar, the movement isolates them while letting you progress steadily.

How to perform the Barbell Reverse Wrist Curl

1. Sit on a bench and rest both forearms on your thighs with the wrists hanging off the front of the knees.
2. Hold a barbell with a shoulder-width pronated grip, palms facing down, to train the wrist extensors.
3. Let the bar pull the wrists down into a full stretch below the forearms.
4. Raise the backs of the hands by extending both wrists upward as high as they will go.
5. Squeeze the extensors at the top, then lower the bar under control back to the stretched position.
6. Keep the load light, since the extensors are much weaker than the flexors trained by a standard wrist curl.

Suggested working range: 12–20 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Mechanics

A single-joint isolation: the only motion is wrist extension, with the forearms supported and both hands on one bar, palms down. The extensors are smaller and weaker than the flexors, so loads stay modest, and the shared barbell just makes them the easiest to overload progressively.

Form cues

• •Sit and brace the forearms on your thighs or a bench, wrists past the edge, palms down.
• •Lower the bar under control to a full stretch at the bottom.
• •Raise by extending only the wrists, keeping the forearms flat and elbows still.
• •Keep the weight light; the extensors are small, so ego-loading kills the range.

Common mistakes

• •Using too much weight, so the wrists barely move and the arms take over.
• •Letting the forearms peel off the thighs during the extension.
• •Cutting the range short rather than a full stretch and full extension.
• •Heaving the bar with momentum instead of controlling each wrist extension.

Variations & alternatives

• •Cable reverse wrist curl, constant tension on the extensors through the range.
• •Dumbbell reverse wrist curl, one hand at a time to even out imbalances.
• •Barbell wrist curl, the opposite (flexor) side on the same bar.
• •Reverse curl, a standing forearm and brachialis movement with a pronated grip.

Wrist Curl

Forearms · Dumbbell

Wrist Extension

Forearms · Dumbbell

Barbell Wrist Curl

Forearms · Barbell

Farmer's Carry

Forearms · Dumbbell

Dead Hang

Forearms · Bodyweight

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Program the barbell reverse wrist curl in the library’s 12–20 rep range as a forearm-balancing accessory, paired with wrist curls so both sides are trained. Load both hands and add small increments over time, keeping the range full and the weight light. A couple of sets at the end of a pull or arm session is enough.

Frequently asked questions