Cable Wrist Curl

What is the Cable Wrist Curl?

The cable wrist curl trains the forearm flexors against a low cable, so tension stays constant through the range instead of dropping off as a free weight passes vertical. Bracing the forearms and flexing the wrists against the steady cable keeps the flexors loaded from the stretched bottom to the top of the curl.

Muscles worked

Primary: Forearms

The wrist flexors on the underside of the forearm contract to curl the hands up against the cable, which holds tension on them across the whole range because the forearms are braced.

How to perform the Cable Wrist Curl

1. Attach a straight bar to a low cable pulley and sit on a bench with your forearms resting on your thighs.
2. Take a supinated grip with the palms up so the cable trains the wrist flexors under constant tension.
3. Unlike free weights, the cable keeps steady resistance across the whole range instead of dropping off at the bottom.
4. Let the bar roll down toward the fingertips for a full stretch of the flexors.
5. Curl the wrists up by flexing them and closing the fingers as high as the joint allows.
6. Lower under control back to the fingertip stretch, keeping the forearms pinned to the thighs throughout.

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

Mechanics

A single-joint isolation against a low cable: the only movement is wrist flexion, with the forearms supported. The cable’s constant tension is the difference from a dumbbell or barbell wrist curl: the flexors stay loaded rather than going light near the top.

Form cues

• •Kneel or sit at a low pulley, forearms braced, wrists just past the edge, palms up.
• •Let the handle roll toward the fingers for a full stretch at the bottom.
• •Curl up by flexing only the wrists against the cable, keeping the forearms still.
• •Resist the cable back down rather than letting it snap the wrists open.

Common mistakes

• •Letting the forearms lift off the thighs so the elbows assist the wrist.
• •Setting the pulley too high so the tension pulls at the wrong angle.
• •Cutting the range short instead of rolling to the fingertips at the bottom.
• •Using momentum from the whole arm rather than isolating the wrist flexors.

Variations & alternatives

• •Barbell wrist curl, a free-weight version loading both wrists on one bar.
• •Dumbbell wrist curl, one hand at a time to even out imbalances.
• •Cable reverse wrist curl, the opposite (extensor) side of the forearm.
• •Wrist roller, a rolling grip challenge for flexors and extensors together.

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 cable wrist curl in the library’s 12–20 rep range: the forearm flexors respond to higher reps, volume, and constant tension. Keep the load light and the range full, letting the handle roll to the fingers each rep. Run it at the end of a pull or arm session; a couple of sets builds forearm size and grip.

Frequently asked questions