Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curl
The Palms-Down Barbell Wrist Curl is an isolation exercise designed to strengthen the forearm extensors and improve wrist stability. By resting your forearms on a bench and extending your wrists against resistance, you target the top of the forearm muscles often neglected in standard curling movements.
Since forearm extensors are small muscles prone to overuse injuries like tennis elbow, AI coaching is crucial for monitoring your volume and recovery status to prevent strain. By analyzing your RPE and performance data, the app can adjust load to ensure you're stimulating the muscle without overloading the delicate wrist tendons. Additionally, if your grip strength is fatigued from heavy pulling movements earlier in the week, the AI will intelligently regulate the intensity of this accessory lift.
Form Cues
- Rest your forearms flat against your thighs or a bench for stability
- Grip the barbell with palms facing down (pronated grip)
- Lower the weight slowly until you feel a deep stretch in the top of your forearms
- Extend your wrists upward as high as possible without lifting your elbows
- Pause briefly at the top to maximize the contraction
- Don't let your elbows or forearms lift off the support surface
- Don't use your shoulders or biceps to help lift the weight
- Don't perform the movement quickly or use momentum to bounce the weight up
- Don't cut the range of motion short; aim for full extension and flexion
- Don't grip the bar so tightly that you restrict wrist movement
Common Mistakes
- Lifting elbows off the bench
- Using excessive weight
- Rushing the repetition tempo
- Incomplete range of motion
- Engaging the biceps
Muscles Worked
This exercise primarily targets the wrist extensors located on the top of the forearm, which are essential for stabilizing the wrist during heavy lifts and daily activities. While the grip muscles play a stabilizing role, the focus here is strictly on the outer forearm muscles responsible for lifting the hand backward.
Primary
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