At a glance
- Main muscle
- Forearms
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Rep range in Mitta
- 12 to 20 reps
- Skill level
- Beginner
- How tiring
- Low
- Weight step in Mitta
- 2.5 kg
How to do it
- Seated, forearms on your thighs, palms up.
- Let the bar roll to your fingertips.
- Curl your wrists up, forearms stay down.
Pick a weight you can lift for 12 to 20 reps with good form, and stop each set with a few reps left in the tank.
Why rating A
Same movement as with dumbbells, both hands at once and with smaller weight jumps. No growth study, so not an S.
Mitta rates every exercise from S to C, based on research where it exists and on how the exercise loads the muscle. When Mitta builds your plan it picks from S, A and B exercises and prefers ones that load the muscle at long length. C exercises are never picked automatically, but you can still choose them yourself.
Alternatives
These train the same muscle. Use one if you lack the equipment, if this exercise does not feel right, or for some variety.
- Dumbbell Wrist Curl · Dumbbell · rating A
- Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curl · Dumbbell · rating B
- Reverse EZ-Bar Curl · Barbell · rating A
Keep learning
- What is progressive overload, and how do you do it?
- How many sets per muscle per week?
- What is RIR, and how do you estimate it?
- One-rep max calculator: your max from any hard set of the barbell wrist curl.
Let Mitta set the weight.
Mitta plans the barbell wrist curl with a weight and rep target for every set, worked out from your last sessions.
Questions about the
barbell wrist curl
What muscles does the barbell wrist curl work?
The barbell wrist curl mainly trains your forearms.
How many reps of the barbell wrist curl should I do?
Mitta plans the barbell wrist curl at 12 to 20 reps per set. Most sets should end with only a few reps left in the tank.
What can I do instead of the barbell wrist curl?
Good alternatives that train the same muscle are the dumbbell wrist curl, dumbbell reverse wrist curl and reverse EZ-bar curl.
Is the barbell wrist curl good for beginners?
Yes. It is easy to learn, so it suits people who are new to lifting.
Why does the barbell wrist curl have rating A?
Same movement as with dumbbells, both hands at once and with smaller weight jumps. No growth study, so not an S.