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Last updated March 2, 2026
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Forearms
Wrist Curl - Seated, Palms Up (Dumbbell)
Sit with forearms resting on your thighs, palms up, and curl dumbbells upward using only your wrists.
Quick facts
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Type
- Strength
- Injury Risk
- Low
- Hypertrophy
- Medium
- Calorie Burn
- Low
Muscle focus
Primary and secondary muscle groups targeted by this movement.
Primary
forearm flexors
Secondary
forearm extensorsupper forearm
Equipment & setup
What you need and how to position yourself before starting.
Equipment
dumbbell
Movement pattern
Bilateral
Posture
Seated
Tracking parameters
repsweight
Step-by-step instructions
Follow these cues to master proper technique and stay safe through every rep.
- Step 1Setup
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand (supinated) grip.
- Rest your forearms on your thighs with your wrists hanging just past your kneecaps.
- Step 2Execution
- Allow the dumbbells to roll down toward your fingertips, extending your wrists.
- Curl the dumbbells upward by flexing your wrists as high as possible.
- Squeeze the forearm muscles at the top of the contraction.
- Slowly lower back to the starting position.
- Step 3Tips
- Keep your forearms firmly pressed against your thighs — only your wrists should move.
- Use a slow, controlled tempo for maximum forearm engagement.
- The fingertip roll at the bottom increases range of motion and grip strength.
- Start with a light weight — the forearm flexors fatigue quickly.
- Perform high reps (15–20) for best results with forearm isolation work.