Wrist Curls

[aatu]

Hello everyone

Today I tried doing wrist curls again. It had been almost a year since my last try. The reason I stopped doing them then was that at the time I didn't feel like wrist curls were doing any good for my wrist/forearm strength. Now, as I did them today, I got a really good burn on my forearms/wrists.

I just suppose I had been doing the exercise wrong way back then.

Now, as I do most of my grip exercise at home, I don't own a bench (at least not yet) and I had to do the curls with my forearms resting on my thighs and my hands hanging over my knees. So what I wanted to ask was, is there any major difference between doing wrist curls on a bench or doing them on one's thighs? I seem to remember an old friend of mine saying something about it being better with a bench, but I can't remember why...

I'd also like to know how often some of you people who do wrist curls do them? I'm thinking of doing them twice a week.

And, finally (bear with me , should I also do reverse wrist curls if I do the "normal" ones?

Do you people do both?

Well, that is quite a few questions. Hope you can find the time to answer them.

Thanks everyone and enjoy your training.

[cantgripcrap]

I did wrist curls for years and I gotta tell you, I've gotten more out of doing the wrist roller for the last 3 months than all those years of wrist curling I think. I do both ext + flexion for 3 reps once per week and it's been working great. If you want to do wrist curls, I would suggest off the thighs simply for comfort and I also feel that the elbows are in a more natural position than over a bench between your knees. Just try to keep your forearms parallel to the ground so if you are short you may need to eleveate your knees a bit. Oh yeah, once a week should be enough.

Fred

[Guest Claemore70]

I cannot get wrist curls to work for me at all.  I don't like them, not one little bit.  But I do like reverse wrist curls.

[Guest Dr Tom]

I'm with Fred on the wrist rollers.  I've definitely seen more growth and vascularity (I don't have much!) in the forearms from them than with anything else.

Haven't done plate curls much but that might be another movement to consider.  They're tough!

Tom

[Arthur Antonopoulos]

Wrist curls are named wrist curls because that's their target, the wrist. I feel that wrist curls are probably the best exercise to be used for strengthening the wrist. I don't feel though that they are one of the greatest exercises for the forearm. For forearms, the wrist roller is probably the better exercise. Try alternating the two from week to week. I do wrist and reverse wrist curls in my grip workout one week and wrist roller (ext. and flex.) the following week. Plate curls and leveraging work should also be considered as well as heavy thick bar work. I also feel heavy Farmer's Walk's or stone carrying/lifting are some of the most beneficial wrist/forearm exercises around.

I feel working the wrist curl on the bench is much better than on the thighs. You have much more stability allowing you to handle heavy weights. I like to squeeze my elbows into my inner thighs, have my forearms splay outwards with my wrists hanging off the edge of the bench and lean over so my head is over the bar allowing me to get solidly set and just concentrate on the movement rather than worrying about stabilising it.

Arthur

(Edited by Arthur Antonopoulos at 9:49 pm on June 24, 2001)

[Davekline]

I find doing wrist curls and reverse wrist curls on a bench with barbell instead of dumbbells to be the most effective method for me. I've tried using dumbbells before, and find that side to side motion interferes with the exercise.

[FSTYLE]

Its rare to see a post praising the wrist roller.

What type of wrist roller do you guys use: IM, NYB?

[OldGuy]

I use my homemade special

[jimcg]

I use my homemade special 

Me too! (That is, I use MY homemade special)

//Jim

Edited May 18, 2004 by jimcg

[destructivus]

sorry guys, but could someone pkease describe the wrist roll to me, i know wrist curls but what makes the difference to wrist rolls? thx in advance

[maidenfan]

A wrist roller is basically a round tube with a rope attached. Put some weight on the end of the rope and roll it up and down.

[Roark]

Arthur,

I cannot agree that the wrist is the target in wrist curls- anymore than the elbow is the target in regular curls, or the knee the target in leg curls- the wrist is simply the joint of axis with the forearm causing the curl around the wrist.

Actually, and I never thought of this until you posted- wrist curls are a horribly named exercise- should be forearm curls.

Hand spacing in relation to elbow spacing, and hand elevation in relation to elbow elevation are critical factors- if these two alignments are not perfect, the exercise seems unfullfilling. If you can 'rest' at the top position of the wrist curl, the elbows need to be higher than the hands until you cannot find that easy spot.

Just my opinion.

[Lyle]

Roark, I couldn't agree with you more, IT is forarm curls since the wrist is tendons and the muscles for them are in the forarm. also the point of not using the sweet spot on the wrist curls is right on and it's easy to use a whole body to advance the weight using a wrist roller.

[king crusher]

your all alittle right imo.....after doing 5 sets of 10 reps tonight of wrist curls i get a great pump in my forearms AND a tightning, not pain, but a feeling of my wrists being fully spent.

so its offically renamed the forrest curl...get it....fore-wrist. ok ok its dumb.

[Zevich]

Recently I have been doing both wrist curls and reverse curls twice a week.

Wednesday with thick bar dumbells and Saturday with either thick bar barbell or thick bar EZ bar. Wrist curls are off of the thighs as it is more comfortable and I can use heavier weights. 6x6 on wrist curls and 4x6 on reverse curls. Best forearm routine I have ever used. May not work for everybody but it works for me.

Edited June 16, 2004 by Zevich

[destructivus]

Recently I have been doing both wrist curls and reverse curls twice a week.

Best forearm routine I have ever used.

are your relating to growth or gaining strength ?

[Finnegann]

Dave Draper does wrist curls as described here. I haven't gotten around to trying his technique, but it certainly seems to work for him.

[Digdogz]

The way it worked for me was:

- Wrist roller for size increase.

- Wrist curls for strength.

I kept up a routine of wrist curls getting progressivly heavier for well over two years. This base of strength has never seemed to diminsh despite not doing them as often anymore.

I am wanting to build myself a stand-alone wrist roller where weight can be steadily increased....to get....that......burn again.....

Digz.

[Zevich]

Recently I have been doing both wrist curls and reverse curls twice a week.

Best forearm routine I have ever used.

are your relating to growth or gaining strength ?

Both. The weight continualy goes up as the forearm gets wider and harder. I looked at that picture of Draper doing the cockeyed wrist curl. I can't even get into that position without a dumbell. I think if I ever tried that with a heavy weight I would be in that position the rest of my life!

Edited June 17, 2004 by Zevich

[ulgrim]

Doing them over the thighs is better, it's a safer and more natural position. Twice a week is good, or less if you don't recover fast enough. And you should definately do both normal and reverse. You wouldn't work the triceps without the biceps would you? or any other flexor/extensor pair.

And by the way, wrist curls, properly performed, are an awesome wrist strength developer. Don't just use a wrist roller, or just use wrist curls, do both.

[mossman]

doing tiger bend pushups too? man thats insane strength