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)