Wrist curl and reverse wrist curl

The wrist curl and reverse wrist curl are great for strengthening your wrist muscles.
Be careful if you’ve had wrist or elbow problems.

Wrist curl
Hold a weight in your right hand with an underhand grip, and sit on the edge of your bench with your knees as wide as your hips. Lean slightly forward, and place your entire forearm on top of your thigh so your hand hangs over the edge of your knee. Clasp your left palm over your wrist to hold it steady (see photo A). Curl your wrist up so the dumbbell moves toward your forearm, and then lower the weight back down.

Reverse wrist curl
Turn your palm down, and, again, secure your wrist in place with your other hand. Bend your wrist up to raise the dumbbell to thigh height (see photo B), and then lower the weight back down. (Hint: You may need slightly less weight to do the reverse wrist curl.)

Do’s and don’ts

• DO curl straight up; try to avoid moving the weight to the side.
• DON’T let your forearm lift off your thigh.

Other options

• Modified wrist curl: If you have weak wrists and find this exercise difficult, simply move the weight up and down a shorter distance.
• Wrist-and-finger curl (harder): At the bottom of the wrist curl, roll the weight down to the tips of your fingers and then roll it back before curling the weight up. This exercise is excellent for typists or others who use their hands a lot because it strengthens the forearms and prevents carpal tunnel syndrome.