Reverse Wrist Curl

Move · Resistance Training · Movement, Typed Supps

The muscles on the top of the forearm hold your wrist steady every time you grip something, but they almost never get to move against resistance.

Stage by stage

Set-up (Forearm fixed, hand pronated): Supporting the forearm isolates wrist extension; any elbow movement turns it into a different exercise, so the loads stay small.
During the set (Extensors work through range): The wrist extensors, which normally only stabilise isometrically during gripping, contract concentrically against resistance here.
Immediately after (Common extensor origin loaded): Load passes through the lateral epicondyle attachment, which is why the exercise both appears in tendon protocols and is easily overdone.
Weeks later (Flexor-extensor balance): Extensor strength and loading tolerance improve, addressing the imbalance left by grip-dominant training.

Muscles trained

Primary: forearms

Intensity

3.5 METs (Resistance (weight) training, multiple exercises, 8-15 repetitions at varied resistance).

Time to effect

Weeks: Wrist extension strength and control improve quickly since the muscles involved are small and respond fast to direct work.
Months: Balanced flexor-extensor strength around the wrist tends to reduce the elbow strain that shows up from grip-dominant training that neglects this side entirely.

Common myth

"Forearm training is just for grip strength." In reality: The wrist extensors get almost no work from typical grip-focused exercises like carries or dead hangs, which train flexion — this is one of the few moves that directly targets them.