Barbell Palms Down Wrist Curl Over a Bench

Setup

1. 01Kneel behind a flat bench and rest both forearms across the pad, palms facing down.
2. 02Grip the bar at about shoulder width with the wrists hanging just past the edge.
3. 03Keep the forearms fully supported from elbow to wrist.
4. 04Choose a light load; the wrist extensors are small muscles.

Execution

1. 01Let the bar lower by allowing the wrists to flex toward the floor.
2. 02Extend the wrists to raise the knuckles as high as possible.
3. 03Pause briefly at the top of the extension.
4. 04Lower under control back to the stretched position.

Checkpoints

• -Forearms stay pressed into the bench the entire set.
• -Only the wrists move; the elbows stay still.
• -The bar travels through a full flex-to-extend range.
• -The tempo stays smooth with no jerking at the top.

Common mistakes

• -Lifting the forearms off the bench to heave the weight.
• -Using a load that limits the range to a few degrees.
• -Letting the fingers open and the bar roll at the bottom.
• -Rushing reps instead of controlling the lowering phase.