The forearms are a small muscle and you don’t need to do as much as you would larger muscle groups. This is the behind-the-back barbell wrist curl. At FitnessVolt.com our mission is to educate and inform you about the latest in professional bodybuilding, fitness, and sports-related content. Disclosure: FitnessVolt.com has an affiliate relationship with different brands and is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. You don’t have to roll the bar down into your fingers. Rest forearms on thighs with wrists just beyond knees. I'm NASM Certified Personal Trainer and nutritional coach since 2012. So for this variation, instead of sitting down on the bench, you’d be kneeling down with your forearms resting on the bench and your wrists hanging off the edge. Your email address will not be published. For the latest news and updates please follow us on. Sit and grasp cable bar with narrow to shoulder width underhand grip. Forearms training not only builds muscle; it improves grip strength as well and will make you better and stronger in all of the big (and little) lifts. But if you wanted to do any wrist curl variation, you can do it with cables. Raise cable bar back up by gripping and pointing knuckles up as high as possible. Behind-the-back Smith machine wrist curl video. At FitnessVolt.com our mission is to educate and inform you about the latest in professional bodybuilding, fitness, and sports-related content. We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously. The behind-the-back barbell wrist curl works the wrist flexors and improves grip strength. Pause, then slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Curl the bar up toward you and hold for a second, then straighten your wrists and allow the bar to roll down your fingers. You can also perform the lying cable curl on a standard cable row machine. Back up to the bar and hold on to the bar slightly wider than shoulder width. Allow cable bar to roll out of palms down to fingers. But you have to be a little more strategic when using free weights because you don’t have the luxury of having that constant tension in any position as you do with cables. Your email address will not be published. Also, training your forearms once and twice per week is sufficient if you’re doing lots of pulls and curls. Machine-Based Wrist Curls – Cable and certain lever machines allow you to perform wrist curls. Sit and grasp cable bar with narrow to shoulder width underhand grip. Now, many people choose to avoid direct forearm work but if you want maximum development, then wrist curls are a very good option. However, using very heavy weights can damage your wrists. Then, of course, you can also use a barbell or dumbbell/s which are probably more commonly used than cables when performing wrist curls. How to Train to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse! In this article, we’ve explained how to do this exercise with tips, variations, and there’s some info on how to include it in your training as well. But barbell behind the back wrist curls can work too, of course. All Rights Reserved. FitnessVolt.com - 1700 Lincoln St. Denver, CO. © Copyright 2010 - 2020 FitnesVolt.com - FitnessVolt IBC. These muscles are involved in essentially all exercises and are especially important during heavy pulls, curls, and you need strong forearms to simply hold the weights in your hands. The reason being is that with cables, your arms can be in any position and it won’t affect the exercise. So, try this exercise the next time you hit forearms and you’ll feel the difference from direct forearm training. Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox. Your wrists are not designed to curl very heavy weights. So if you’re going to do this variation, cables are the best tool for the job. Behind-The-Back Wrist Curls – Standing, with barbell behind the back, moving wrist up and down in same motion. By doing a few sets of wrist curls before biceps curls, you may be able to better isolate the biceps because the forearms are too fatigued to contribute as much as they normally would. For example, if you wanted to do the behind-the-back cable wrist curl, you could walk farther forward so that your arms are extended behind your body. This isn’t ideal for everyone and can be dangerous if too much weight is used as explained in the first tip. Wesley Vissers Looks Much Improved 7 Weeks From Olympia Despite ‘Life Altering Experience’ Of Becoming A Father, Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Ends In Draw (Highlights), WATCH: CrossFit Pro Rich Froning and Crew Skydive With U.S. Army Golden Knights. Use no heavier than moderate weights for this exercise. The best strategy is to start light and perform high reps and progressively work up to heavier weight. We believe you should have the best information at your fingertips to help you reach your fitness goals and to stay up to date on everything happening in the bodybuilding, fitness and strength sports industry... Read more. 5 Best Shoulder Exercises You're NOT Doing! Matthew Magnante is the senior writer for Fitness Volt. I've many certifications including NASM-FNS, NASM- CES and NASM-CPT I am part-time writer, have written for many publications include flex, fitnessvolt, coachmag and M&F. It may allow for a better feeling contraction in the forearms. Wesley Vissers Looks Much Improved 7 Weeks From Olympia Despite ‘Life Altering Experience’ Of Becoming A Father, Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. Ends In Draw (Highlights), WATCH: CrossFit Pro Rich Froning and Crew Skydive With U.S. Army Golden Knights. Now, many people choose to avoid direct forearm work but if you want maximum development, then wrist curls are a very good option. Set up a barbell on a rack about knee level and stand facing away from it. Close your fingers and roll the bar back up for a wrist curl. You can also perform the behind-the-back barbell wrist curl in a power rack (see video). Rest forearms on thighs with wrists just beyond knees. You could also stack something on top of the bench as shown on the below video example…. Lift the bar up and let the bar roll down your fingers. If you don’t have access to a Smith machine, use the behind-the-back barbell wrist curl. So to offer you more options, here are four effective variations of this exercise. Grip the bar with hands about hip-width apart or find a grip that’s most comfortable for you, and stand straight up. Next time you do wrist curls, try doing them behind the back. ... Cable Wrist Curls - Duration: 0:27. wendysarty 5,684 views. For example, when performing the behind the back wrist curl with a barbell and depending on the length of your arms, your butt can get in the way as you curl the weight up and this can interfere with the range of motion. For the latest news and updates please follow us on, How To Incorporate The Cable Wrist Into Your Training Routine. Not to mention, there are various ways to utilize cables to achieve this by using different positions and attachments. Dumbbells honestly aren’t much better either. With cables, you can take a step or two forward and your arms can be somewhat extended behind your body and you’ll still be able to do the exercise because of how the machine is designed. The behind-the-back barbell wrist curl can also be performed using dumbbells or a cable machine. We believe you should have the best information at your fingertips to help you reach your fitness goals and to stay up to date on everything happening in the bodybuilding, fitness and strength sports industry... 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