Arms / Beginner / Isolation (single joint)

Seated Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl

A dumbbell isolation exercise for the forearms.

At a glance

Primary

Forearms & grip

Equipment

Dumbbells

Movement pattern

Grip

Level

Beginner

Type

Arms, Isolation (single joint)

Loads the wrist. Use a load you can control and skip it if it causes pain.

How to do it

1. Start out by placing two dumbbells on the floor in front of a flat bench.
2. Sit down on the edge of the flat bench with your legs at about shoulder width apart. Make sure to keep your feet on the floor.
3. Use your arms to grab both of the dumbbells and bring them up so that your forearms are resting against your thighs with the palms of the hands facing down. Your wrists should be hanging over the edge of your thighs.
4. Start out by curling your wrist upwards and exhaling.
5. Slowly lower your wrists back down to the starting position while inhaling. Make sure to inhale during this part of the exercise. Tip: Your forearms should be stationary as your wrist is the only movement needed to perform this exercise.
6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
7. When finished, simply lower the dumbbells to the floor.

Common mistakes

• ✗ Using heavy weights with fast reps.

  Why it hurts: The small forearm tendons are easily irritated, leading to tennis or golfer's elbow.

  ✓ Instead: Use light weights for 15–20 slow reps through a full, comfortable range.

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