Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Cable Wrist Curl: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The cable wrist curl is an isolation exercise targeting the forearm muscles, particularly the wrist flexors. It is performed using a cable machine and a straight bar, focusing on curling the wrists upward while keeping the forearms stationary.

Primary muscles
Forearms
Secondary muscles
Biceps
Equipment
Cable
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the cable wrist curl
Front view: muscles worked by the cable wrist curl. Primary: forearms. Secondary: biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by the cable wrist curl. Primary: forearms. Secondary: biceps.
Primary Secondary

How to do the cable wrist curl

  1. Step 1: Attach a straight bar to a low pulley cable machine.
  2. Step 2: Stand facing the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  3. Step 3: Grasp the bar with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
  4. Step 4: Rest your forearms on a bench or pad, with your wrists hanging off the edge.
  5. Step 5: Keeping your forearms stationary, exhale and curl your wrists upward as far as possible.
  6. Step 6: Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
  7. Step 7: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the cable wrist curl by training goal
Goal Sets Reps Rest Effort
Strength 3–5 3–6 3–5 min 1–3 reps in reserve
Muscle growth 3–4 6–12 2–3 min 1–2 reps in reserve
Muscular endurance 2–3 12–20 1–2 min 1–3 reps in reserve

Ranges follow the ACSM position stand on progression in resistance training. Muscle grows across a wide range of loads when sets end close to failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), longer rests between heavy sets support strength and size (Schoenfeld et al., 2016), and stopping a rep or two short of failure works about as well as training to failure (Grgic et al., 2022). Estimate your working weights with the strength calculators.

Cable Wrist Curl alternatives

More exercises that train the forearms as their main target:

More forearms exercises

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Sources

  1. American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687-708.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training. J Strength Cond Res. 2017;31(12):3508-3523.
  3. Schoenfeld BJ, Pope ZK, Benik FM, et al. Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(7):1805-1812.
  4. Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Orazem J, Sabol F. Effects of resistance training performed to repetition failure or non-failure on muscular strength and hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sport Health Sci. 2022;11(2):202-211.

Step-by-step instructions and demonstration media are from the ExerciseDB exercise dataset.

This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. Stop if an exercise causes pain and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.