Exercise guide · Beginner · Compound

Light Style Dumbbell Seated Neutral Wrist Curl: How to Do It & Muscles Worked

The dumbbell seated neutral wrist curl targets the biceps and forearms by having the lifter curl dumbbells with a neutral grip while seated, focusing on wrist and forearm strength.

Primary muscles
Biceps
Secondary muscles
Forearms
Equipment
Dumbbell
Level · type
Beginner · Compound
Demonstration of the light style dumbbell seated neutral wrist curl
Front view: muscles worked by the light style dumbbell seated neutral wrist curl. Primary: biceps. Secondary: forearms.
Back view: muscles worked by the light style dumbbell seated neutral wrist curl. Primary: biceps. Secondary: forearms.
Primary Secondary

How to do the light style dumbbell seated neutral wrist curl

  1. Step 1: Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
  2. Step 2: Rest your forearms on your thighs, allowing the dumbbells to hang down.
  3. Step 3: Keeping your wrists in a neutral position, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Focus on light movement.
  4. Step 4: Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
  5. Step 5: Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Sets, reps and programming

Suggested sets, reps and rest for the light style dumbbell seated neutral 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.

Light Style Dumbbell Seated Neutral Wrist Curl alternatives

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