Does the reverse grip work the forearms harder than a regular curl?

Not in the way most people expect. A study of competitive bodybuilders doing standing cable curls with a straight bar found biceps activity was clearly higher with the palms up than with the palms down, while brachioradialis activity was only slightly higher with the palms up. The forearm takes a larger share of the lift because the biceps does less, and the wrist extensors work the whole set to keep the bar level.

Why use a cable instead of a barbell or EZ bar?

The low pulley makes the bottom of the rep lighter and keeps tension on the muscles as the forearms come up to vertical, the reverse of a barbell on the same pad. The weight stack also makes it easy to start with the light loads a palms-down grip needs and to add weight in small steps.

Where should the bench and pulley go?

Set the pulley at its lowest position and place the bench in front of it with the pad facing the weight stack. Move the bench until the stack stays lifted when your elbows are nearly straight at the bottom.

How much lighter should I go than on a regular cable preacher curl?

Most lifters need clearly less weight palms-down than palms-up, because the biceps cannot help as much and the wrists have to hold the bar level. Pick a weight that lets you keep the wrists straight on every rep, and add weight only while that stays true.

Can I use an EZ bar attachment instead of a straight bar?

Yes. An EZ bar attachment sets the hands a little short of fully palms-down, which many lifters find easier on the wrists, while the work stays on the same elbow flexors.

Cable Preacher Curl (Reverse Grip)

What Is the Cable Preacher Curl (Reverse Grip)?

Cable Preacher Curl (Reverse Grip) is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the elbow flexors of the upper arm and forearm, with the brachialis and brachioradialis doing most of the work, and also engages the biceps brachii and the wrist extensors. It is a beginner-level movement performed seated at a preacher bench placed in front of a low pulley, with a straight bar attachment held in an overhand, palms-down grip and the backs of the upper arms resting on the angled pad.

Turning the palms down changes how the elbow flexors share the load rather than bringing in a new muscle. The brachialis attaches to the ulna, so rotating the forearm does not change its pull, while the biceps attaches to the radius and also turns the palm up, so it works at a disadvantage with the forearm pronated. That shifts more of each rep onto the brachialis and brachioradialis, and the wrist extensors on the back of the forearm have to hold the bar level for the whole set.

The cable changes where the curl is hardest. With a barbell or EZ bar on the same pad, the load is heaviest in the lower half, where the arms are close to straight. The low pulley pulls down and toward the machine instead, so the bottom of the rep is lighter and the tension builds as the forearms rise toward vertical, and it never drops off at the top. The weight stack also makes it easy to start light and add load in small steps, which suits a grip where the wrists usually limit the weight before the elbow flexors do. Expect to use clearly less weight than on a palms-up Cable Preacher Curl.

It suits lifters who want thicker upper arms and forearms, those whose biceps take over on regular curls, and anyone building elbow-flexor strength for pulling work. It usually sits near the end of an arm or pulling session as an accessory, done with moderate loads and strict reps. Lifters new to the palms-down grip can learn it standing with the Cable Curl (Reverse Grip), and those who find any palms-down grip hard on the wrists can start on the pad with the Cable Hammer Preacher Curl (Rope).

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Brachialis: Primary
Brachioradialis: Primary
Biceps Brachii: High
Extensor Carpi Radialis: Medium
Deltoid: Minimal
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Minimal

Instructions

Attach a straight bar to the low pulley of a cable machine and place a preacher bench in front of it, with the pad facing the weight stack.
Sit on the bench, adjust the seat so your armpits rest near the top edge of the pad, and plant your feet flat on the floor.
Take the bar with an overhand grip, palms facing down and hands about shoulder-width apart, and lay the backs of your upper arms flat on the pad.
Start with your arms extended down the pad, elbows just short of locked, wrists straight in line with your forearms and the weight stack lifted.
Curl the bar up by bending only at the elbows, keeping your palms facing down and your upper arms pressed into the pad.
Continue until your forearms are about vertical and the bar is in front of your face, with your knuckles facing you.
Pause briefly, then lower the bar slowly along the same path until your elbows are almost straight, without letting the stack touch down.
Repeat for the desired number of reps, keeping your wrists straight the whole time.

Common Mistakes

Letting the wrists bend
Allowing the bar to pull the hands down or cocking the wrists back takes work off the elbow flexors and strains the tendons at the outside of the elbow.
Lifting the elbows off the pad
Raising the upper arms or shrugging the shoulders forward near the top turns the curl into a partial front raise and removes the isolation the bench provides.
Resting the stack between reps
Letting the weight plates touch down at the bottom takes the tension off the muscles and breaks the rhythm of the set.
Dropping into the bottom
Letting the bar fall into a locked, straight arm and bouncing out of it loads the front of the elbow instead of the muscles.
Using too much weight
Loading it like a palms-up cable preacher curl makes the wrists give way and the torso lean back, so choose a weight you can control on the way down.

Injuries

Cable Preacher Curl (Reverse Grip) is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The loads are light, the pad fixes the upper arms, and the cable keeps the bottom of the rep lighter than a barbell does, so most problems build up gradually at the wrists and the outside of the elbow rather than coming from a sudden injury.

The wrist extensors hold the hands level through every rep, and their tendons attach at the outside of the elbow. Wrist extension against resistance is the main aggravating movement in tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), so lifters with that condition often find palms-down curls painful. Letting the bar pull the wrists down, or cocking them back, also strains the wrist itself. The front of the elbow is most exposed when the arms drop into a locked or overextended position on the pad, even though the cable loads that position less than a barbell.

Warm up the forearms with a few light sets, keep the wrists straight in line with the forearms, and pick a weight you can lower as slowly as you lift it. If the straight bar bothers your wrists, use an EZ bar attachment or switch to the Cable Hammer Preacher Curl (Rope). To progress, move the pin down one plate at a time or slow the lowering phase rather than chasing heavy, low-rep sets.

Stop the set for sharp pain at the outside of the elbow or across the back of the wrist. Stop immediately and have it checked if you feel a pop or sudden pain at the front of the elbow.

Overview

Primary Focus: Biceps
Equipment: Cable and bench
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does the reverse grip work the forearms harder than a regular curl?: Not in the way most people expect. A study of competitive bodybuilders doing standing cable curls with a straight bar found biceps activity was clearly higher with the palms up than with the palms down, while brachioradialis activity was only slightly higher with the palms up. The forearm takes a larger share of the lift because the biceps does less, and the wrist extensors work the whole set to keep the bar level.
Q: Why use a cable instead of a barbell or EZ bar?: The low pulley makes the bottom of the rep lighter and keeps tension on the muscles as the forearms come up to vertical, the reverse of a barbell on the same pad. The weight stack also makes it easy to start with the light loads a palms-down grip needs and to add weight in small steps.
Q: Where should the bench and pulley go?: Set the pulley at its lowest position and place the bench in front of it with the pad facing the weight stack. Move the bench until the stack stays lifted when your elbows are nearly straight at the bottom.
Q: How much lighter should I go than on a regular cable preacher curl?: Most lifters need clearly less weight palms-down than palms-up, because the biceps cannot help as much and the wrists have to hold the bar level. Pick a weight that lets you keep the wrists straight on every rep, and add weight only while that stays true.
Q: Can I use an EZ bar attachment instead of a straight bar?: Yes. An EZ bar attachment sets the hands a little short of fully palms-down, which many lifters find easier on the wrists, while the work stays on the same elbow flexors.