Is an EZ bar better than a straight bar for palms-down wrist curls?

It works the same muscles, but the angled grip sets the hands at a less extreme angle than a fully palms-down straight bar, which many lifters find easier on the wrists. If a straight bar feels fine, the Barbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl is an equally good choice.

Why can I lift so much less than on palms-up wrist curls?

The wrist extensors are smaller than the flexors, and on palms-up curls the finger flexors help as well. Using a fraction of your palms-up weight here is normal.

How many sets and reps should I do?

Two to three sets of 12 to 20 reps works well, since the load is light and the range of motion is short. One to two sessions a week is usually enough to build strength without overworking the forearms.

Will this exercise improve my grip strength?

Only indirectly. The extensors hold the wrist steady while the hand squeezes, but they do not close the hand, so direct grip work such as the Wrist Roller or heavy holds trains grip more effectively.

Can palms-down wrist curls help with tennis elbow?

Light, gradually loaded wrist extension is a common part of tennis elbow rehabilitation, but the load and progression need to come from a clinician who has assessed the elbow. Do not train through pain on the outside of the elbow.

EZ Bar Palms-Down Wrist Curl

What Is the EZ Bar Palms-Down Wrist Curl?

EZ Bar Palms-Down Wrist Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the forearms, specifically the wrist extensors on the back of the forearm. It is a beginner-level movement done seated on a flat bench with the forearms resting on the thighs, palms facing down, while the wrists lift an EZ bar from a bent-down position up into extension.

The exercise builds strength and size in the wrist extensors, a group that most programs train only indirectly. Grip work, rows and pulling movements load the flexors on the palm side heavily, so direct extensor work helps balance the forearm and supports a steady wrist when the hand grips hard in lifting, racket sports and climbing.

The EZ bar is what sets this version apart from the Barbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl. Holding the angled sections of the bar turns the hands slightly in from a fully palms-down position, so the wrists sit at a less extreme angle than they do on a straight bar, and many lifters find that easier on the wrists. The work itself stays the same: only the wrists move, and the extensors do the lifting. The Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl lets each wrist work on its own and starts at lighter loads.

Expect to use far less weight than on the EZ Bar Palms-Up Wrist Curl, its natural pairing for the opposite side of the forearm. The extensors are the smaller, weaker group, so an empty EZ bar or a very light load is a normal starting point. Anyone who cannot yet control the empty bar through the full range can build up with the Band Palms-Down Wrist Curl first.

The movement is small, so a slow tempo and attention to the back of the forearm matter more here than on most exercises. Feeling the work along the top of the forearm, rather than in the shoulders or upper arms, is a good sign the forearms are staying put.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Extensor Carpi Radialis: Primary
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Low
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Low
Brachioradialis: Minimal

Instructions

Sit on the end of a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart.
Hold an EZ bar with an overhand grip, palms facing down, with your hands on the angled sections about shoulder-width apart.
Lean forward and rest your forearms along your thighs so your wrists and hands hang just past your knees.
Let the bar lower slowly until your wrists are comfortably bent downward, keeping your fingers wrapped around the bar.
Raise the bar by bending your wrists upward until your knuckles point up, keeping your forearms pressed against your thighs.
Pause briefly at the top.
Lower the bar slowly back to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Common Mistakes

Lifting the forearms off the thighs
When the elbows and forearms rise, the shoulders and upper arms start helping, so keep the forearms pressed down and let only the wrists move.
Using too much weight
The wrist extensors are much weaker than the flexors, so a load that suits palms-up wrist curls is usually far too heavy here.
Bouncing out of the bottom
Letting the bar drop into the deep wrist bend and rebounding out of it shifts strain onto the wrist and outer elbow instead of the muscles.
Cutting the range short
Stopping halfway up or halfway down trains only part of the range, so lower until the wrists are comfortably bent and lift until the knuckles point up.
Resting the wrists on the knees
Placing the wrists on top of the knees blocks the downward bend, so slide back until the hands hang just past the knees.
Gripping the straight middle section
Holding the bar on its straight middle part forces a fully palms-down grip and gives up the more comfortable wrist angle the EZ bar is chosen for.

Injuries

EZ Bar Palms-Down Wrist Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is light and only the wrists move, but the two places that take the strain are the wrist joint, which is pulled into a deep bend at the bottom of each rep, and the outer elbow, where the wrist extensor tendons attach. Overload of that tendon, most often at the extensor carpi radialis brevis, is the mechanism behind lateral epicondylitis, better known as tennis elbow.

Start with the empty bar or a very light load and add weight in small steps. Lower the bar under control rather than letting it drop into the bottom position, and keep the forearms flat on the thighs so the elbows and shoulders do not take over. Hold the bar on the angled sections where the wrists feel most comfortable, and keep the hands just past the knees so the wrists can bend freely.

If controlling the bar is difficult or the elbow gets irritated, switch to the Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl or the Band Palms-Down Wrist Curl, which allow lighter loads. Progress by adding reps or a slower lowering phase before adding weight.

Stop if you feel a sharp pinch across the back of the wrist, tingling or numbness in the hand or fingers, or pain on the outside of the elbow that lingers after training, and have it assessed before continuing.

Overview

Primary Focus: Forearms
Equipment: Ez bar and bench
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is an EZ bar better than a straight bar for palms-down wrist curls?: It works the same muscles, but the angled grip sets the hands at a less extreme angle than a fully palms-down straight bar, which many lifters find easier on the wrists. If a straight bar feels fine, the Barbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl is an equally good choice.
Q: Why can I lift so much less than on palms-up wrist curls?: The wrist extensors are smaller than the flexors, and on palms-up curls the finger flexors help as well. Using a fraction of your palms-up weight here is normal.
Q: How many sets and reps should I do?: Two to three sets of 12 to 20 reps works well, since the load is light and the range of motion is short. One to two sessions a week is usually enough to build strength without overworking the forearms.
Q: Will this exercise improve my grip strength?: Only indirectly. The extensors hold the wrist steady while the hand squeezes, but they do not close the hand, so direct grip work such as the Wrist Roller or heavy holds trains grip more effectively.
Q: Can palms-down wrist curls help with tennis elbow?: Light, gradually loaded wrist extension is a common part of tennis elbow rehabilitation, but the load and progression need to come from a clinician who has assessed the elbow. Do not train through pain on the outside of the elbow.