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

Not for the muscles, which do the same job with either bar. The EZ bar's angled grip turns the palms slightly inward, so it is often more comfortable for people whose wrists or forearms dislike holding a straight bar fully palms-up; if the straight bar feels fine, the Barbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl works just as well.

Should I let the bar roll down to my fingers?

You can, if you keep control of it. Letting the bar roll a little toward the fingers at the bottom adds range and brings in the finger flexors, but a tight grip in the palm keeps the focus on the wrist and is the safer place to start.

How many sets and reps should I do?

Most lifters do well with 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 20 reps, using a slow, controlled tempo. The forearms recover quickly, so two or three short sessions a week is plenty.

Will wrist curls improve my grip?

They help with part of it. The wrist flexors keep the wrist from bending back when you hold something heavy, but squeezing a bar is mostly the job of the finger flexors, so pair this exercise with gripping work such as the Dumbbell Farmer's Carry or a Dead Hang.

Can I do this standing?

The seated version with the forearms on the thighs is the one shown here, and the support is what keeps the elbows out of it. Standing versions exist, but they change the setup and make it easier to cheat with the arms.

EZ Bar Palms-Up Wrist Curl

What Is the EZ Bar Palms-Up Wrist Curl?

EZ Bar Palms-Up Wrist Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the forearms, specifically the wrist flexors on the palm side of the forearm. It is a beginner-level movement: you sit on a bench with your forearms resting on your thighs, hold an EZ bar with your palms facing up, and curl the bar up using only your wrists.

The exercise builds strength and size in the forearm flexors, the muscles that bend the wrist toward the palm and help you hold onto a bar, a handle or a heavy bag. Because the forearms are braced on the thighs, the elbows and shoulders cannot help, so almost all of the work lands on the wrist. That makes it a simple, low-skill way to add direct forearm work to a program, usually near the end of an arm or pulling session.

It is the same movement as the Barbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl; only the handle changes. Gripping the inner angled sections of the EZ bar turns the palms slightly inward instead of locking them fully palms-up, which many lifters find easier on the wrists and forearms than a straight bar. The muscles doing the work are the same, so pick whichever bar feels better on your wrists. The Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl lets each hand find its own angle, and the EZ Bar Palms-Down Wrist Curl trains the opposite side of the forearm with the same setup.

The movement suits almost anyone who wants stronger or more developed forearms, from beginners to lifters whose grip gives out on heavy pulls, and it pairs well with the palms-down version for balanced forearm work. The range of motion is short and the movement is usually trained for higher reps, so a light bar and a slow, controlled tempo go further than piling on plates. Anyone who finds even the empty bar too heavy can start with a Band Palms-Up Wrist Curl or a light dumbbell version.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

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

Instructions

Load an EZ bar lightly and sit on the end of a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
Grip the inner angled sections of the bar with your palms facing up.
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 bend back to a comfortable stretch, keeping the bar secure in your hands.
Curl the bar up by bending only your wrists, bringing your palms up toward your forearms as far as they will go.
Squeeze your forearms briefly at the top.
Lower the bar slowly back to the stretched position.
Keep your forearms pressed into your thighs for the whole set and repeat for the desired reps.

Common Mistakes

Lifting the forearms off the thighs
Letting the forearms or elbows rise turns the curl into an arm movement and takes work away from the wrist flexors.
Bouncing the bar
Dropping the bar fast into the bottom and bouncing out of it uses momentum and loads the wrist and elbow tendons abruptly.
Using too much weight
A load that forces short, jerky reps cuts the range of motion and adds strain to the tendon on the inside of the elbow.
Cutting the range short
Stopping halfway up or halfway down leaves out much of the work, so lower to a comfortable stretch and curl as high as the wrist allows.
Losing the bar in the fingers
Letting the bar roll so far toward the fingertips that you lose control of it puts the fingers, not the wrist flexors, in charge of the weight.

Injuries

EZ Bar Palms-Up Wrist Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is light and the movement is short, but the wrist flexors share a common tendon that attaches at the inside of the elbow, and that tendon is the usual place for trouble. Repeated, heavy wrist flexion and gripping can irritate it, which is the overuse pattern behind golfer's elbow. The wrist itself is most exposed at the bottom of the rep, where it bends back under the weight of the bar.

To keep the risk low, use a weight you can move slowly through the full range for every rep, and add load in small steps. Keep the forearms pressed into the thighs so the wrist moves alone, lower the bar under control instead of letting it drop into the stretch, and stop the bottom of the rep at a comfortable stretch rather than forcing extra range. Warm up with a few light sets, and add forearm volume gradually if the forearms are not used to direct work.

If the bar is too heavy, drop the weight, or switch to the Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl to let each wrist move independently. To progress, add reps or slow the lowering phase before adding plates. Stop if you feel sharp pain in the wrist, pain on the inside of the elbow that lingers after the set, or numbness or tingling in the hand or fingers, and see a qualified professional if it keeps coming back.

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 wrist curls?: Not for the muscles, which do the same job with either bar. The EZ bar's angled grip turns the palms slightly inward, so it is often more comfortable for people whose wrists or forearms dislike holding a straight bar fully palms-up; if the straight bar feels fine, the Barbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl works just as well.
Q: Should I let the bar roll down to my fingers?: You can, if you keep control of it. Letting the bar roll a little toward the fingers at the bottom adds range and brings in the finger flexors, but a tight grip in the palm keeps the focus on the wrist and is the safer place to start.
Q: How many sets and reps should I do?: Most lifters do well with 2 to 4 sets of 12 to 20 reps, using a slow, controlled tempo. The forearms recover quickly, so two or three short sessions a week is plenty.
Q: Will wrist curls improve my grip?: They help with part of it. The wrist flexors keep the wrist from bending back when you hold something heavy, but squeezing a bar is mostly the job of the finger flexors, so pair this exercise with gripping work such as the Dumbbell Farmer's Carry or a Dead Hang.
Q: Can I do this standing?: The seated version with the forearms on the thighs is the one shown here, and the support is what keeps the elbows out of it. Standing versions exist, but they change the setup and make it easier to cheat with the arms.