Arms
Reverse Grip Curl
A foundational movement for building thick, functional forearm strength and a balanced upper arm profile.
How to perform.
Follow the sequence — setup is half the lift.
Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and grip the bar with your palms facing down.
Position your hands at roughly shoulder-width and tuck your elbows firmly against the sides of your torso.
Exhale and curl the weight toward your shoulders while keeping your wrists straight and your upper arms stationary.
Squeeze your forearms at the top of the movement for a full second without letting your elbows drift forward.
Inhale and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position until your arms are fully extended.
Maintain a neutral spine and avoid using momentum from your hips to lift the weight.
Common mistakes.
Fix these first — they cost reps, kilos, and joints.
- Thumbing the bar too loosely which shifts tension away from the brachioradialis.
- Allowing the elbows to flare outward or forward during the concentric phase.
- Excessive wrist extension or 'cocking' the wrists back under the weight load.
- Using a swinging motion of the torso to bypass the bottom portion of the lift.
Muscles worked.
The primary movers do the work; the stabilizers keep the path honest.