How to Do Reverse Grip Curls: Form and Benefits
Master the reverse grip curl to build forearm mass and wrist stability. Follow our expert guide for proper form, common mistakes, and training tips.
How to Perform
- 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
- 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
Primary movers
- Forearms
Stabilizers
- Biceps Brachii
- Brachialis
- Brachioradialis
Related Guides
- Air Pushdown — Arms
- Alternating Biceps Curls With Dumbbell — Arms
- Alternating dumbbell hammer curl — Arms
Forearms · Arms