Arms
Reverse Curls
A curl with your palms facing down. It puts more of the work on your forearms and grip than a regular curl, with your biceps still helping.
- Works
- Forearms, biceps
- Equipment
- A pair of dumbbells
- Load
- Light to medium
How to do it
- 1Stand tall with the dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing back, elbows at your sides.
- 2Keeping your palms facing down, curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
- 3Squeeze for a second at the top.
- 4Lower slowly until your arms are straight.
Cues
- Wrists straight. Knuckles lead the way up.
- Elbows stay pinned to your sides.
- Go lighter than your normal curls.
Common mistakes
- Wrists bending. Keep your knuckles in line with your forearms. If your wrists give, go lighter.
- Swinging. If your hips or back move, the weights are too heavy.
- Elbows drifting forward. Keep them by your sides so your arms do the work, not your shoulders.
Easier
Go lighter, or curl one arm at a time.
Harder
Take 3 seconds on the way down, or pause halfway up for 2 seconds.
Try it: 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps, or 30 seconds on and 30 off.
What do reverse curls work?
Mostly your forearms, plus your biceps and the muscle underneath them. They're a simple way to build grip strength and stronger forearms.
