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Cable Reverse Wrist Curl animation

How to do the Cable Reverse Wrist Curl

ForearmsCableBeginner

The cable reverse wrist curl is one of the most effective ways to build the extensor muscles along the back of your forearm, creating balanced strength that protects your wrists and elbows. Consistent work here pays dividends in every pulling and gripping movement you perform.

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Muscles worked

Primary
Forearms
Secondary
Grip

Step-by-step

  1. Set the cable pulley to its lowest position, attach a straight bar, and kneel or sit facing the machine with your forearms resting palm-down on your thighs
  2. Grip the bar with an overhand grip just inside shoulder width and let your wrists drop into full flexion as your starting position
  3. Extend your wrists upward as high as possible, squeezing the top of your forearms hard at the peak contraction
  4. Lower the bar slowly back to the start under full control, taking at least two seconds on the descent

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbows lift off the thighs during the movement, which shifts stress away from the extensors — pin your forearms firmly to your legs throughout every rep
  • Using too much weight and turning it into a partial rep, robbing yourself of the extension range where the muscle does its real work — drop the load and move through the full range
  • Rushing the lowering phase and letting the cable snap the wrists back down — the eccentric is where significant strength and tissue adaptation is built, so own every inch of the descent

Pro tip — At the very top of each rep, pause for a full one-second isometric hold and actively try to spread your fingers apart — this recruits the extensor digitorum alongside the wrist extensors and dramatically increases the training stimulus without adding a single pound to the stack.

Sets & reps by goal

Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps

Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.

More Forearms exercises

Barbell Wrist Reverse Curl (VERSION 2)Barbell Wrist Reverse Curl (VERSION 2)Barbell Reverse CurlBarbell Reverse CurlBarbell Reverse Preacher CurlBarbell Reverse Preacher CurlBarbell Reverse Wrist CurlBarbell Reverse Wrist CurlBarbell Standing Reverse Grip CurlBarbell Standing Reverse Grip CurlBarbell Wrist Curl (VERSION 2)Barbell Wrist Curl (VERSION 2)
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