Toolbox Aid

May 22nd, 2023 5:48 PM Mr. Q Categories: Barbell

Type:

Equipment:

Wrist curls are an exercise that primarily targets the forearm muscles, specifically the wrist flexors and extensors. It involves flexing and extending the wrists while holding a weighted barbell or dumbbells.

Possible Stretches to do prior to exercise:

• Arm circles
• Arm swings
• Forearm stretches

Warmups to do prior to exercise:

• Perform light wrist rotations in both directions to warm up the joints and muscles.
• Do some light gripping exercises, such as squeezing a stress ball or using a hand grip strengthener.

How to select the proper weight: Choose a weight that allows you to perform the exercise with proper form and control. Start with a lighter weight if you’re new to the exercise and gradually increase the weight as you become more comfortable and stronger. It should provide enough resistance to challenge your forearm muscles without straining.

Proper form:

1. Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the floor and hold a barbell or dumbbells in your hands with an underhand grip (palms facing up).
2. Rest your forearms on your thighs or on a bench, allowing your wrists to extend beyond the edge.
3. Inhale and slowly lower the weight by flexing your wrists, allowing the barbell or dumbbells to roll towards your fingertips.
4. Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement, feeling the stretch in your forearms.
5. Exhale and contract your wrist flexors, curling the weight back up towards your forearms.
6. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, squeezing your forearm muscles.
7. Repeat the movement for the prescribed number of reps.

How to reduce the difficulty: To make the exercise easier, you can:

• Use lighter weights or resistance bands.
• Perform the exercise with your arms fully supported on a bench.
• Focus on slow and controlled movements, emphasizing the mind-muscle connection.

How to increase difficulty: To make the exercise more challenging, you can:

• Increase the weight you’re lifting.
• Perform the exercise with a barbell instead of dumbbells to challenge your grip strength.
• Incorporate variations like reverse wrist curls or wrist curls with a twist to target different parts of the forearms.

Reps: Beginner:

• 8-12 reps

Intermediate:

• 12-15 reps

Advanced:

• 15-20 reps

Estimated time for exercise: 10-15 minutes