biceps
Seated Barbell Wrist Extension
Seated with your forearms on your thighs and palms down, you lift a light bar using only your wrists. Builds the outside of the forearms.
beginnerbarbellflat bench
BEFORE YOU START2
- Use a light bar; the wrist muscles are small.
- Sit on the end of a bench with your feet flat and about hip-width apart.
HOW TO DO IT
Get into position
- Hold the bar with your palms facing down, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Rest your forearms on your thighs with your wrists just past your knees.
- Let your wrists hang down so the bar drops as far as it will go.
Check: Your forearms are flat on your thighs, your wrists hang past your knees, and only your hands can move.
Lift the bar
- Lift the backs of your hands up as high as your wrists will go.
- Hold for a second at the top.
Check: The backs of your hands point up as far as they go and your forearms have not left your thighs.
Lower slowly
- Lower the bar slowly by letting your wrists bend down again.
Check: Your wrists hang down with the bar at the bottom.
That is one rep. Repeat for your set; use high reps, 15 or more.
Breathe out as you lift in about 1 second; breathe in as you lower over 2 seconds.
MUSCLES WORKED
forearms
Red marks the muscles doing the work; amber the assisting ones. Same body for every exercise, so guides compare at a glance.
COMMON MISTAKES2
- Lifting the forearms off the thighs to help. Fix: Keep the forearms pressed down; only the wrists move.
- Using a heavy bar. Fix: Go light and do more reps.
SAFETY1
- Stop if you feel sharp pain in the wrist; mild burning in the forearm is normal.
EQUIPMENT SETTINGS
- barbell Light.
RELATED EXERCISES
variants: seated barbell wrist curl, reverse barbell curl
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