The forearms are more than just aesthetic muscles. They are essential for GripPrevention of injury and performance in the upper body. But if you have only trained you with you Wrist curlsYou could overlook a powerful companion: the Finger curl.
These two exercises may look similar, but they train them Forearm muscles In significantly different ways. If you understand how everyone works – and when you can use you – you can bring your training to the next level.
Lock wrist:
The wrist curls are carried out by bent by the wrists while holding a barbell or dumbbell with worn forearms. The movement focuses on the Wrist flexoruscels And is often used to improve the forearm size and support press or curly movements.
Execution:
- Sit on a bench and rest your forearms on your thighs or pad.
- Keep a barbell or dumbbell with a negotiation (palms).
- Let your wrists hang over your knees or the edge of the pad.
- Bend your wrists to lift the weight towards your forearms.
- Slowly lower to stretch the forearm muscles.
Muscles worked:
- Flexor Carpi Radialis
- Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
- Palmaris Longus
- Flexor Digitorum Oberficialis (partially)
- Pronator Teres (stabilizer)
Finger curls:
Finger curls begin similar – but with an important difference. You leave the weight Roll down your fingersAnd then bend them again to grab the weight again before you are ready with a wrist colleague. This extended area of movement brings the deep finger flexorsespecially the Flexor Digitorum deep.
Execution:
- Start with a barbell or a dumbbell in the same setup as wrist curls.
- Let the pole roll in your fingers to fully extend it.
- Roll your fingers to roll the weight back into the palm.
- Bend the wrist at the top like in a standard manner.
Muscles worked:
- Flexor Digitorum deep
- Flexor Digitorum
- Flexor -thumb (thumb)
- Smaller hand muscles for the grip stability
Muscle activation and EMG research
Studies to compare wrist with finger movement patterns show that:
- Wrist curls emphasize Isometric contraction of the finger flexors and dynamic contraction of the wrist flexors.
- Finger curl Caused Full length contractions both finger and wrist flexors, especially the Deep Layer (Flexor Digitorum) (Driver et al., 2016).
This means mechanical stress Calculas of curls are often higher.
Wrist curl vs. finger curl: key differences
| Specialty | Wrist curls | Finger curl |
|---|---|---|
| Primary action | Bug on the wrist joint | Finger flexion and wrist flexion |
| Muscle focus | Wrist flexors | Finger flexors + wrist flexors |
| Grip component | Moderate (weight is worn in the palm) | High (fingertips support the weight) |
| Movement area | Shorter | Longer (includes the full finger extension) |
| Functionality | Supports wrist stability and elbow function | Build up the finger thickness and grip time |
| Best for | Aesthetic forearm size and wrist support in lifts | Athletes who need the grip strength (e.g. rock climber) |
Training goals: Which should you use?
| Goal | Wrist curls | Finger curl |
|---|---|---|
| Muscle hypertrophy (forearm size) | ✅ Primary | ✅ Secondary |
| Handle strength (crush or support) | ❌ Limited | ✅ Awarded |
| Wrist stability and common health | ✅ great | ✅ good |
| Finger tendon thickness | ❌ minimal | ✅ high |
| Rehabilitation / tendon infection | ✅ checked | ✅ Moderate |
| Sports -specific handle (climbing, bjj, lifting) | ❌ | ✅ think |
Programming recommendations
Wrist curl programming for hypertrophy
- Frequency: 1–2x a week
- Sets/repetitions: 3–4 sets of 10–15 repetitions
- Relax: 30–60 seconds
- Progression: Add weight or repetitions; Try barbells, dumbbells or reverse grip
Finger Curl programming
- Frequency: 1–2x a week
- Sets/repetitions: 2–3 sentences of 8–12 repetitions
- Progression: Use thicker beams (fat gripz), overload with straps or pause below
Superset option:
Try to combine both:
- A1: Wrist Locl (12 repetitions)
- A2: Finger curl (10 repetitions, 3-second break below)
For strength or performance:
- Use heavier loads with 6-10 repetitions
- Change both exercises within your week
- Add isometric holding with finger curls (e.g. 5-second break during contraction).
Restoration and overuse Note:
Since the forearms are used in most exercises in the upper body, avoid training on consecutive days. Exaggeration can lead to medial epicondylitis (golfer -ellbogen) or overuse of Flexor -Liehn injuries (Sevier & Wilson, 1999).
Trying variations
Should you do both?
Yes – if your goals are included:
- Improvement of the handle strength (Climbing, MMA, spring time)
- Improvement of the forearm aesthetics and vascularity
- Balancing the strength over the wrist and hand muscles
- Reduction of the injury risk in repetitive utility (e.g. tennis, baseball)
On separate days, you can curl wraps and finger curls or carry it out in a superset for a complete forearm burnout.
Diploma
While the wrists can look similar, their training advantages are different. Wear joint chains emphasize the forearm as a whole, while fingers challenge your handle and finger thickness in a unique way. The integration of both exercises can help to build a more functional and well -developed forearm, especially for lifter, athletes and everyone who wants to improve the resistance of the handles.
References
- Schönfeld, BJ (2010). The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to strength training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24 (10), 2857–2872. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0B013E3181E840F3
- Behm, DG & Sale, DG (1993). Speed specificity of strength training. Sports medicine, 15 (6), 374–388. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199315060-00003
- American College of Sports Medicine. (2017). ACSM guidelines for exercise tests and prescription (10th edition). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
- Waugh, cm, et al. (2012). Effects of resistance training on muscle architecture and tendon properties in young athletes. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112 (11), 3997–4005.
