Seated Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl

Seated Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl is a beginner-level isolation in the strength category that primarily works the forearms. It is performed with dumbbells.

How to do it

1. 1Start out by placing two dumbbells on the floor in front of a flat bench.
2. 2Sit down on the edge of the flat bench with your legs at about shoulder width apart. Make sure to keep your feet on the floor.
3. 3Use your arms to grab both of the dumbbells and bring them up so that your forearms are resting against your thighs with the palms of the hands facing up. Your wrists should be hanging over the edge of your thighs.
4. 4Start out by curling your wrist upwards and exhaling.
5. 5Slowly lower your wrists back down to the starting position while inhaling. Make sure to inhale during this part of the exercise. Tip: Your forearms should be stationary as your wrist is the only movement needed to perform this exercise.
6. 6Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
7. 7When finished, simply lower the dumbbells to the floor.

Muscles worked

Primary muscles in filled badges, secondary in grey. Tap for more exercises per muscle.

Tips and common mistakes

• •Focus on the muscle contraction and control the eccentric (lowering) phase.
• •Add load only once you complete all reps with good form — progressive overload.
• •Initiate the pull from the target muscle rather than jerking with body momentum.
• •Prioritize full range of motion over heavy weight with partial reps.

Sets and reps

For hypertrophy: 3–4 sets × 8–12 reps with 1–2 reps in reserve (RPE 7–9) and 1–2 minutes rest. For strength: 3–5 × 4–6 with longer rest.