Behind-the-Back Cable Wrist Curl
Holding a low pulley behind your back keeps steady tension on the forearm flexors through the whole range, unlike a dumbbell that goes slack at the bottom. It is an easy finisher that fits at the end of any pull or arm day. Keep the wrist-flexor load modest and let the movement stay strict.
- Equipment
- Cables
- Body part
- Forearms
- Type
- Strength
- Browse by muscle
- Brachioradialis
- Browse by movement
- Wrist Flexion
- Target
- Brachioradialis
- Secondary
- Extensors
How to do it
- 1
Set a handle or straight bar on the lowest pulley and stand with your back to the stack.
- 2
Take the attachment behind you with a palms-back grip and stand close enough to the stack that the cable runs nearly straight down.
- 3
Stand tall with arms straight down and let the wrists extend so the fingers open slightly.
- 4
Curl the wrists to draw the attachment up behind your thighs.
- 5
Squeeze briefly, then let the wrists lower under control.
- 6
Keep the elbows straight and the shoulders still throughout.
Tips
- Keep tension light; wrist flexion needs control, not heavy loading.
- Do not let the elbows bend or the shoulders shrug to move the weight.
- Stand far enough forward that the cable stays taut at the bottom.
Variations
Common mistakes
- Leaning the torso forward to gain a little more range. The lean makes reps feel easier, but it changes the line of pull and hands the work to your grip and shoulders.
- Letting the bar drift back away from the thighs as the cable pulls. Keep it brushing the back of your legs so the load stays on the wrists instead of hanging off the shoulders.
- Standing with the feet together while a loaded cable pulls you backward. A hip-width or slightly split stance stops you rocking onto your heels on every rep.
- Letting go of the attachment while it is still loaded. Walk backward toward the stack and set the plates down before you release, or the bar swings into the back of your legs.
Frequently asked
- How many sets and reps of the behind-the-back cable wrist curl should I do?
- Three sets of 15 to 20 reps as the last thing in an arm or pull session. Set the pin light for the first set and treat it as a gauge, because the position is awkward before it is hard. Since the cable pulls the whole time, count only the reps where the wrists actually finish, and add weight when all three sets reach 20. One or two sessions a week alongside reverse curls for the top of the forearm keeps things even.
- What can I do instead of the behind-the-back cable wrist curl?
- A barbell held behind the glutes is the direct free-weight version, though it needs a rack to get into position. Dumbbells behind the hips need nothing at all and let each hand sit at its own angle. A band anchored low behind you covers it at home. If the behind-the-back position bothers your shoulders, the seated version over the thighs trains the same muscles from the front.
- Why choose the behind-the-back cable wrist curl over the barbell version?
- The cable keeps tension on the flexors at the bottom of the rep, where a bar behind the body goes slack, and the walkout replaces the awkward job of unracking a loaded bar behind you. It works best as a finisher when you want a pump rather than a heavy set. It is a poor fit in a busy gym, since you occupy a stack while standing away from it, and it is worth skipping if a load held behind the hips pulls uncomfortably at the front of your shoulders.
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