Beginner

Plate Reverse Wrist Curl

Reversing the grip on a plate wrist curl shifts the work to the wrist extensors that most lifters neglect. Building these muscles balances the heavily trained flexors and helps protect the elbow from overuse. Keep the load light and the tempo controlled, aiming for a full stretch and squeeze each rep.

Equipment
Plate
Body part
Forearms
Type
Strength
Browse by muscle
Extensors
Browse by movement
Wrist Extension
Muscles worked
Target
Extensors
Secondary
Extensor Carpi Ulnaris
Tertiary
Brachioradialis

How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit and lay your forearm along your thigh with the wrist just beyond the knee, palm down.

  2. 2

    Grip a light plate by its edge so it hangs below the back of your hand.

  3. 3

    Lower the plate by letting the wrist drop into a full stretch.

  4. 4

    Raise the plate by extending the wrist, bringing the knuckles up toward the ceiling.

  5. 5

    Pause at the top for a beat, then lower slowly under control.

  6. 6

    Keep the forearm braced on the thigh so only the wrist moves.

Tips

  • Use much less weight than your flexion wrist curl; the extensors are far weaker.
  • Avoid letting the elbow or shoulder help lift the plate.
  • Move through the fullest pain-free range you can for the best effect.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Hooking the plate with the fingertips alone. Curl the fingers over the rim so it hangs from the whole hand, or the hold fails long before the extensors have done any work.
  • Holding the plate off-center so it hangs crooked. A tilted plate twists the wrist sideways, so slide the hand along the rim until it hangs level before the first rep.
  • Letting the plate swing in and tap the shin at the bottom of each rep. Resting it on your leg parks the load and quietly removes the stretch you came for.
  • Flicking the plate up out of the bottom as the extensors start to burn. A flicked rep loads the wrist joint rather than the muscle, and it is always the last few reps where that creeps in.

Frequently asked

How heavy a plate and how many reps for the plate reverse wrist curl?
Start with a 2.5 or 5 pound plate and build up to three sets per hand of 15 to 20 reps. Held over the top of the hand, the plate sits further from the wrist than a dumbbell does, so it feels heavier than the number stamped on it. Progress by slowing the lower to three seconds before you reach for the next plate up, since plate jumps are large for a muscle this small. Twice a week is comfortable.
What can I use instead of a plate for the plate reverse wrist curl?
A light dumbbell over the thigh, palm down, is the obvious swap and is easier to hold for high reps. A band under the foot keeps tension through the whole range and is the best option at home. In a gym, a cable handle on the lowest pulley does the same job with finer weight steps. With nothing else available, hold a hammer near the end of the handle and lift the head using the wrist alone.
What is the plate reverse wrist curl for?
It works the wrist extensors on top of the forearm plus the hooking grip that holds the plate, using equipment lying on the floor of every gym. Lifters who spend the week pulling and curling use it to balance the load on the elbow. It is limited as a strength move, since what you can hook caps what you can lift, and it is not the place to be if the outside of your elbow is already painful. Get that assessed first.

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