Finger Curls

Also called finger curl, barbell finger curl and grip curl.

Works

Forearms

Equipment

Barbell

Level

Beginner

Type

Isolation

How to do it

Setup. Hold a barbell with both hands and your palms facing up; hands spaced about shoulder width.

1. Place your feet flat on the floor, at a distance that is slightly wider than shoulder width apart. This will be your starting position.
2. Lower the bar as far as possible by extending the fingers. Allowing the bar to roll down the hands, catch the bar with the final joint in the fingers.
3. Now curl bar up as high as possible by closing your hands while exhaling. Hold the contraction at the top.

Cues

• Forearms on the thighs, palms up.
• Let the bar roll to the fingertips.
• Curl the fingers, then the wrist.
• Control the roll down.

Common mistakes

• Going too heavy.
• Using the arms to lift.

Where to start

A starting point, not a law. Pick a weight you could lift two or three more times than the top of the range. Tempo is seconds down, pause, up. When every set hits the top of the range, add a little weight.

Go easy, or pick an alternative, if you have sore wrists. Pain that's sharp or gets worse set to set means stop.

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