10 Best Finger Curls Alternatives for Stronger Forearms

If you can’t do finger curls, use other forearm isolation moves that load the wrist and finger flexors while protecting the joint. Try wrist curls, reverse curls, plate pinches, towel hangs, or farmer carries; cue a controlled eccentric and full finger flexion to bias the flexor digitorum and improve grip strength.

Original Exercise: Finger Curls

Finger Curls
Primary Muscle
Forearms
Equipment
Barbell
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Wrist Flexors, Grip Muscles
How to Perform Finger Curls
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold a barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
  2. Rest your forearms on your thighs, allowing your wrists to hang off the edge.
  3. Slowly curl your fingers towards your palms, squeezing the barbell tightly.
  4. Hold the contraction for a moment, then slowly release your fingers back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Ranked Finger Curls Alternatives

Best Match
Barbell Standing Back Wrist Curl

1. Barbell Standing Back Wrist Curl

90.4% Match
Forearms Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip.
  2. Rest the barbell on the back of your hands with your palms facing down and your fingers pointing towards your body.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl your wrists upwards as far as possible.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause, then inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Wrist Curl

2. Barbell Wrist Curl

86.4% Match
Forearms Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your forearms resting on your thighs, holding a barbell with an underhand grip.
  2. Allow the barbell to roll down to your fingertips, keeping your wrists straight.
  3. Slowly curl the barbell up towards your forearms by flexing your wrists.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench

3. Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench

86.4% Match
Forearms Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start out by placing a barbell on one side of a flat bench.
  2. Kneel down on both of your knees so that your body is facing the flat bench.
  3. Use your arms to grab the barbell with a supinated grip (palms up) and bring them up so that your forearms are resting against the flat bench. Your wrists should be hanging over the edge.
  4. Start out by curling your wrist upwards and exhaling.
  5. Slowly lower your wrists back down to the starting position while inhaling.
Cable Standing Back Wrist Curl

4. Cable Standing Back Wrist Curl

84.4% Match
Forearms Cable Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand facing a cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Hold the cable handle with an overhand grip, palms facing down.
  3. Keep your arms straight and your elbows close to your sides.
  4. Slowly curl your wrists upward, bringing the cable handle towards your body.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the cable handle back to the starting position.
Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over A Bench

5. Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over A Bench

82.4% Match
Forearms Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start out by placing a barbell on one side of a flat bench.
  2. Kneel down on both of your knees so that your body is facing the flat bench.
  3. Use your arms to grab the barbell with a pronated grip (palms down) and bring them up so that your forearms are resting against the flat bench. Your wrists should be hanging over the edge.
  4. Start out by curling your wrist upwards and exhaling.
  5. Slowly lower your wrists back down to the starting position while inhaling.
Standing Palms-Up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curl

6. Standing Palms-Up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curl

80.2% Match
Forearms Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start by standing straight and holding a barbell behind your glutes at arm's length while using a pronated grip (palms will be facing back away from the glutes) and having your hands shoulder width apart from each other.
  2. You should be looking straight forward while your feet are shoulder width apart from each other. This is the starting position.
  3. While exhaling, slowly elevate the barbell up by curling your wrist in a semi-circular motion towards the ceiling. Note: Your wrist should be the only body part moving for this exercise.
  4. Hold the contraction for a second and lower the barbell back down to the starting position while inhaling.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Finger Curls

7. Dumbbell Finger Curls

79.2% Match
Forearms Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in one hand with an underhand grip, resting your forearm on your thigh, palm facing up.
  3. Allow the dumbbell to roll down to your fingertips, then curl it back up by flexing your fingers.
  4. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, then switch to the other hand.
Smith Standing Back Wrist Curl

8. Smith Standing Back Wrist Curl

78.9% Match
Forearms Smith-machine Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand facing the smith machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
  3. Keep your back straight and your elbows close to your body.
  4. Slowly curl your wrists upwards, bringing the barbell towards your body.
  5. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
Palms-Up Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench

9. Palms-Up Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A Bench

77.8% Match
Forearms Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Start out by placing two dumbbells on one side of a flat bench.
  2. Kneel down on both of your knees so that your body is facing the flat bench.
  3. Use your arms to grab both of the dumbbells with a supinated grip (palms up) and bring them up so that your forearms are resting against the flat bench. Your wrists should be hanging over the edge.
  4. Start out by curling your wrist upwards and exhaling.
  5. Slowly lower your wrists back down to the starting position while inhaling. Make sure to inhale during this part of the exercise.
Band Wrist Curl

10. Band Wrist Curl

75.9% Match
Forearms Band Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench or chair with your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold the band with both hands, palms facing up, and rest your forearms on your thighs.
  3. Slowly curl your wrists upward, squeezing your forearms.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower your wrists back down to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Finger Curls Alternative

You may substitute finger curls because of wrist pain, lack of a barbell, limited finger strength, or programming variety. Pain often stems from excessive wrist extension; choose alternatives that let you stop at neutral or support the wrist to offload tendons. Equipment limits push you toward plate pinches, towel hangs, or dumbbell wrist curls. For progression, farmer carries and towel hangs add systemic stress and neural adaptation not achieved by strict isolation. Use a slow eccentric (2–3 seconds) and avoid reflexive wrist extension to keep load on the finger and wrist flexors rather than the extensors or stabilizers.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Match the substitute to your goal, equipment, and injury status. For hypertrophy, pick weighted wrist curls or reverse curls and use a 2-1-2 tempo with full range to maximize time under tension of the flexor digitorum. For grip strength, select plate pinches or farmer carries and cue a full, sustained pinch with scapular bracing to transfer force through the kinetic chain. If you have wrist pain, prioritize neutral-wrist holds (towel hangs, neutral-grip dumbbell curls) to reduce shear at the radiocarpal joint. Track load, volume, and how the flexors, versus brachioradialis, feel to fine-tune selection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Finger Curls work?

Finger curls primarily activate the finger flexors (flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus) and to a lesser extent the wrist flexors (flexor carpi radialis and ulnaris). Perform slow, controlled curls through full finger flexion to feel the tension in those muscles rather than in the forearm extensors.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Finger Curls?

Towel hangs and towel pull-ups are the best bodyweight options; wrap a towel around a pull-up bar and hold or pull with full finger flexion. Cue a tight grip and slightly protracted scapulae to increase finger-flexor activation while minimizing wrist extension.

Can I build muscle without doing Finger Curls?

Yes. Use wrist curls, reverse curls, plate pinches, and farmer carries to stimulate hypertrophy of the forearm flexors and improve grip. Emphasize slow eccentrics, full range of motion, and progressive loading to drive muscle growth without barbell finger curls.

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