10 Best Reverse Plate Curls Alternatives for Limited-Equipment Workouts

Instead of Reverse Plate Curls you can use reverse-barbell curls, dumbbell reverse curls, hammer curls, cable reverse curls, or Zottman curls. Use a pronated (palms-down) grip, keep wrists neutral and elbows tucked to bias the brachioradialis and brachialis. Pick the option that matches your equipment and wrist comfort.

Original Exercise: Reverse Plate Curls

Reverse Plate Curls
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Other
Difficulty
Beginner
Type
Isolation
Secondary Muscles: Forearms
How to Perform Reverse Plate Curls
  1. Start by standing straight with a weighted plate held by both hands and arms fully extended. Use a pronated grip (palms facing down) and make sure your fingers grab the rough side of the plate while your thumb grabs the smooth side. Note: For the best results, grab the weighted plate at an 11:00 and 1:00 o'clock position.
  2. Your feet should be shoulder width apart from each other and the weighted plate should be near the groin area. This is the starting position.
  3. Slowly lift the plate up while keeping the elbows in and the upper arms stationary until your biceps and forearms touch while exhaling. The plate should be evenly aligned with your torso at this point.
  4. Feel the contraction for a second and begin to lower the weight back down to the starting position while inhaling
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Isolation

Best Reverse Plate Curls Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Revers Grip Biceps Curl

1. Dumbbell Revers Grip Biceps Curl

99.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing down and arms fully extended.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Biceps Curl Reverse

2. Dumbbell Biceps Curl Reverse

99.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing down and arms fully extended.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Barbell Standing Reverse Grip Curl

3. Barbell Standing Reverse Grip Curl

99.2% Match
Biceps Barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your torso and your upper arms stationary.
  3. Exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps, bringing the barbell as close to your shoulders as possible.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
Ez Barbell Reverse Grip Curl

4. Ez Barbell Reverse Grip Curl

98.7% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your torso and your upper arms stationary throughout the exercise.
  3. Curl the barbell upwards by contracting your biceps, while exhaling.
  4. Continue to raise the barbell until your biceps are fully contracted and the barbell is at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Dumbbell Standing Reverse Curl

5. Dumbbell Standing Reverse Curl

98.4% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  3. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  4. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Ez-barbell Standing Wide Grip Biceps Curl

6. Ez-barbell Standing Wide Grip Biceps Curl

97.2% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your torso and your upper arms stationary throughout the movement.
  3. Curl the barbell up towards your shoulders by contracting your biceps.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl

7. Barbell Standing Wide-grip Curl

97.2% Match
Biceps 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, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Let the barbell hang at arm's length in front of your thighs, with your palms facing away from your body.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the barbell upward by contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the barbell until your biceps are fully contracted and the barbell is at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Barbell Standing Wide Grip Biceps Curl

8. Barbell Standing Wide Grip Biceps Curl

96.7% Match
Biceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an underhand grip, hands wider than shoulder-width apart.
  2. Keep your back straight and your elbows close to your torso.
  3. Exhale and curl the barbell up towards your shoulders, keeping your upper arms stationary.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl With Band

9. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl With Band

96% Match
Biceps Ez-barbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Attach a band to each end of the bar. Take the bar, placing a foot on the middle of the band. Stand upright with a narrow, supinated grip on the EZ bar. The elbows should be close to the torso. This will be your starting position.
  2. While keeping the upper arms in place, flex the elbows to execute the curl. Exhale as the weight is lifted.
  3. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard.
  4. Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Bicep Curl

10. Dumbbell Bicep Curl

96% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward. This will be your starting position.
  2. Now, keeping the upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  3. Then, inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Why You Might Need a Reverse Plate Curls Alternative

You might substitute Reverse Plate Curls for several reasons: wrist pain from holding a plate, lack of a plate-sized load, or the need for different joint angles to target the brachioradialis and brachialis. Alternatives let you change grip (pronated, neutral, or thumbs-up) to alter forearm activation and reduce wrist torque. For example, hammer curls use a neutral grip to shift load toward the brachialis while keeping the wrist more stable—keep your wrist straight and perform a controlled 2–3 second eccentric to limit stress.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Choose a substitute by matching grip, load capacity, and range of motion to your goal. If you want the same pronated stimulus, pick reverse-barbell or cable reverse curls and cue a flat wrist and elbows pinned to your sides to maximize brachioradialis activation. If you have wrist issues, choose hammer curls or neutral-grip dumbbell curls; hold the weight with thumbs-up and keep the forearm vertical. For progressive overload, prefer barbell or cable variants that accept incremental plates; for isolation and strict tempo, use dumbbells and slow eccentrics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Reverse Plate Curls work?

Reverse Plate Curls primarily target the brachioradialis and brachialis with secondary activation of the biceps brachii. Use a pronated grip and keep the elbow stationary to emphasize forearm flexors and reduce shoulder involvement.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Reverse Plate Curls?

The best bodyweight option is towel-inverted-row with a pronated grip and a narrow hand placement to mimic forearm flexion—keep the wrists straight and pull with the elbows. This increases brachioradialis engagement when you row with palms facing down.

Can I build muscle without doing Reverse Plate Curls?

Yes. You can build forearm and biceps thickness using reverse-barbell curls, hammer curls, Zottman curls, and cable reverse curls that replicate the pronated or neutral loading patterns. Focus on progressive overload, controlled eccentrics (2–3 seconds), and full range of motion to stimulate hypertrophy.

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