10 Best Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl Alternatives for Home Gyms

The Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl is done seated with a barbell. Ranked closest by our scoring: the Seated Palms-down Barbell Wrist Curl, the Dumbbell Over Bench Wrist Curl and the Seated Two-arm Palms-up Low-pulley Wrist Curl.

Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl

Each substitute is scored on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. Read how we rank alternatives

How to Do the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl

The steps for the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl itself, so you can judge how close each substitute below really is.

Forearms · Barbell · Beginner · Isolation

  1. Hold a barbell with both hands and your palms facing up; hands spaced about shoulder width.
  2. Place your feet flat on the floor, at a distance that is slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
  3. Lean forward and place your forearms on top of your upper thighs with your palms up. Tip: Make sure that the front of the wrists lay on top of your knees. This will be your starting position.
  4. Lower the bar as far as possible while inhaling and keeping a tight grip.
  5. Now curl bar up as high as possible while flexing the forearms and exhaling. Hold the contraction at the top for a second and Tip: Only the wrist should move.

The 10 Best Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl Alternatives

10 substitutes, ranked by how closely each one matches the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl on movement pattern, muscles worked, equipment and body position. The higher the score, the less you change. Cards with a "How to perform it" link open to show the steps; every card title links to that exercise's own alternatives page.

Each link re-ranks the list below for the kit it names. Pick one to hide the substitutes you cannot set up.

  1. Seated Palms-down Barbell Wrist Curl

    1. Seated Palms-down Barbell Wrist Curl

    96% match

    Forearms · Beginner · Isolation

    It uses the same equipment and still works the forearms.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    1. Hold a barbell with both hands and your palms facing down; hands spaced about shoulder width.
    2. Place your feet flat on the floor, at a distance that is slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
    3. Lean forward and place your forearms on top of your upper thighs with your palms down. Tip: Make sure that the back of the wrists lay on top of your knees. This will be your starting position.
    4. Lower the bar as far as possible while inhaling and keeping a tight grip.
    5. Now curl bar up as high as possible while flexing the forearms and exhaling. Hold the contraction at the top for a second and Tip: Only the wrist should move.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: curl, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Primary muscle: forearms, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
  2. Dumbbell Over Bench Wrist CurlPlay demonstration

    2. Dumbbell Over Bench Wrist Curl

    90% match

    Forearms · Beginner · Isolation

    A good swap when you have dumbbells to work with, and it still works the forearms.

    • Dumbbell
    How to perform it
    1. Sit on a bench with your forearms resting on the bench and your palms facing up, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
    2. Allow your wrists to hang over the edge of the bench.
    3. Slowly curl your wrists upward, squeezing your forearms at the top of the movement.
    4. Pause for a moment, then slowly lower your wrists back down to the starting position.
    5. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: curl, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Primary muscle: forearms, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
  3. Seated Two-arm Palms-up Low-pulley Wrist Curl

    3. Seated Two-arm Palms-up Low-pulley Wrist Curl

    90% match

    Forearms · Beginner · Isolation

    A good swap when you have a cable machine to work with, and it still works the forearms.

    • Cable
    How to perform it
    1. Put a bench in front of a low pulley machine that has a barbell or EZ Curl attachment on it.
    2. Move the bench far enough away so that when you bring the handle to the top of your thighs tension is created on the cable due to the weight stack being moved up.
    3. Now hold the handle with both hands, palms up, using a shoulder-width grip.
    4. Step back and sit on the bench with your feet about shoulder width apart, firmly on the floor.
    5. Lean forward and place the forearms on your thighs with the back of your wrists over your knees. This will be your starting position.
    6. Lower the bar as far as possible, while inhaling and keeping a tight grip.
    7. Now curl the bar up as high as possible while contracting the forearms. Tip: Only the wrist should move; not the forearms.
    8. After a second contraction at the top go back to the starting position as you inhale.
    9. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: curl, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Primary muscle: forearms, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Equipment: a cable, not free weights
    • Body position: seated, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
  5. Standing Palms-up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curl

    5. Standing Palms-up Barbell Behind The Back Wrist Curl

    86% match

    Forearms · Beginner · Isolation

    The same equipment, done standing instead.

    • Barbell
    How to perform it
    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.
    6. When finished, lower the barbell down to the squat rack or the floor by bending the knees. Tip: It is easiest to either pick it up from a squat rack or have a partner hand it to you.

    Sets and reps: 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.

    Why this matches
    • Movement: curl, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Primary muscle: forearms, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Equipment: free weights, the same as the Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl
    • Body position: standing, not seated

Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl FAQ

What muscles does Seated Palm-up Barbell Wrist Curl work?

The movement primarily targets the wrist flexors: flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, and palmaris longus, with secondary contribution from finger flexors. Stabilizers like the brachioradialis and forearm pronators assist, especially if you alter grip width or wrist position.

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