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Exercise library · Forearms

Wrist roller

Wrist work for the forearms with other equipment.

How to do it

1 of 3

Arms forward, palms down

  1. Starting position

    Stand upright and hold the wrist roller in front of you with both palms down and your elbows slightly bent.

  2. The movement

    Turn your wrists alternately until the weight reaches the top, then reverse the motion and lower it slowly.

Most common mistake

Don't lift with your shoulders, keep your arms still and let your wrists roll the tool.

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Muscle group
Forearms
Equipment
Other
Where
Home or gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

A wrist roller trains both the inside and the back of the forearm, depending on which way you roll. Roll so that the back of your hand tilts up towards you, and the extensors on top do most of the work. Roll the other way, curling your fingers in towards the inside of your forearm, and the flexors take over. The same muscles brake as you roll the weight back down. Your fingers hold on throughout, and your shoulders work statically to keep your arms out in front.

Common mistakes

  • Turning only a little at a time. Small flicks mean lots of turns and little movement in each. Take your wrist all the way from bent to straightened on every turn.
  • Your shoulders give out before your forearms. Arms held far out in front get heavy for the shoulders, and the set ends for the wrong reason. Keep your elbows closer to your body, or rest your forearms on a bar or pad at chest height.
  • The roller spins back between grips. If one hand lets go before the other has hold, you lose some of what you have wound up. Always keep one hand gripping firmly while the other moves.

Variations and alternatives

  • The wrist curl trains the inside of the forearm and is easier to dose in kilos and reps.
  • The reverse wrist curl isolates the back, the same side that works when you roll up towards you.
  • The farmer's walk trains your grip with a much heavier weight, when you want to get stronger at holding on.

Sets and reps

A wrist roller is counted in trips, where up and down once is one trip. Two to four trips with one to two minutes' rest suit most people. Switch rolling direction between trips so both sides of the forearm get worked. A light plate is usually plenty. The guide to sets and reps explains how rest and volume fit together.

Make it harder in this order: lower more slowly, add a trip, then move to a heavier plate. A thicker handle, or a towel wrapped around it, also makes it harder for your grip. That is progressive overload, and your forearms will notice it quickly.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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