Are Wrist Curls a Waste of Time? The Best Forearm Exercises for Real Growth

Wrist curls have been a staple in bodybuilding routines for decades. You’ve probably seen some guy at the gym sitting on a bench, forearms resting on his thighs, cranking out high-rep wrist curls with baby weights. But let’s be real—how often do you see someone with truly massive, powerful forearms built from just wrist curls? Probably never.

So, are wrist curls actually worth your time, or are there better ways to build thick, strong forearms? Let’s break it down.

The Case for Wrist Curls: Do They Actually Work?

Wrist curls do serve a purpose. They isolate the wrist flexors and extensors, which are responsible for bending and extending your wrist. If you’re looking to directly target those muscles with slow, controlled contractions, wrist curls can help with forearm endurance and size—to a degree.

The problem? They don’t mimic how your forearms function in real-life strength movements. Your forearms are meant to grip, hold, and stabilize, not just flex your wrist up and down with light weights. That’s why guys who deadlift and carry heavy weights tend to have huge forearms, even if they never do a single wrist curl.

Why Wrist Curls Fall Short

1. They Don’t Build Functional Strength – Your grip and forearm strength should improve your ability to deadlift, row, and press more weight. Wrist curls don’t do much for that.
2. They Only Target One Small Aspect of Forearm Development – Your forearms are made up of multiple muscle groups, including flexors, extensors, brachioradialis, and the deep stabilizers. Wrist curls only hit a fraction of these.
3. They Don’t Simulate Real-World Movements – Whether you’re lifting weights, playing sports, or just carrying groceries, your forearms are constantly engaged in gripping and holding, not simply flexing your wrists.

The Best Forearm Exercises for Real Growth

If you want forearms that actually look and perform like they belong on a strength athlete, you need to train them the way they were meant to be used. That means prioritizing grip-intensive movements and compound lifts that place your forearms under serious tension.

Farmer’s Carries

If you could only do one exercise for forearm strength and size, it should be farmer’s carries. Holding onto heavy dumbbells and walking forces your forearms to work isometrically, which is exactly how they function in real-world strength. Plus, they build insane grip endurance.

Dead Hangs & Pull-Ups

Hanging from a pull-up bar is one of the simplest and most effective ways to build grip strength and forearm endurance. If you can’t hold yourself up for 30+ seconds, your grip needs work. Add pull-ups into the mix, and you’re building both size and function at the same time.

Reverse Curls & Hammer Curls

Unlike wrist curls, which only hit the small wrist flexors, reverse curls and hammer curls target the brachioradialis—the thick, outer muscle of the forearm that gives it real mass. If you want forearms that look big from all angles, these are essential.

Fat Grip Training

Whether you use Fat Gripz, thick barbells, or towels for pull-ups, thicker handles force your forearms to work harder. This is one of the best ways to develop serious grip strength and forearm hypertrophy.

Plate Pinches & Static Holds

Grip endurance is just as important as grip strength. Holding two weight plates together in a pinch grip, or just holding a heavy dumbbell for as long as possible, will absolutely torch your forearms and build serious size.

So, Are Wrist Curls a Waste of Time?

They’re not completely useless—but they’re not the best use of your time if you’re serious about forearm growth. If you’ve already built a solid base of strength and want to add in wrist curls for extra volume, go for it. But if you’re relying on wrist curls as your main forearm exercise, you’re leaving gains on the table.

Instead, prioritize heavy carries, grip work, and compound movements that force your forearms to work under serious tension. That’s how you build real, functional, powerful forearms—not by curling a 15-pound dumbbell with your wrists.