RIRLift app icon RIRLift

Exercises

Forearm exercises at home: grip, wrist and elbow work with the gear you own

Published October 19, 2026

The best forearm exercises at home are the dead hang and loaded carries for grip, wrist curls and wrist extensions for the two sides of the forearm, and hammer curls for the thick muscle on top near the elbow. A pull-up bar, one kettlebell or a pair of dumbbells covers all of them, and a resistance band can stand in for the curls. Train forearms two or three times a week with 2 to 3 sets per exercise, stopping wrist work 0 to 1 reps short of failure.

  1. Dead Hang Forearms
  2. Farmer's Walk Forearms, Traps, Shoulders
  3. Kettlebell Wrist Curl Forearms
  4. Kettlebell Wrist Extension Forearms
  5. Hammer Curl Biceps, Forearms
  6. Band Hammer Curl Biceps
  7. Dumbbell Wrist Pronation-Supination Forearms

Hangs and carries for grip

Your grip muscles sit in the forearm, and the simplest way to load them is to hold on for time. A doorway pull-up bar and whatever weights you own are enough. Measure these in seconds and add time before you add weight.

Grip endurance, bar hold

Dead Hang

Forearms

Hanging from a bar makes your fingers and forearm flexors hold your entire body weight. It needs only a doorway bar, and it doubles as a good stretch for your shoulders and lats.

How to do it

  1. Stand under a doorway or wall-mounted pull-up bar and wrap both hands fully around it, thumbs under.
  2. Lift your feet or bend your knees so you hang with straight arms.
  3. Keep your shoulders gently pulled down and breathe steadily.
  4. Hold until your grip is about to open, then step down.

Cues

  • Thumbs wrapped around
  • Quiet body
  • Squeeze the bar

Common mistakes

  • Hanging with a loose, open hand: squeeze hard the whole time.
  • Swinging your legs: cross your ankles and stay still.

Swap for: Farmer's Walk, Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Build a session with Dead Hang

Grip and forearm, heavy carry

Farmer's Walk

Forearms, Traps, Shoulders

Walking with a heavy weight in both hands trains your grip and the whole forearm under a load you cannot use for curls. A hallway or backyard is enough room.

How to do it

  1. Pick up a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand with your back flat, as if deadlifting.
  2. Stand tall with your shoulders down and the weights by your sides.
  3. Walk with short, steady steps for the set distance or time.
  4. Set the weights down by bending at the hips and knees.

Cues

  • Crush the handles
  • Tall posture
  • Short steps

Common mistakes

  • Choosing weights so light you could walk all day: aim to lose your grip around 30 to 45 seconds.
  • Letting your shoulders round forward: stand as tall as you can.

Swap for: Dumbbell Suitcase Carry, Dead Hang

Build a session with Farmer's Walk

Grip, one side at a time

Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Abs, Quads

Carrying a weight in one hand gives you the farmer's walk with only one dumbbell or kettlebell, and your trunk has to keep you from leaning. It is the carry to use when you own a single heavy weight.

How to do it

  1. Hold one heavy dumbbell or kettlebell at your side, the other hand free.
  2. Stand straight with your shoulders level.
  3. Walk forward with even steps, keeping your torso upright.
  4. Turn, switch hands, and walk back.

Cues

  • Shoulders level
  • Do not lean
  • Grip hard

Common mistakes

  • Leaning away from the weight: slow down and stand straight.
  • Only carrying with your stronger hand: match time on both sides.

Swap for: Farmer's Walk, Dead Hang

Build a session with Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

Wrist curls and extensions for the two sides of the forearm

Bending the wrist up trains the muscles on the palm side; lifting the back of the hand trains the top side. Do one of each. A kettlebell or one dumbbell is enough, since the wrist is a small joint and light loads go a long way.

Forearm flexors, palm side

Kettlebell Wrist Curl

Forearms

Curling a kettlebell with just your wrist isolates the muscles on the palm side of your forearm, the ones that also close your grip. The kettlebell's thick handle adds extra grip work.

How to do it

  1. Sit and rest your forearm on your thigh or a bench, palm up, with your wrist just past the edge.
  2. Hold the kettlebell handle and let your wrist bend down as far as is comfortable.
  3. Curl your palm up toward the ceiling, moving only at the wrist.
  4. Lower slowly and repeat, then switch arms.

Cues

  • Forearm stays down
  • Only the wrist moves
  • Slow lowering

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the forearm off your thigh: keep it pinned.
  • Bouncing at the bottom: control the stretch.

Swap for: Wrist Curl, Reverse Wrist Curl

Build a session with Kettlebell Wrist Curl

Forearm extensors, back of the hand

Kettlebell Wrist Extension

Forearms

Lifting the back of your hand against a kettlebell trains the muscles on the top of the forearm, which most training leaves weaker than the palm side. Use a lighter bell than for the wrist curl.

How to do it

  1. Sit and rest your forearm on your thigh or a bench, palm down, with your wrist just past the edge.
  2. Hold the kettlebell handle and let the back of your hand drop toward the floor.
  3. Raise your knuckles toward the ceiling, moving only at the wrist.
  4. Lower under control and repeat, then switch arms.

Cues

  • Palm down
  • Knuckles up
  • Light load

Common mistakes

  • Using the same weight as wrist curls: extensors are weaker, so go lighter.
  • Rushing the reps: a two-second lowering makes a light bell work.

Swap for: Reverse Wrist Curl, Reverse Curl

Build a session with Kettlebell Wrist Extension

Forearm extensors, both arms

Reverse Wrist Curl

Forearms

The same wrist extension with two dumbbells trains both forearms at once. It is the faster pick when you have a pair of light dumbbells.

How to do it

  1. Sit and lay both forearms along your thighs, palms facing down, wrists just over your knees.
  2. Let the dumbbells tip your hands down.
  3. Raise the backs of your hands toward you, keeping your forearms flat.
  4. Lower them slowly and repeat.

Cues

  • Forearms flat
  • Raise only the hands
  • Two seconds down

Common mistakes

  • Rolling your forearms to finish the rep: keep them still on your thighs.
  • Going too heavy: very light dumbbells are normal here.

Swap for: Kettlebell Wrist Extension, Reverse Curl

Build a session with Reverse Wrist Curl

Forearm rotation

Dumbbell Wrist Pronation-Supination

Forearms

Turning a dumbbell from palm up to palm down and back trains the muscles that rotate your forearm, which wrist curls miss. Holding the handle near one end makes a light dumbbell feel heavy.

How to do it

  1. Lie on your side with your top elbow resting on your hip, bent to 90 degrees, holding a light dumbbell upright.
  2. Slowly rotate your forearm so your palm turns down toward the floor.
  3. Rotate back the other way until your palm faces up.
  4. Do all reps, then turn over and repeat with the other arm.

Cues

  • Elbow stays put
  • Slow rotation
  • Full turn each way

Common mistakes

  • Moving the elbow to help: keep it fixed on your side.
  • Starting with too much leverage: hold the handle in the middle first, then nearer the end as you get stronger.

Swap for: Kettlebell Wrist Curl, Hammer Curl

Build a session with Dumbbell Wrist Pronation-Supination

Curls that build the top of the forearm

The brachioradialis, the thick muscle you see on top of the forearm near the elbow, works hardest when you curl with your thumbs up or palms down. These three use dumbbells or a band.

Brachioradialis, heaviest curl

Hammer Curl

Biceps, Forearms

A thumbs-up curl puts the most load on the brachioradialis, the muscle that makes the top of the forearm look thick. It is the heaviest forearm exercise you can do with dumbbells.

How to do it

  1. Stand holding two dumbbells at your sides, palms facing your legs.
  2. Curl the weights up with your thumbs leading and your upper arms still.
  3. Stop with your forearms upright.
  4. Lower until your elbows are straight.

Cues

  • Thumbs up
  • Wrists straight
  • Elbows by your sides

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the torso: lighten the dumbbells.
  • Letting the wrists bend back: keep knuckles in line with the forearm.

Swap for: Band Hammer Curl, Alternating Hammer Curl

Build a session with Hammer Curl

Brachioradialis, no weights

Band Hammer Curl

Biceps

Standing on a band and curling with your palms in trains the same forearm muscle as the dumbbell hammer curl, and the band gets harder as you curl higher. It is the forearm curl for a home without weights.

How to do it

  1. Step onto the center of a resistance band and hold an end in each hand, palms facing in.
  2. Curl your hands toward your shoulders with your thumbs leading.
  3. Pause when your forearms are upright and the band is tight.
  4. Lower slowly against the band's pull.

Cues

  • Palms in
  • Pause at the top
  • Resist on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Letting the band snap your hands down: count two seconds on the way down.
  • Band too light to reach failure by 25 reps: stand with a wider stance or use a stronger band.

Swap for: Hammer Curl, Zottman Curl

Build a session with Band Hammer Curl

Biceps up, forearm down

Zottman Curl

Biceps, Forearms

You curl the dumbbells palms up, then turn your palms down and lower them slowly. The lowering half works the top of the forearm under a load you could not lift with that grip, so one exercise covers both muscles.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the dumbbells at your sides, palms forward.
  2. Curl them to your shoulders as in a regular curl.
  3. At the top, turn your palms to face down.
  4. Lower slowly with palms down, then turn them back up at the bottom.

Cues

  • Up palms up
  • Turn at the top
  • Three seconds down

Common mistakes

  • Dropping fast after the turn: the slow lowering is the point.
  • Turning halfway: rotate fully at the top and bottom.

Swap for: Hammer Curl, Reverse Curl

Build a session with Zottman Curl

Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in. Open one in the session builder to change a pick, price it from a recent set, and add it to RIRLift.

Session 1

A doorway pull-up bar and one kettlebell

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets30 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Kettlebells, Dumbbells

You have a bar in a doorway and a single kettlebell, and want bigger, stronger forearms without buying more gear.

The bar gives you the dead hang, the hardest grip hold at home, and the kettlebell covers both wrist directions plus a one-handed carry. Hangs and carries are timed sets taken close to letting go; the wrist work uses higher reps at 0 to 1 RIR because a single bell is often light for the wrist curl. Ten sets fits in about 20 minutes.

Bar and Bell
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dead HangReps = seconds. 3 × 20–45 1 90 s
Kettlebell Wrist CurlPer arm. 3 × 12–25 0 1 min
Kettlebell Wrist ExtensionPer arm. Lighter grip on the handle. 2 × 12–25 1 1 min
Dumbbell Suitcase CarrySeconds per hand, using the kettlebell. 2 × 20–40 1 1 min
How to run it
Do this routine two or three times a week, after any workout or on its own. Keep at least a day between sessions.
How to progress
Add five seconds to the hang and carry each week. For wrist work, add reps up to the top of the range, then slow the lowering to three seconds.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

A pair of dumbbells, forearm size as the goal

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets17 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You lift at home with adjustable or fixed dumbbells and want thicker forearms to match your upper arms.

Size on the forearm comes mostly from the brachioradialis and the wrist muscles, so this plan leads with hammer and Zottman curls in the 8 to 15 range, then adds a farmer's walk for heavy grip and two wrist exercises. Curls stop at 1 RIR so form holds; the wrist work goes to 0. Two sessions of about 11 sets give each forearm muscle group enough weekly volume to grow.

Forearms A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Hammer CurlThumbs up, no swing. 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Reverse Wrist Curl 3 × 12–20 0 1 min
Farmer's WalkReps = seconds. 3 × 30–45 1 90 s

Open Forearms A in the session builder

Forearms B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Zottman Curl3 s down, palms down. 3 × 8–12 1 90 s
Dumbbell Wrist Pronation-SupinationPer arm. 2 × 10–15 1 1 min
Hammer Curl 3 × 12–20 0 1 min

Open Forearms B in the session builder

How to run it
Run Forearms A and Forearms B on separate days, for example after upper-body workouts.
How to progress
Use double progression on the curls: add a rep each session until all sets hit the top of the range, then add weight. Add distance to the walk before weight.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

A resistance band and one light dumbbell, short sessions

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets21 a week
  • Per workout~10 min
  • EquipmentResistance Bands, Dumbbells

You have a band and a single light dumbbell, maybe in an apartment, and want ten minutes a few times a week for grip and wrist strength.

A band hammer curl gives you a full forearm curl without heavy weights, the pronation drill makes a light dumbbell useful by leverage, and the suitcase carry uses that same dumbbell for grip. Everything is high-rep or timed because the loads are light, so sets go to 0 to 1 RIR. Seven sets keeps each session to about ten minutes.

Quick Forearms
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Band Hammer Curl2 s down. 3 × 15–25 0 45 s
Dumbbell Wrist Pronation-SupinationPer arm. 2 × 12–20 1 45 s
Dumbbell Suitcase CarrySeconds per hand. 2 × 30–60 1 45 s
How to run it
Three short sessions a week, on any days that are not back to back.
How to progress
Move to a stronger band when you pass 25 reps. Hold the dumbbell nearer one end for rotations as they get easy.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What are some good forearm exercises at home?

The dead hang, the farmer's walk, the wrist curl, the wrist extension and the hammer curl. Together they train grip, both sides of the forearm and the thick muscle on top near the elbow, and all of them need only a bar, a kettlebell, dumbbells or a band.

Can I train forearms at home without weights?

Yes. Dead hangs from a doorway bar and band hammer curls work grip and the top of the forearm. Without any equipment at all, squeezing a rolled towel hard for time trains grip, but it will not build size as well as loaded work.

What muscles make up the forearm?

Mainly the flexors on the palm side, which bend the wrist and close the hand; the extensors on the back side, which lift the hand and open it; and the brachioradialis on top near the elbow, which helps bend the elbow. Wrist curls, wrist extensions and hammer curls cover one group each.

Is 3 exercises enough for forearms?

Yes, if they cover different jobs: one grip hold or carry, one wrist curl or extension, and one hammer or Zottman curl. Two or three sets of each, two or three times a week, is plenty for most people.

How long does it take to see forearm gains?

Grip strength usually improves within a few weeks. Visible size takes longer, often a few months of steady training, because the forearm muscles are small and grow slowly like any muscle.

How often should I train forearms at home?

Two or three times a week works well. Forearms recover quickly from light wrist work, but leave a day between hard grip sessions so your hands are fresh for other lifts.