Barbell Finger Curl
Also known as: barbell finger roll, barbell finger curls, finger curls, finger curl
- Secondary muscles
- None
- Body part
- Forearms
- Laterality
- Bilateral (both sides together)
- Category
- Strength
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Letting the bar roll out to your fingertips and then dragging it closed trains the finger flexors through the open-hand range that ordinary wrist curls skip entirely. A barbell suits this better than dumbbells because both hands share the load and the bar cannot tilt. Grip strength on deadlifts and rows tends to follow this movement closely.
How to do the Barbell Finger Curl
- Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and hold a barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
- Rest your forearms on your thighs, allowing your wrists to hang off the edge.
- Slowly curl your fingers towards your palms, squeezing the barbell tightly.
- Hold the contraction for a moment, then slowly release your fingers back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Use high reps, 15 to 25, and a light weight you can move through the full range with control.
Muscles worked
Primary
Forearms · Arms
Pronation and supination work the muscles that rotate the forearm, while finger curls hit the deep finger flexors; both should build to a deep ache along the forearm by the end of a set.
Secondary
Mostly isolated — few other muscles assist this movement.
Common mistakes
- Moving the elbow — the forearm should rest on the bench or your thigh and only the hand should turn; if the elbow lifts, you are using the biceps.
- Rushing through the range — go slowly and pause at each end so the small forearm muscles do the work rather than momentum.
- Going too heavy — these movements use small muscles, so a light dumbbell or plate is plenty; the goal is a burn, not a max.
- Bar rolling off the fingertips — on finger curls let it go to the second knuckle and no further, then curl it back into the palm.
Where it fits in a workout
Forearm work goes at the very end of a session after all gripping is done. Superset finger curls with reverse wrist curls.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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More exercises
Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.