Forearm muscles

Forearms

Musculi antebrachii

The muscles between your elbow and wrist move your hands and fingers. They help you hold dumbbells securely during rows, curls, and carries.

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Front view of the human muscular system with the forearms highlighted
Front view · forearms

At a glance

Region
Lower arm
Movement pattern
Gripping, carrying, and wrist movements
Joint
Wrist, elbow, and finger joints

Exercises

Exercises for the forearms

Seated wrist curl with supported forearms and palms up holding a light short barbell.

Light short barbell · Stable seat

Barbell wrist curl

Curl supported wrists with an underhand grip to train the wrist flexors.

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Seated reverse wrist curl with supported forearms and palms down holding a light short barbell.

Light short barbell · Stable seat

Barbell wrist extension

Extend supported wrists with an overhand grip to train the wrist extensors.

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Seated athlete with a forearm supported on the thigh, straight wrist and a small dumbbell held palm-up.

Light dumbbell · Stable seat

Supported dumbbell forearm rotation

Turn the supported forearm slowly between palm-up and palm-down. This trains forearm rotation rather than bending the wrist.

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Seated wrist curl with a supported forearm, palm up and one small dumbbell.

Dumbbell · Bench

Dumbbell wrist curl

A supported, palm-up wrist curl for the forearm flexors.

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Seated wrist extension with a supported forearm and the back of the working hand facing upward.

Dumbbell · Bench

Dumbbell wrist extension

The palm-down version trains the wrist extensors on the back of the forearm.

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Farmer’s walk with two dumbbells at the sides, straight arms and neutral wrists.

Dumbbells · Clear walking space

Farmer’s walk with dumbbells

Carrying two dumbbells challenges your grip while the shoulders and torso stay steady.

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Understand the muscle

Many muscles, three key jobs

The forearm contains several muscle groups around the radius and ulna. Flexors, extensors, and rotators work together; the brachioradialis also helps bend the elbow during hammer curls.

Back of the forearm

Wrist and finger extensors

Musculi extensores antebrachii

They extend the wrist and fingers. The wrist extensors also stabilize the hand when you hold a weight.

Exercises for this region

Pronation and supination

Forearm rotators

Musculi pronatores et supinatores

Pronator teres and quadratus turn the palm down. The supinator turns it up, assisted by the biceps.

Exercises for this region

The listed exercises involve this region alongside other parts of the muscle. A muscle head or deep portion is not necessarily trained in isolation.

Simply explained

What does the muscle do?

Your forearms help you grip, steady the wrist, and turn the palm. Finger flexors maintain your hold while wrist extensors help keep the hand stable.

Side view, palm facing down: the hand moves from a straight wrist (1, dashed) toward the palm side (2, teal).
Side view · palm faces down

Bend toward the palm

Wrist flexion

The palm moves toward the underside of the forearm, as in a palm-up wrist curl. Finger flexion provides the grip around the handle.

Side view, palm facing down: the hand moves from a straight wrist (1, dashed) upward into extension (2, teal).
Side view · forearm stays still

Lift the back of the hand

Wrist extension

The back of the hand moves toward the forearm. The extensors also counter the pull of the finger flexors when gripping.

Forearm turning from a palm-down start (1, dashed) to a palm-up finish (2, teal).
Forearm view · elbow remains bent

Turn the palm

Forearm rotation

The radius rotates around the ulna: palm-down is pronation, palm-up is supination. The movement comes from the forearm, not just the wrist.

Often works with
Sources & illustrations

Anatomy and technique: the references below. Region boundaries and movement diagrams are schematic. Exercise images are AI-generated illustrations.