5 Best Kettlebell Forearm Exercises for Strength & Mobility

Training lower arms is as important as bolstering your biceps and triceps. Strong and thick forearms improve your arm’s muscle appearance, handgrip strength, help lift more during various upper body exercises, and minimize the risk of wrist injuries.¹ Abe T, Loenneke JP. Handgrip strength dominance is associated with differences in forearm muscle size. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015;27(7):2147-2149. doi:10.1589/jpts.27.2147, ² Forearm workouts: Strengthening grip for everyday function – By Sarah Klein, Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing

You can bolster your lower arms with multiple pieces of equipment, such as barbells and dumbbells. However, if you are looking for specific kettlebell forearm exercises, then you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, I’ve shared various kettlebell wrist curls that will help you increase your forearms’ strength and size.

Whether you’re an athlete, powerlifter, bodybuilder, or a typical fitness enthusiast, try these exercises once or thrice a week for noticeable results.

5 Best Kettlebell Forearm Exercises to Sculpt Your Arms

1. Kettlebell Wrist Curl
2. Kettlebell Wrist Extension
3. Kettlebell Wrist Twist
4. KB Wrist Ulnar Deviation
5. KB Reverse Curl

Studies have shown that performing these KB wrist curl variations helps increase wrist mobility and forearm strength over time.³ Szymanski DJ, Szymanski JM, Molloy JM, Pascoe DD. Effect of 12 weeks of wrist and forearm training on high school baseball players. J Strength Cond Res. 2004 Aug;18(3):432-40. doi: 10.1519/13703.1. PMID: 15320673.

1. Kettlebell Wrist Curl

This is the basic but most effective forearm kettlebell exercise. It involves placing your lower arms on the bench and curling your wrists to put stress on the forearms.

By doing KB wrist curls frequently, you can grow your forearm flexors, increase wrist mobility, and improve arm muscularity.⁴ C hu E, Kim YS, Hill G, Kim YH, Kim CK, Shim JK. Wrist Resistance Training Improves Motor Control and Strength. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Apr;32(4):962-969. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002019. PMID: 28759532.

To perform this exercise efficiently, pick a 6 to 16 kg kettlebell and a flat bench and follow the steps below:

1. Hold the kettlebell with an underhand grip (palms up) and place your lower arm on the bench with your wrist on its edge.
2. Flex your wrist until your forearms are entirely engaged.
3. After a brief pause, slowly return to the start. That’s one rep.
4. Perform till failure, then switch your hand and repeat on the opposite side.

2. Kettlebell Wrist Extension

The wrist extension, also known as palms-down wrist curl, strengthens the forearm’s top-side muscles and minimizes the risk of wrist injuries.⁵ Hong SJ, Lee MY, Lee BH. Effects of Wrist Stability Training Combined with Grip Strength Exercise on Pain and Function in Patients with Nonspecific Chronic Wrist Pain. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024;60(7):1144. Published 2024 Jul 16. doi:10.3390/medicina60071144

Strong wrist extensors help lift more weight during push exercises, such as overhead press, bench press, and bar dips.

The wrist extensions involve the following steps:

1. Grab a kettlebell with both hands and stand upright with your feet together.
2. Extend your elbows against you and keep your palms down.
3. Extend your wrist as much as possible, then squeeze your forearm for a couple of seconds, and return to the start.

Start with light kettlebells, focus on muscle contraction, and perform more reps on the weaker side.

3. Kettlebell Wrist Turnovers

This exercise involves rotating the kettlebell around the wrist while maintaining control. The rotational movement requires a firm grip to control the kettlebell, strengthening the muscles in the hands, wrists, and forearms. You can also use it if you are preparing for arm wrestling competitions.

Steps to perform wrist turnover with a kettlebell:

1. Place a kettlebell on the flat bench or box and sit beside it on your knee.
2. Grab the bell’s handle with an underhand grip (right hand).
3. Turn the bell to the left side until your palm is facing down.
4. Reverse the movement to return to the start. Do as many reps as possible on each side.

Additional Tips: Maintain a relaxed grip on the kettlebell to allow smooth movement.

4. KB Wrist Ulnar Deviation

The ulnar deviation mainly targets the flexor carpi ulnaris and extensor carpi ulnaris, key muscles responsible for wrist movement. Strengthening these muscles enhances overall forearm strength, which is crucial for gripping and lifting tasks.

Steps to perform ulnar deviation:

1. Grab a small towel or handkerchief and wrap it around the KB handle.
2. Sit on the bench, hold the towel’s ends with your right hand, and place your forearm on your right knee with your wrist on the edge of it; that’s the start.
3. Deviate your wrist until your forearm is fully contracted.
4. Pause for a moment, then return to the start. Perform as many reps as possible.

Additional Tips: Position your lower arm on your thigh properly so you can turn your wrist up and down and perform each rep in a controlled manner, feeling the full contraction during each rep.

5. KB Reverse Curl

The kettlebell reverse curl engages the forearm extensors and biceps by curling a kettlebell with an overhand (pronated) grip. It trains the forearms and wrists with a different angle, helping you build functional and stronger lower arms.⁶ Ahmad Aqil Mohamad Jahizi, Nor Fazila Abd Malek, Kevin Tan, Muhammad Zulfadli Marsal, Mandra Janep, Chamnan Chinnasee, Ali Md Nadzalan; Comparison of electromyographic activation and number of repetitions completed between traditional, hammer and reverse dumbbell bicep curl among trained men. AIP Conf. Proc. 21 March 2024; 2750 (1): 050008. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0148594

Stronger forearm extensions and wrist joints help lift heavier weights during dynamic movements, such as KB swings, Clean & Press, and Snatches.

You can do the KB reverse curl with the following steps:

1. Grab one kettlebell in each hand and stand straight with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Keep your arms straight against your thighs with your palms facing in.
3. Flex your arms until your biceps and forearms are fully engaged.
4. Uncurl your arms to return to the start. Do as many reps and sets as possible.

Additional Tips: Slightly twist your forearm from down to up during the curl.

Alternate Forearm Exercises

5 Best Dumbbell Forearm Exercises

6 Best Barbell Wrist Curls for Toned Forearms

References

• 1
  Abe T, Loenneke JP. Handgrip strength dominance is associated with differences in forearm muscle size. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015;27(7):2147-2149. doi:10.1589/jpts.27.2147
• 2
  Forearm workouts: Strengthening grip for everyday function – By Sarah Klein, Reviewed by Robert H. Shmerling, MD, Senior Faculty Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
• 3
  Szymanski DJ, Szymanski JM, Molloy JM, Pascoe DD. Effect of 12 weeks of wrist and forearm training on high school baseball players. J Strength Cond Res. 2004 Aug;18(3):432-40. doi: 10.1519/13703.1. PMID: 15320673.
• 4
  C hu E, Kim YS, Hill G, Kim YH, Kim CK, Shim JK. Wrist Resistance Training Improves Motor Control and Strength. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Apr;32(4):962-969. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002019. PMID: 28759532.
• 5
  Hong SJ, Lee MY, Lee BH. Effects of Wrist Stability Training Combined with Grip Strength Exercise on Pain and Function in Patients with Nonspecific Chronic Wrist Pain. Medicina (Kaunas). 2024;60(7):1144. Published 2024 Jul 16. doi:10.3390/medicina60071144
• 6
  Ahmad Aqil Mohamad Jahizi, Nor Fazila Abd Malek, Kevin Tan, Muhammad Zulfadli Marsal, Mandra Janep, Chamnan Chinnasee, Ali Md Nadzalan; Comparison of electromyographic activation and number of repetitions completed between traditional, hammer and reverse dumbbell bicep curl among trained men. AIP Conf. Proc. 21 March 2024; 2750 (1): 050008. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0148594