Wrist Extensors
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The extensor carpi radialis longus/brevis and extensor carpi ulnaris — the mirror-image group to the wrist flexors, trained with reverse curls and reverse wrist curls.
Detail
The wrist extensors run along the back of the forearm (the opposite side from the flexors) and produce wrist extension and hyperextension. They're smaller and typically weaker than the wrist flexors — a real, common imbalance since grip-dominant training (regular curls, deadlifts, rows) heavily biases the flexor side. Reverse curls, hammer curls, and reverse wrist curls are the direct ways to train them; they're also active as stabilizers any time the wrist is held in slight extension under load, such as during a front squat rack position or a pressing movement.
Key facts
- Includes extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor carpi ulnaris.
- Function: wrist extension and hyperextension.
- Commonly under-trained relative to the wrist flexors, since most grip-heavy lifts bias flexion.
- Direct training: reverse curls, hammer curls, reverse wrist curls.
Connections
- Forearm Flexors — the flexor-side counterpart on the front of the forearm.
- Extension — the movement this group produces at the wrist.
- Brachioradialis — a neighboring forearm muscle worked by the same reverse/hammer-curl exercises.
Sources
Keep this lesson, or ask how it applies to you.
Educational content only — not medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional for individualized guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy, or medical conditions.