Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose farmer's carry

You want to train more muscles at once

Good reasons to choose wrist curl

You want the forearms to do the work, not other muscles
You want more load on the forearms while they’re stretched
You want something easier on your joints

Farmer's Carry

Wrist Curl

You need

Dumbbells

Dumbbells, bench

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Compound

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Farmer's Carry. Superb for grip strength; less direct for forearm size.

Wrist Curl. Isolates the wrist flexors through their full range, and it’s easy to add weight in small steps.

Questions

Which is better for forearm growth, farmer's carry or wrist curl?

For forearm growth, wrist curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the forearms, more stretch.

Is farmer's carry or wrist curl easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do farmer's carry or wrist curl at home?

Farmer's carry needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it. Wrist curl needs dumbbells and a bench, so a home gym covers it.

Which is easier on the joints, farmer's carry or wrist curl?

Wrist curl: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for farmer's carry.

More comparisons

Farmer's Carry Wrist Curl All forearms exercises

Farmer's Carry vs Wrist Curl

For forearm growth, wrist curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the forearms, more stretch.

What these mean

Target tension.: Whether the muscle you’re training is what gives out first, not your grip, balance or other muscles.
Loaded stretch.: How hard the muscle works while stretched. Training it there is linked to more growth.
Progression.: How easily you can keep adding weight in small steps over months and years.
Low cost.: How easy it is on your joints and recovery, and how quickly you can learn it.

The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work

When each one fits

Good reasons to choose farmer's carry

You want to train more muscles at once

Good reasons to choose wrist curl

You want the forearms to do the work, not other muscles
You want more load on the forearms while they’re stretched
You want something easier on your joints

Farmer's Carry

Wrist Curl

You need

Dumbbells

Dumbbells, bench

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Compound

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

Farmer's Carry. Superb for grip strength; less direct for forearm size.

Wrist Curl. Isolates the wrist flexors through their full range, and it’s easy to add weight in small steps.

Questions

Which is better for forearm growth, farmer's carry or wrist curl?

For forearm growth, wrist curl rates well ahead on our research criteria: more of the work on the forearms, more stretch.

Is farmer's carry or wrist curl easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do farmer's carry or wrist curl at home?

Farmer's carry needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it. Wrist curl needs dumbbells and a bench, so a home gym covers it.

Which is easier on the joints, farmer's carry or wrist curl?

Wrist curl: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Strong for farmer's carry.