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 plate pinch

The weight plate is free

Good reasons to choose wrist curl

You want more load on the forearms while they’re stretched
You want the forearms to do the work, not other muscles
You want to keep adding weight in small steps

Plate Pinch

Wrist Curl

You need

Weight plate

Dumbbells, bench

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

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, plate pinch or wrist curl?

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

Is plate pinch or wrist curl easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do plate pinch or wrist curl at home?

Plate pinch needs a weight plate, 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, plate pinch or wrist curl?

About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.

More comparisons

Plate Pinch Wrist Curl All forearms exercises

Plate Pinch vs Wrist Curl

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

Research score

Target tension

Good

Excellent

Loaded stretch

Weak

Strong

Progression

Fair

Strong

Low cost

Excellent

See the full forearms ranking

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 plate pinch

The weight plate is free

Good reasons to choose wrist curl

You want more load on the forearms while they’re stretched
You want the forearms to do the work, not other muscles
You want to keep adding weight in small steps

Plate Pinch

Wrist Curl

You need

Weight plate

Dumbbells, bench

Skill

Easy to learn

Type

Isolation

Why they rank where they do

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, plate pinch or wrist curl?

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

Is plate pinch or wrist curl easier to learn?

About the same: both are easy to learn.

Can you do plate pinch or wrist curl at home?

Plate pinch needs a weight plate, 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, plate pinch or wrist curl?

About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.