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Exercise guide

Wrist Circles

How to do the Wrist Circles with correct form, the muscles it works, and where it fits a training plan you actually stick to.

IsolationBody OnlyBeginnerPull
Primary muscles

Forearms

Secondary

,

Equipment

Body Only

Step by step

How to do the Wrist Circles

  1. 1

    Start by standing straight with your feet being shoulder width apart from each other. Elevate your arms to the side of you until they are fully extended and parallel to the floor at a height that is evenly aligned with your shoulders. Tip: Your torso and arms should form the letter "T: Your palms should be facing down. This is the starting position.

  2. 2

    Keeping your entire body stationary except for the wrists, begin to rotate both wrists forward in a circular motion. Tip: Pretend that you are trying to draw circles by using your hands as the brush. Breathe normally as you perform this exercise.

  3. 3

    Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

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Every Wrist Circles set you log feeds Ascend's anatomy heatmap, so your forearms volume is visible at a glance, and counts toward your bodyweight-strength tier.

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Where the Wrist Circles fits

The Wrist Circles shows up in training built around a specific goal. See how it fits:

Related

More forearms exercises

FAQ

Wrist Circles: common questions

What muscles does the Wrist Circles work?

The Wrist Circles primarily works the Forearms.

Is the Wrist Circles suitable for beginners?

Yes. The Wrist Circles is a beginner-level exercise, so it's a solid choice if you're new to training. Start light and focus on the movement pattern before adding load.

What equipment do I need for the Wrist Circles?

None. The Wrist Circles is a bodyweight exercise, so you can do it without any equipment.

Is the Wrist Circles a compound or isolation exercise?

The Wrist Circles is an isolation exercise, it targets the forearms through a single joint, which makes it useful for focused, targeted work.

How do I do the Wrist Circles with correct form?

Start by standing straight with your feet being shoulder width apart from each other. Elevate your arms to the side of you until they are fully extended and parallel to the floor at a height that is evenly aligned with your shoulders. Tip: Your torso and arms should form the letter "T: Your palms should be facing down. This is the starting position. Follow the full step-by-step above for the complete movement.

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