Why Do I Get Wrist Pain When I Do Bicep Curls and Skull Crushers?

Why Do I Get Wrist Pain When I Do Bicep Curls and Skull Crushers?

A twinge of wrist pain during bicep curls or skull crushers is one of the most common arm-training complaints there is — and the good news is it almost always comes down to something fixable: how your wrist is positioned, the bar you’re using, or weakness you can build up.

Here’s why it happens, how to fix it, and when wrist pain is your cue to stop and get it checked.

Why Do I Get Wrist Pain When I Do Bicep Curls and Skull Crushers?

Wrist pain during curls and skull crushers is usually down to letting your wrist bend out of line with your forearm, using a straight bar that forces your wrists into an awkward position, lifting too heavy, or having weak wrists and forearms. The fixes are mostly simple — keep your wrists neutral and stacked over your forearms, switch to dumbbells or an EZ bar, drop the weight, and strengthen your wrists. Occasionally the cause is a TFCC issue (a structure inside the wrist) or an existing injury — and if the pain is sharp, persistent, or comes with swelling, that’s one to get properly assessed.

Why your wrists hurt

1. Your wrist alignment — the big one

On both curls and skull crushers, your wrist should stay neutral: straight and in line with your forearm. The moment you let it bend back or cock to one side under load, you pile stress onto the joint, tendons and ligaments. This is by far the most common cause, and the easiest to fix — keep your wrists straight and stacked over your forearms throughout every rep.

2. The bar you’re using

A straight barbell locks your hands into a fixed position that doesn’t suit everyone’s wrists. Switching to dumbbells for curls lets each wrist sit and rotate naturally, and using an EZ bar (or dumbbells) for skull crushers puts your wrists in a far more comfortable position. For a lot of people, this one change alone sorts the problem.

3. Too much weight

Going heavier than you can control forces your wrists out of position and overloads the joint. Drop the weight, keep your form clean, and build back up gradually.

4. Weak wrists and forearms

If the muscles supporting your wrist aren’t strong enough, the joint takes more of the strain. Building up your wrist and forearm strength (workout below) gives the joint the support it needs.

5. A TFCC issue or existing injury

Your wrist contains the TFCC — the triangular fibrocartilage complex, a group of cartilage and ligaments that help stabilise the joint. Repeated twisting, compression or overload can irritate or damage it, and any existing wrist injury can easily flare up under load. If you suspect something structural, this is the one to get properly checked rather than training through.

A quick safety note

Sharp, persistent or worsening wrist pain — especially with swelling, redness, heat, or a limited range of motion — is not something to push through. That can point to a TFCC injury or another structural problem that needs proper assessment. If it doesn’t settle quickly with rest and better form, see a doctor or physiotherapist before you go back to loaded arm work.

How to fix and prevent it

Keep your wrists neutral — straight and in line with your forearms, on every rep.

Switch the bar — dumbbells for curls, an EZ bar or dumbbells for skull crushers.

Drop the weight and nail your form before building back up.

Strengthen your wrists and forearms (workout below).

Use wrist wraps for a bit of extra support on heavier sets.

Warm up and mobilise your wrists before loading them.

A wrist-strengthening workout

Start light and build up gradually, prioritising good form over weight.

Warm-up:

wrist circles (10–15 each direction), then a wrist flexor stretch and a wrist extensor stretch (hold each 15–30 seconds per side).

Main work:

• Wrist curls — 3 x 10–12. Forearms on your thighs, palms up, curl the weight up and lower slowly.
• Reverse wrist curls — 3 x 10–12. Same position, palms down.
• Hammer curls — 3 x 10–12. Neutral grip (palms facing in), keeps the wrist in a strong position.
• Farmer’s walk — 3 x 30–45 seconds. Hold a heavy dumbbell or kettlebell each side and walk with a strong grip.
• Grip work — 3 x 10–15 with a hand gripper or squeeze ball.

Wrist-friendly alternatives

If curls or skull crushers keep aggravating your wrist, swap them for gentler options while you sort the cause: hammer curls or cable curls for biceps (both allow a more neutral wrist), and cable pushdowns or close-grip presses for triceps.

Related: Can I Do Biceps After Back Day?

Related: Are Dips Effective For Building Triceps?

A Sports Massage Therapist’s perspective

Whenever someone asks me why they get wrist pain doing bicep curls, it’s normally down to a few basic issues that can be sorted with a bit of coaching. The main one is people not keeping their wrists in a neutral position, usually because they’re lifting too heavy — they flex the wrist back to get the bar up towards their chin, and in doing so they put a much bigger strain on the wrists and forearms. That’s a sign the weight’s too heavy. Take some of it off and see how it feels then. If you still get wrist pain, it’s worth seeing a doctor, as there may be more going on than you first thought.

The other common culprit is the bar itself. For some people, a straight barbell really impedes their natural range of motion and aggravates the wrists — again, especially when lifting heavier. The fix is to use an EZ bar; it’s shaped so that it sits your hands in a more neutral position and feels far more natural to curl with.

Another option is to use dumbbells and curl each hand individually, which frees your hands from the fixed position a bar forces on them and lets you curl more naturally. Hammer curls can help too — that neutral grip feels much more comfortable than a straight bar. If you wanted, you could use lifting straps — but I wouldn’t, because in my opinion they don’t fix the wrist issue at all. They just let you lift heavier, which is the opposite of what you want when your wrists are already hurting.

One of the best ways to strengthen your wrists is to improve your grip strength. This isn’t a hard sell at all, but if you want to reduce wrist pain, you could check out the grip strength book I wrote — it’s packed with helpful advice, the science behind grip strength, workouts and more. If you fancy a look, you can find it here.

FAQs

How do I stop my wrist hurting when using dumbbells?

Keep your wrist straight and in line with your forearm, don’t let it bend or twist under load, and drop the weight if you need to. Wrist wraps can give you extra support and stability on heavier sets.

Should I stop training if my wrist hurts?

Don’t push through wrist pain. Stop the movement that’s causing it, rest, and fix the likely cause (wrist position, the bar, too much weight). If it persists, or there’s swelling or limited movement, get it checked before carrying on.

How do I strengthen weak wrists?

Wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, grip work and farmer’s walks all build wrist and forearm strength — start light and progress gradually. Add in wrist stretches and mobility work to keep the joint healthy.

What exercises should I avoid with wrist pain?

Ease off anything that loads a bent or strained wrist — barbell curls, straight-bar skull crushers, and even push-ups or front squats can aggravate it. Switch to neutral-wrist alternatives until it settles, and always keep your wrist aligned.

Final Thoughts…

Wrist pain during curls and skull crushers is usually your body flagging something simple — a bent wrist, the wrong bar, too much weight, or wrists that need strengthening. Keep them neutral, switch to dumbbells or an EZ bar, build the supporting muscles, and most people can train pain-free again. But always respect your joints: if the pain is sharp, persistent, or comes with swelling, stop and get it assessed. Training smart beats training hurt every time.

If you love training and want to get stronger — in body and mind — you’re in the right place. Here at Sport CBDs we train hard and do things properly. Head over to the YouTube channel for regular workouts plus mindset and mindfulness content to keep your head right, and if you want to build a serious grip, check out my grip strength book — everything I’ve learned about building a crushing grip, all in one place: Iron Grip.

Lee

Founder – Sport CBDs

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