Exercise Breakdown: Reverse Curls Rich Piana-Style!

Mar 16, 2026

One of the many things Rich was known for was his massive forearms. They were huge! A stand out of his legendary forearms were, as he would say, the “upper meaty part”. He felt one exercise hit them hardest (with a couple Rich variations to the movement of course). In this edition of Exercise Breakdown, we will take a close look at Reverse Curls, how Rich did them, include a sample routine, and provide 5% Nutrition supplement suggestions.

What Are Reverse Curls?

Reverse Curls are an isolation exercise that features a pronated (overhand) grip. They are essentially, as the name suggests, a reverse-grip barbell curl. However, instead of targeting the biceps, they target the forearms.

Muscles Worked

Reverse Curls target the brachioradialis muscle of the forearm. Synergists are the brachialis and biceps brachii. Stabilizers include the anterior deltoid, middle and upper trapezius, and wrist extensors.⁽¹⁾

How Does Rich Do Them?

Generally, this exercise is done with a straight bar, EZ bar, or dumbbells. You can use free weights, a low cable, or bands. It’s also typically done with your thumbs over the bar, which is the standard pronated grip. So how did Rich do them? The primary difference is that Rich kept his thumbs on top of the bar (or, a thumbless grip). This means the forearms have to work harder to hang on to the dumbbell, especially as you go up in weight. He also kept his elbows in, and did his reps using an even, controlled tempo. Finally, he advised working up to 50-60 lb dumbbells.⁽²⁾

Sample Routine

Here is a Rich-inspired sample routine targeting only forearms and featuring Reverse Curls.

Reverse Curls - 6 sets - 25, 20, 15, 12, 10, 8 reps

Do these Rich-style using dumbbells.

Seated Wrist Curls - 3 sets - 20, 15, 12 reps

You can use a straight bar, EZ bar or dumbbells.

Behind The Back Wrist Curls - 3 sets - 15, 12, 10 reps

You can use a straight bar or an EZ bar.

Seated Reverse Wrist Curls - 3 sets - 15, 12, 10 reps

When Rich did this exercise, he used an EZ bar and rested his forearms on his knees.

Performance Tips

As Rich used to do, perform your reps in a slow and controlled manner. Make sure the weight you’re using causes you to fail at the prescribed rep goal, especially as you go up in weight and down in reps.

Don’t Forget 5% Nutrition

To get the most out of your forearm workout, here’s the 5% Nutrition products you'll need! We carry several effective pre-workouts including the new Kill It, which is now more hardcore than ever! There’s also Kill It RTD and 5150 (try the Stick Packs!), both featuring 400 mg of caffeine. Don’t forget Code Red Pre for those just starting out. There’s also Core Pump, which you can stack with your pre-workout for insane pumps! And for an intra-workout, there's the legendary amino powder All Day You May. Don’t forget your protein powder, delicious Shake Time of course. There’s also Real Carbs, our real food carbohydrate powder. The two combined make a great Rich-style post-workout shake. As you can see, we have what you need, so stop by 5% Nutrition and stock up today!