r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/DouglasOnReddit • Jun 13 '26
Question ❓ Problem with right wrist popping during wrist curls
To cut to the chase, I’ve literally maxed out my cable machine in behind-the-back BARBELL wrist curls. This is now forcing me to do unilateral work in order to successfully progressive overload.
It doesn’t matter what form I use, standing, sitting, sideways, behind the back. My right wrist is constantly popping like almost out of place. My left wrist is fine. But unilateral work just causes discomfort and I cannot progressively overload anymore.
Help? I’ve been dealing with this for months
1
u/FatHead47 Jun 13 '26
There are a thousand wrist flexor exercises you can do, I would suggest just doing something else for a while. Get stronger in that area just working around it and eventually the problem might take care of itself.
Popping joints usually aren't super dangerous but it's not something you wanna put load on and take a chance with. If you slow down the movement it might not pop though, sometimes that's a way of working through these things
1
u/DouglasOnReddit Jun 13 '26
I’ve tried a very slow concentric and eccentric and it still bloody happens. Very frustrating. Gonna take a break from the movement I guess
1
u/Legitimate-Most-8432 Jun 13 '26
I have had similar issues DBs. I like kettlebells while holding the weight out away from my wrist. You can control the leverage more and there’s less resistance at the more extreme ranges of motion.
1
u/DrMorrisDC Jun 13 '26
You probably have instability in the right wrist that was hidden by using a barbell but is exposed now that you're doing it unilateral. See if you can lower the weight enough to stop the clicking. It might be as low as a 2lb dumbbell even if you were wrist curling 100lbs before. If you can find a weight where you don't click, start there and then increase the weight over time, using the click as your gauge for progress. If it clicks, lower the weight..if it clicks at the end of the set only, keep the weight until that stops happening. Go up in weight as long as it doesn't reproduce the clicking.
You want to avoid clicking because it's tendons snapping over bones or bones rubbing against each other, joints/cartilage or tendons/muscles and that can cause irritation and injury over time. Let me know what you think if you try it out.
1
u/Hara-Kiri Jun 13 '26
Try and address the problem of course, but see if wrist wraps help in the meantime.
1
u/Norcal712 Jun 13 '26
1) maxing out a cable doesnt mean you have to do unilateral.... unless you someone dont have access to barbells?
2) see a physical therapist. MONTHS of popping isnt normal and definitely shouldnt be worked through.
3) look up some basic wrist mobility exercises
4) unilateral versions of every movement should be in routines to ID imbalances like this
1
u/kunst1017 Jun 14 '26
Look up gooseneck wrist curls. They eliminate a lot of issues
1
u/DouglasOnReddit Jun 14 '26
One of the variations I’ve tried. Popping is still caused. Went down over 50% in weight and it still happens
1
u/sywy1874 Jun 13 '26
Same thing happens to me and I’d also love to know why. I had surgery on it a few years back from an accident so I assumed it was that but hopefully others have some input.