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In the first place, I don't believe that the wrist tendons and ligaments are designed to handle the amt. of resistance necessary to force the forearm flexors to hypertrophy. More crucially, you run the risk of severe wrist sprains which will of course set back your training. This is especially true if you allow the weight to roll down the hand and don't begin the curling motion until the weight reaches the fingertips.
Sure as hell wrecked me, to the point that I can't do regular bicep curls, having to do instead hammer curls. (One advantage to the hammers is that they hit the brachioradialis.) Similarly, regular pull-ups are out of the question. I need to use an assist band and grab the bar with palms facing each other. Also, I can no longer do triceps dips from the edge of a bench, which was one of my faves.
Ironically, one of the rehab exercises for these sprains is the wrist curl but with a very, very, very light resistance and keep the fist closed.
There are better forearm flexor exercises, e.g., farmer's walk, even the old reliable hand squeezers.
If your mileage in this regard differs from mine, more power to you.
You don't say how much weight you were using, but, I do agree it should be very light weights.
I have osteoporosis and at great risk of breaking a wrist if I should take a fall. My wrists were so weak, any pressure on them - even using stretch bands, I was afraid they might snap. My trainer started me doing wrist curls and limited my wrist curls to just 3lb and then 5lb weights.
Once I could comfortably do simple wrist exercises with 5lb weights, he moved me over to a fixed wrist roller. It is attached to a rack at shoulder height. It is great to help with grip strength, wrist and forearm strength. The fixed wrist roller means you do not use any upper arm strength, just the hand, wrist and forearm.
You attach a kettle bell to the strap and use both hands to roll it up and down the strap. I think this is a much safer way to work on your hand, wrist and foreman strength. A year ago I struggled to wrist roll an 18lb kettle bell for a set of 10 alternating 5 over and 5 under. Over time I moved up to 26lb, then 35lb and now 44lbs. I hit a wall at 53lbs.
That might not sound like much to you, but, I am only 108 lbs and 44lbs. is 40% of my body weight. My trainer says the average person should be able to wrist roll 15% of their body weight- so he is quite pleased with my progress.
I am surprised when I see a 200lb guy struggle to wrist roll a 35lb kettle bell, but, I suspect that men rely on their upper body strength more than they realize and you don't use your upper arm strength when you use a fixed wrist roller.
You might want to consider using a fixed wrist roller to work on your hand, wrist and forearm strength in the future.
FYI, I only started an exercise program 18 months ago with the help of a personal trainer to insure the exercises were appropriate for someone who has osteoporosis. Zero injuries to date. I am 69.
It is similiar to the strees created from not doing shoulder work outs properly. Underestimating the delicate nature of the connecting ligaments.
Yeah, I'm hearing more-and-more about the risks of doing overhead presses with the barbell behind the neck. Rehab people favor regular overhead presses and dumbbell lateral raises.
Ironic because 45 years ago I took pride in behind-the-neck overheads. Maybe that's why I have some recurring rotator cuff issues today.
You don't say how much weight you were using, but, I do agree it should be very light weights.
I have osteoporosis and at great risk of breaking a wrist if I should take a fall. My wrists were so weak, any pressure on them - even using stretch bands, I was afraid they might snap. My trainer started me doing wrist curls and limited my wrist curls to just 3lb and then 5lb weights.
Once I could comfortably do simple wrist exercises with 5lb weights, he moved me over to a fixed wrist roller. It is attached to a rack at shoulder height. It is great to help with grip strength, wrist and forearm strength. The fixed wrist roller means you do not use any upper arm strength, just the hand, wrist and forearm.
You attach a kettle bell to the strap and use both hands to roll it up and down the strap. I think this is a much safer way to work on your hand, wrist and foreman strength. A year ago I struggled to wrist roll an 18lb kettle bell for a set of 10 alternating 5 over and 5 under. Over time I moved up to 26lb, then 35lb and now 44lbs. I hit a wall at 53lbs.
That might not sound like much to you, but, I am only 108 lbs and 44lbs. is 40% of my body weight. My trainer says the average person should be able to wrist roll 15% of their body weight- so he is quite pleased with my progress.
I am surprised when I see a 200lb guy struggle to wrist roll a 35lb kettle bell, but, I suspect that men rely on their upper body strength more than they realize and you don't use your upper arm strength when you use a fixed wrist roller.
You might want to consider using a fixed wrist roller to work on your hand, wrist and forearm strength in the future.
FYI, I only started an exercise program 18 months ago with the help of a personal trainer to insure the exercises were appropriate for someone who has osteoporosis. Zero injuries to date. I am 69.
Age 73, no osteo, body wgt. of 150 which is 60 lbs. below ideal in 1972, and 120# below max bulked-up wgt. in late 1970s. (I do recall using a chest-high wrist roller at the YMCA way back in 1959.)
Present day: used 35# in each hand. Sat on the bench with palms up. hands extended over knees. Allowed the wgts. to roll down to the point that they almost fell to the floor and then began curling.
More power to you that your regimen worked for you but still maintain that wrist curls are not the best for forearm flexor hypertrophy and can damage wrist tendons and ligaments as happened to me.
Ironic because 45 years ago I took pride in behind-the-neck overheads. Maybe that's why I have some recurring rotator cuff issues today.
Behind-the-neck overhead pressing is dangerous, IMO. It's an unnatural movement that places too much stress on the shoulder joints. There's really no benefit to doing them.
I stopped behind the neck pull downs and overheads a while back because I was starting to feel some joint stress during it. I also don't do wrist curls; My wrists get some exercise during other compound exercises, mostly deadlifts.
At age 50 I am all about strength and compound exercises not looks. I also feel that single muscle exercises are a waste of time, unless I am at the end of my routine, tired to do heavy stuff, then I might do some biceps curls.
In the first place, I don't believe that the wrist tendons and ligaments are designed to handle the amt. of resistance necessary to force the forearm flexors to hypertrophy. More crucially, you run the risk of severe wrist sprains which will of course set back your training. This is especially true if you allow the weight to roll down the hand and don't begin the curling motion until the weight reaches the fingertips.
Sure as hell wrecked me, to the point that I can't do regular bicep curls, having to do instead hammer curls. (One advantage to the hammers is that they hit the brachioradialis.) Similarly, regular pull-ups are out of the question. I need to use an assist band and grab the bar with palms facing each other. Also, I can no longer do triceps dips from the edge of a bench, which was one of my faves.
Ironically, one of the rehab exercises for these sprains is the wrist curl but with a very, very, very light resistance and keep the fist closed.
There are better forearm flexor exercises, e.g., farmer's walk, even the old reliable hand squeezers.
If your mileage in this regard differs from mine, more power to you.
I've always avoided exercises that put undo strain on specific areas. I never do squats or curls with an overgrip. Most exercises that unnaturally isolate certain muscles, can lead to trouble, if not sooner, then later.
I do my pull-ups and leg-raises from overhead parallel bars, rather than a single crossways bar, as it's easier on the wrists and forearms.
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Maybe that's why I have some recurring rotator cuff issues today. 
