Forearms & HandsSource-checked

Wrist flexors (flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, palmaris longus)

Flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris, palmaris longus

Pronunciation: FLEK-sor KAR-py ray-dee-AL-iss

Simplified front (palm-side) view of the forearm showing the wrist flexor group running from the elbow down to the wrist, and the deeper finger flexor tendons continuing across the palm into each finger. — Forearm & hand — wrist flexors and finger flexors (simplified). A beginner-level schematic of the forearm's wrist-flexor muscle group and finger-flexor tendons.
Illustration: Anatomy Learning Platform (original) · CC0-1.0 (public domain dedication)

For beginners

These muscles on the palm side of your forearm bend your wrist downward (toward your palm) — the motion used in a wrist curl.

Show the advanced explanation

Because they share a common tendinous origin at the elbow's medial epicondyle, overuse of this whole group (not just one muscle) is what produces medial epicondylitis ('golfer's elbow').

Structure & function

Location: A group of muscles on the palm side of the forearm, sharing a common tendinous origin at the elbow.
Origin: Medial epicondyle of the humerus (a shared 'common flexor origin').
Insertion: Carpal and metacarpal bones of the hand (palmaris longus inserts into the palm's connective tissue).
Main action(s): Flexes the wrist; assists ulnar/radial deviation depending on the specific muscle.
Joint(s) crossed: Wrist (radiocarpal) joint
Movement plane: sagittal
Innervation: Median nerve (with the ulnar nerve supplying flexor carpi ulnaris)
In daily movement: Curling the wrist downward, such as when gripping and pulling something toward you.
In exercise: Prime mover of wrist flexion in wrist curls; active isometrically during most gripping exercises.
Commonly confused with: Easy to mix up with the finger flexors, which are separate, deeper muscles that bend the fingers rather than the wrist itself.
Common misconceptions: Wrist curls alone do not build overall grip strength — grip strength depends more on the finger flexors than the wrist flexors specifically.

Exercises that use this muscle

As a primary mover

Eccentric Wrist Flexion

⚠ Safety note

Pain at the inner elbow that worsens with gripping or wrist-flexion tasks may indicate golfer's elbow and should be assessed if persistent.

Sources

“The wrist flexor group originates at the medial epicondyle of the humerus and flexes the wrist.”

Anatomy and Physiology 2e — OpenStax, Rice University · Ch. 11.5 Muscles of the Pectoral Girdle and Upper Limbs

Peer-reviewed textbook · License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Last checked 2026-07-19

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