Hammer Curl
Trains the Biceps, Brachialis and Brachioradialis.
- Equipment
- Dumbbells
- Mechanic
- Isolation
- Force
- Pull
- Level
- Beginner
How to do it
- Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides with your palms facing each other — a neutral grip.
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and tuck your elbows in.
- Curl one or both dumbbells up while keeping the palms facing inward the whole way. The hand does not rotate.
- Continue until the forearm is roughly vertical, then squeeze briefly.
- Lower under control back to a straight arm before the next repetition.
Common mistakes
- Letting the palms rotate upward during the curl. That makes it an ordinary dumbbell curl; the neutral grip held throughout is what puts the biceps at a disadvantage and lets the brachialis and brachioradialis take over.
- Skipping it because it feels less like a biceps exercise. It is not primarily a biceps exercise, and that is the point — the brachialis sits underneath the biceps and pushes it up as it grows, so training it makes the whole arm thicker.
- Swinging from the shoulders. Elbows pinned, torso still.
- Cutting the bottom short. Full extension between repetitions; the brachialis works through the whole range regardless of hand position, so there is no reason to shorten it.