How to Hammer Curl: Techniques, Benefits, Variations Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Beginners How to Do Hammer Curls: Proper Form, Variations, and Common Mistakes By Malia Frey Malia Frey Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer​, and fitness nutrition specialist. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 28, 2022 Reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Tara Laferrara, CPT Reviewed by Tara Laferrara, CPT Tara Laferrara is a certified NASM personal trainer, yoga teacher, and fitness coach. She also created her own online training program, the TL Method. Learn about our Review Board Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Instructions Benefits Variations Common Mistakes Safety and Precautions Frequently Asked Questions Try It Out Also Known As: Neutral grip biceps curl Targets: Upper and lower arm Equipment Needed: Dumbbells Level: Intermediate The hammer curl is an excellent addition to an upper-body strength routine. A hammer curl is a variation of the biceps curl and targets muscles in the upper and lower arm. While this exercise is almost always performed with a dumbbell, you can also perform it with cables or bands. Below, learn how to do a hammer curl, the benefits of the exercise, variations, and safety tips. How to Do a Hammer Curl Verywell / Ben Goldstein Stand with your legs straight (but not stiff or locked) and knees aligned under the hips. Your arms are at your side with a dumbbell in each hand, the weights resting next to the outer thigh. Your palms are facing the thighs, the thumbs are facing forward, and shoulders are relaxed. Bend at the elbow, lifting the lower arms to pull the weights toward the shoulders. Your upper arms are stationary, and your wrists align with the forearms.Hold for one second at the top of the movement. Your thumbs will be close to the shoulders and palms facing toward the body's midline.Lower the weights to return to the starting position. Engage the abdominals throughout the exercise to prevent movement in the lower back as you lift and lower your weights. Benefits of Hammer Curls A hammer curl works the biceps brachii. This muscle is considered a "vanity muscle" because it is easily visible on the front of the body. People looking to get a muscular appearance often target the biceps for a more athletic look. Within the body, the biceps brachii is an elbow flexor, which is responsible for the bending movement at the elbow joint. It also helps to rotate (supinate) the forearm. Strong biceps in everyday movements help you lift and carry heavy objects. These muscles assist with other arm-based activities, such as closing a door or pulling things toward or across your body. The hammer curl is one way to build stronger biceps muscles and provide greater definition and increased strength. Including it in your exercise program may help increase wrist stability and grip strength. Other Variations of the Hammer Curl You can modify this exercise to better align with your fitness level and goals. Alternating Hammer Curl If you try the hammer curl and find it too challenging to maintain proper form, consider doing alternating hammer curls. Instead of lifting both arms simultaneously, lift the right arm and lower, then lift the left and lower. Continue to alternate sides. Incline Hammer Curl Another variation is to use a seated incline bench to do the hammer curl. When seated, the starting position places the arms behind your hips and helps to reduce shoulder involvement. Otherwise, the same movements apply. Lift the weights to the shoulders before lowing them again. Preacher Hammer Curl Some exercisers use a preacher bench to perform this move. A preacher bench is an angled, padded armrest that allows you to hold the upper arm in an isolated position so you can lift more weight and better target the biceps. Adjust the padded armrest so its top is just touching your armpits. Rest your upper arms against the padding, extend your elbows, and hold the weights so your palms are facing each other. Lift the weights to your shoulders, then lower them back down. Hammer Curl Power Squat Make this move even more challenging by adding a squat. This helps you work your legs and glutes while also working your arms. After lifting the weights to the shoulders, drop into a squat position. Hold briefly, stand back up, and return the weights to your side. Photo: Ben Goldstein / Model: Ana Alarcon Common Mistakes Avoid these common errors to keep the hammer curl safe while maximizing its effectiveness. Being aware of common mistakes can help prevent injuries while increasing the chances that you will correctly activate the target muscles and see progress. Using Momentum Using momentum decreases your ability to build strength with this exercise. Swinging motions may also put you at higher risk for injury because you lose control when momentum takes over. You can tell if you're using momentum if you start the exercise by leaning forward slightly and bringing the weights behind your hips. This body position helps you to wind up for the workload. Using momentum is often a sign that you are lifting too much weight. If you notice yourself winding up before each repetition, decrease the weight and focus on form. 7 Ways to Prevent Exercise Injury Curling Too Fast The hammer curl employs a relatively small range of motion. So it's easy to rush through this exercise and use quick movements, especially during the lowering phase. Taking your time on the way up and down allows you to control the movements and focus on form. Slowing your movements also adds more challenge because you must engage the muscles for a more extended period. Curling too fast can also be a sign that you're not lifting enough weight. Both the concentric or shortening phase (when you lift the weight) and the eccentric or lengthening phase (when you lower the weight) should last about two breaths. Floating Elbows It's easy to allow the elbows to float away from the body during the curl. While this engages other muscles in the lift, such as the deltoids (shoulders), the more you engage other muscles, the less you target the biceps. Keep the elbows in a stable, fixed position and concentrate on moving only the lower arm during your hammer curl. You are lifting too much weight if you cannot lift the weight without moving the elbow. Safety and Precautions While the hammer curl is appropriate for most exercisers, those with lower arm injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome) may need an alternate exercise or modification. Tension in the biceps indicates that the movement is likely working—effectively targeting your upper arm muscles. However, stop if you feel pain when performing the hammer curl. When first starting, try two sets of 7 to 10 repetitions each. As you get stronger and more flexible, add repetitions first. Then add more weight. If you are new to this or any weight training exercise, try the movements without weight (or with very little weight) to get comfortable with the movement. You can also work with a fitness trainer to get tips and advice. Frequently Asked Questions Are hammer curls more beneficial than bicep curls? Hammer curls are not better or harder than bicep curls. They are a variation of bicep curls that work the muscles slightly differently. It's wise to experiment with variations of exercises to see what works best for you and to stimulate more muscle fibers over time. Will hammer curls make your arms bigger? Hammer curls can make your arms bigger if you are consuming a diet that supports muscle growth (calorie surplus and high in protein), and you perform hypertrophy style training. Learn More: What is Muscle Hypertrophy? Which bicep curl is most effective? There is no single most effective bicep curl. They are all worth trying to see which works best for you, and changing your variation every few weeks can potentially work the muscles in different ways and boost growth. Try It Out Incorporate this move and similar ones into one of these popular workouts: Back and Biceps Workout for Strength Beginner Upper Body Workout Upper Body Tri-Set Challenge Workout Weight Training Safety 4 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Tiwana MS, Charlick M, Varacallo M. Anatomy, shoulder and upper limb, biceps muscle. In: StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. Kleiber T, Kunz L, Disselhorst-Klug C. Muscular coordination of biceps brachii and brachioradialis in elbow flexion with respect to hand position. Front Physiol. 2015;6:215. doi:10.2289/fphys.2015.00215 Marcolin G, Panizzolo FA, Petrone N, et al. Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl. PeerJ. 2018;6:e5165. doi:10.7717/peerj.5165. Pagaduan J. Effects of a six-week strength training and upper body plyometrics in male college basketball physical education students. Sport SPA. 2015;12(1):11-16. By Malia Frey Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer​, and fitness nutrition specialist. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit Related Articles How to Do a Reverse Bicep Curl: Techniques, Benefits, Variations Bicep Curl Strength Exercises Using Dumbbells or Barbells 45-Minute Back and Biceps Workout With Supersets How to Do a Triceps Extension: Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Do a Dumbbell Pullover: Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Perform a Bicep Stretch How to Do Skull Crushers: Techniques, Benefits, Variations The Best Pull Exercises for Targeting Different Areas of the Body How to Do a Dumbbell Overhead Press: Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Do an Upright Row: Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Do a Lat Pulldown: Techniques, Benefits, Variations How to Do a Reverse Fly: Techniques, Benefits, Variations Try This Total Body Home Workout With Dumbbells for Beginners A Simple Beginner Arm Day Workout How to Do Triceps Dips: Techniques, Benefits, Variations Build Your Biceps With Dumbbell Curls When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All