Hammer Curls: Form & Variations for Bigger Biceps

How to Do Hammer Curls

You can perform the hammer curl from either a seated or standing position, and as a unilateral or bilateral movement.

Performing the curl from a seated position further isolates the targeted muscles and limits momentum cheat. Another alternative is to set the bench at an incline to increase the range of motion and target the upper bicep.

Performing from a standing position engages the core and may allow for heavier weight as more muscles are recruited to assist.

Start with the dumbbells at your sides, palms facing each other. Keep your shoulders erect and your arms close to your body. Then bend your arms at the elbow and pull the weights up until your thumbs are close to your shoulders.

Pause at the top and then slowly lower the weights to starting position.

If performing as a single-armed movement, alternate sides or complete all reps per side (a good choice for correcting imbalances) before switching to the other side.

Points of Performance

While curls are simple, they are often performed incorrectly. The easiest way to cheat yourself of the benefits of any type of curl is to execute them with poor form or inappropriate weight.

Follow these cues to squeeze the most gains out of your hammer curls.

Set Your Grip

The hammer curl is defined by the neutral grip, but that doesn’t mean there’s only one way to grasp a dumbbell.

I find that using a thumbless grip for curls grants a stronger mind-muscle connection and greater muscle activation.

Gripping the dumbbell in the middle or closer to the front of the weight can also make an impact. You may find that if your grip strength weakens, you can bang out a few more reps on your last sets by shifting your hands forward so the front end of the weight rests on your index finger and thumb.

Think “T-Rex Arms”

Keep your upper arms and elbows pinned to your sides throughout the movement.

If your elbows are moving away from or in front of your body, this is a sign that the weight is too heavy. The only part of your body that should be moving is from your elbow to your fingertips.

Use Tempo

“Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.” In other words, slowing your tempo yields faster results.

If you are simply chasing a pump, by all means bang out your reps and go, but playing with tempo on the concentric (lifting the weight to your shoulder), eccentric (lowering the weight to starting position), and mindfully pausing at the top and bottom of the movement can all impact your gains and ability to break through plateaus.

Coach’s Tip: To better understand tempo training and get the most out of your hammer curls, check out my other blog: Understanding Tempo Training For Maximum Strength Gains

Don’t Cheat by Swinging

There’s always that one dude in the gym trying to curl dumbbells that are way too heavy and using his entire body to heave the weight up.

This is ineffective at best and can result in injury at worst. Don’t be that dude.

Choose a weight that’s challenging on the last reps, but that you can still lift with integrity – elbows at your sides, shoulders back, no rocking.

Hammer Curl Variations

The hammer curl is as versatile as the traditional bicep curl and can be performed with many different pieces of equipment: dumbbells, kettlebells, hammer grip barbells, resistance bands, cables, benches, you name it.

This makes hammer curls a convenient exercise you can perform at home, in the gym, or on the go.

Cross-Body Hammer Curl

The cross-body hammer curl is very similar to the standard hammer curl, but in this variation, you lift the weight across your chest to the opposite shoulder instead of straight up and down.

There is not any definitive evidence that would indicate a clear advantage of one variation over another, although some suggest the cross-body curl may have a slight edge in targeting the long head of the bicep. It really comes down to personal preference and the muscle activation you feel.

Chest-Supported Hammer Curl

The chest-supported hammer curl employs an incline bench to eliminate momentum cheat and deltoid activation, helping you zero in on the forearm and brachialis.

With a dumbbell in each hand, straddle the incline bench and rest your chest on the upper portion of the bench. Your arms should be hanging perpendicular to the floor, palms facing one another.

Keep your upper arms and elbows close to your body and raise the dumbbells to your shoulders, pausing at the top, and then lower them slowly. Extend your arms fully at the bottom of the movement but do not lock out your elbows or let go of the tension (no dead arm float!) before you flex the weight back up.

Banded Hammer Curl

Resistance bands are great tools for hammer curls and make it easy to do them anywhere – throw them in your luggage, stow a couple in an office drawer, bring one to the park when you take a walk – get that pump on the go! They also make a great warm-up for pull days.

Stand on one end of a long loop resistance band with the band bisecting the bottom of your feet. Gripp the upper portion of the band with a neutral grip and bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle, hands in front of your body.

There should be a semicircle of the band hanging between your hands (the lower you grip the band, the higher resistance you will have, and the longer this semicircle will be). Adjust your grip to the desired resistance and complete the movement as you would if you were holding dumbbells: shoulders back, elbows pinned, pause at the top, controlled tension at the bottom.