The Hammer curl is a variation of the biceps dumbbell curl. It’s used to stimulate the biceps in a different way and so contribute to increased muscle growth and strength. In this article I want to show how to do this exercise with proper form.
The Hammer Curl is done with a pair of dumbbells and can be done sitting down or standing. The main difference between it and the regular curl is in the grip and angle of the hands. In this curl the grip is neutral (neither overhand nor underhand) with the thumbs pointing upwards throughout the course of the exercise.
Here’s how to do a Hammer Bicep Curl
You take a dumbbell in each hand and take your position, either standing or sitting. If you sit on a chair, make sure to elevate your feet on a short stool to ease tension off the lower back.
Place your elbows firmly by your sides and let the dumbbells hang down from fully stretched hands. If you stand, bend your knees a bit or place on foot behind you to increase stability.
With one fluid motion, raise both dumbbells as far as they can go. Make sure to not allow your elbows to move forward from your sides or to shift as they breaks the isolation of the biceps. Exhale as you bring the dumbbells upward.
At the top position, squeeze both biceps tight as possible, hold for a second, and then lower your arms back to the starting position. Inhale on the way down in preparation for the next rep.
If you want to make the exercise harder, you can do the negative exercise which means bringing the dumbbells down very slowly. This will increase the difficulty of the exercise tremendously and may lead to muscle soreness. However, it is also very effective.
Hammer curls help you train the biceps in a slightly different angle and also target the outer forearms. They are also useful at the end of a set of dumbbell curls as they are easier and allow you to do a few more sets after you’ve tired your arms with the regular curls.
Make sure to not do this exercise before your back workouts to make sure your biceps are as fresh as possible to contribute to your back workout. Otherwise, this is an excellent bicep exercise which you can use to get bigger biceps and burn off lots of calories.