Hammer Curl
Rep Range
8–12
Rest Time
1m 30s
Increment
5 lb
Muscles Worked
How to Perform
- 1
Stand or sit holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms fully extended and palms facing forward (or neutral for hammer curls).
- 2
Curl the weight up by flexing at the elbow only — your upper arm should stay pinned to your side.
- 3
Squeeze your biceps hard at the top of the movement, then lower under a controlled 2-3 second eccentric.
- 4
Avoid swinging, leaning back, or using momentum. If you need to cheat the weight up, it is too heavy.
Common Mistakes
Swinging the body to generate momentum. Pin your elbows to your sides and use only your biceps.
Not fully extending the arm at the bottom, which reduces the stretch and shortchanges the range of motion.
Going too heavy and compensating with front delt activation. Isolation exercises work best with strict form and moderate loads.
Pro Tips
Supinate your wrist (turn your pinky toward the ceiling) at the top of the curl. The biceps are powerful supinators, and this squeeze maximizes contraction.
Use a 3-second eccentric (lowering) on every rep. The biceps grow exceptionally well from slow eccentrics.
Related Exercises
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