Hammer Curls with dumbbells
Hammer curls work more on the muscles on the side and underside of your upper arm, especially the brachialis and brachioradialis. This exercise helps to make your upper arms and forearms overall stronger and thicker by targeting different muscles than regular Biceps Curls. Using dumbbells makes it easy to perform and well-suited for beginners. Regular hammer curls are performed with both arms simultaneously.
Necessary equipment

Hammer Curls with dumbbells - the correct execution
- Start in hip-width stance
- Hold the dumbbells in a neutral grip next to your body
- Bend your elbows and pull the dumbbells towards your shoulders
- Keep your wrists in a neutral grip
- Work in the greatest possible range of motion
- Make sure you always start with arms extended
- The training weight for this exercise is the weight of a single dumbbell. Therefore, train with two dumbbells that weigh the indicated weight.
The exercise Hammer Curls is intended to be used as a hypertrophy exercise.
Which muscles are trained by Hammer Curls?
Primary trained muscles for Hammer Curls
Biceps - The biceps brachii muscle is located on the front of your upper arm. It helps you bend your arm at the elbow, rotate your palm upwards, and lift your arm forward.
Secondary trained muscles for Hammer Curls
Forearm - The forearm muscles are divided into flexors and extensors. The flexors bend your wrist, while the extensors straighten it.
Alternative variants of Hammer Curls with dumbbells:
Hammer Curls Alternating
With Alternating Hammer Curls, the dumbbells are lifted alternately, allowing each arm to be trained in isolation. This improves control and focus on muscle contraction. The set duration is extended, and the resting arm has time to recover. As a result, you can likely perform more repetitions per arm.
Necessary equipment

Hammer Curls Alternating - the correct execution
- Start in hip-width stance
- Hold the dumbbells in a neutral grip next to your body
- Bend your elbows and pull the dumbbells towards your shoulders
- Keep your wrists in a neutral grip
- Start with the other arm as soon as the first arm is stretched again
- Work in the largest possible range of motion
- Make sure that you always start with stretched arms
- The training weight for this exercise is the weight of a single dumbbell. Therefore, train with two dumbbells that weigh the indicated weight
Similar exercises to Hammer Curls
Biceps Curls with dumbbells
Bicep curls are a classic bodybuilding exercise specifically designed to strengthen and shape the biceps muscles. While performing the exercise with a dumbbell allows for isolated training of each arm, bicep curls with a barbell offer the opportunity to use heavier weights. The exercise bicep curls on gymnastics rings provides an excellent alternative, especially when you're traveling and don't have access to a gym.
Biceps Curls with gym rings
Bicep curls on the gymnastics rings are an effective exercise to train the biceps specifically. The difficulty level depends on the body angle: the more upright you stand, the easier the exercise, as less body weight needs to be moved. In calisthenics, there are only a few exercises that isolate the biceps. Another popular variation is the Pelican Curls.
Biceps Curls with a barbell
Barbell biceps curls are a fundamental exercise in strength training, particularly effective for building and strengthening the biceps muscles. This variation allows you to train both arms simultaneously. The ability to use heavier weights compared to dumbbells enables more intense training stimuli, making the barbell biceps curl a popular choice for athletes looking to increase their upper arm size and strength. With alternative exercises like dumbbell biceps curls or biceps curls on gymnastic rings, similar training stimuli can be achieved.
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