Muscles worked
What the hammer curl trains
Tap a muscle to see just that one and what it does in the lift.
Before the first rep
How to set up
- 01
Pick the weight. Choose dumbbells you can curl for the full set without leaning back. Most people can use a little more than on a regular curl.
- 02
Stand tall. Feet about hip width, knees soft, ribs down and glutes lightly squeezed so your body stays still.
- 03
Neutral grip. Let the dumbbells hang at your sides with your palms facing your thighs and your thumbs pointing forward. Grip the handle firmly in the middle.
- 04
Set the elbows. Arms straight but not locked hard, elbows close to your sides, shoulders down away from your ears.
Step by step
How to do the hammer curl
- 01
Curl. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells up in front of you, thumbs leading, palms still facing each other. Your upper arms stay by your sides.
- 02
Top. Stop when your forearms are close to vertical and the dumbbells are near your shoulders. Squeeze for a moment without letting your elbows drift forward.
- 03
Lower. Take about two to three seconds to lower the dumbbells back to straight arms, keeping the same neutral grip.
- 04
Reset. Reach full straight arms at the bottom before the next rep. Do both arms together, or alternate arms if you want to focus on one side at a time.
Cues to say in your head
- Thumbs up, palms in
- Elbows pinned to ribs
- Curl, don't swing
- Slow on the way down
- Straight arms at bottom
Fix these first
Common mistakes
Swinging the weight up with your hips
Brace and stand still. If you have to lean back to finish the rep, drop to a lighter pair of dumbbells.
Elbows drifting forward at the top
Keep your upper arms by your sides and stop the rep when your forearms are near vertical. Bringing the elbows forward hands the work to your shoulders.
Grip rotating toward a regular curl
Keep your palms facing each other for the whole rep. Once your palms turn up, it becomes a different curl.
Cutting the range short at the bottom
Lower all the way to straight arms. The stretched bottom of the curl is part of the work, not a rest.
Dropping the weight fast
Control the lowering for two to three seconds. A fast drop wastes half of every rep.
Shrugging the shoulders up
Keep your shoulders down and back. If your traps take over, the weight is too heavy.
Stay safe
Hammer curls are low risk when the weight is controlled. If you can't finish a rep, stop and lower the dumbbells slowly back to your sides rather than heaving them up with your back. Set the dumbbells down by squatting, not by bending over with straight legs. Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in the elbow, wrist or front of the shoulder, and get it checked if it keeps happening.
Programming
Sets, reps and how much weight
| Goal | Sets | Reps | Load | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muscle | 3 to 4 | 8 to 12 | 65–75% 1RM | 1 to 2 min |
| Strength | 3 to 4 | 6 to 8 | 75–82% 1RM | 1.5 to 2.5 min |
| Endurance | 2 to 3 | 15 to 20 | 50–62% 1RM | 45 to 90 sec |
Plan your next session
Put in a recent set. You get working weights for your goal, a warm-up and the plates to load.
Estimated 1RM 216 lb
Strength sets
162–177lb
3 to 4 sets of 6 to 8 reps, 1.5 to 2.5 min rest. Heavier curls for grip and elbow flexor strength. Keep the body still; stop the set when you start to swing.
Estimates use the Epley formula and work best from sets of 3 to 8 reps. Treat them as a starting point and adjust by how the first working set moves.
Questions
Hammer Curl questions
What muscles do hammer curls work?
Hammer curls work the brachialis, the biceps and the brachioradialis on the thumb side of the forearm. The neutral grip shifts more of the load onto the brachialis and forearm than a palms up curl does.
Hammer curl vs bicep curl: which is better?
Neither is better; they bias different muscles. A regular palms up curl puts more of the load on the biceps, while the hammer curl brings in more brachialis and forearm, so many programs use both.
How do you do a rope hammer curl?
Attach a rope to a low cable pulley, hold one end in each hand with palms facing each other, and curl it up with your elbows at your sides, then lower slowly. Form is the same as the dumbbell version, with more steady tension near the bottom.
Should I do hammer curls with both arms or alternating?
Both work. Curling both arms together is quicker and keeps you honest about swinging, while alternating lets you focus on one arm at a time and may help you handle a slightly heavier weight.
How many sets and reps of hammer curls should I do?
For muscle, 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps, taken close to failure, works for most people. Add a rep each session until you hit the top of the range, then move up to the next dumbbell.
Do hammer curls make your forearms bigger?
They help. The brachioradialis on the top of your forearm works hard in a hammer curl, so it is one of the more direct ways to build forearm size along with grip work and reverse curls.
Train in Protocol
Log your hammer curl by voice. Protocol tracks the rest.
Your last session shows up before every set, warm-ups and plates are worked out for you, and your coach sees every lift next to your sleep and recovery.