Strength Training · Bodybuilding
Hammer Curl
The hammer curl is a dumbbell curl with your palms facing inward. It trains the front of your upper arms and forearms through elbow bending.
- Beginner
- Isolation
- Low injury risk
- Rest 1 min
How to do it
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell at each side.
- Turn your palms toward your thighs for a grip you maintain throughout the repetition.
- Bend your elbows to curl both dumbbells toward your shoulders.
- Lower the dumbbells to your sides until your arms are straight.
Form cues
- Keep your wrists straight.
- Let your shoulders stay relaxed.
- Exhale as you lift.
Common mistakes
- Swinging your torsoUse a lighter weight so you can keep your torso still throughout the curl.
- Driving your elbows forwardKeep your upper arms beside your ribs rather than lifting your elbows to finish the curl.
- Dropping the weightsTake about two seconds to lower each repetition instead of letting gravity pull the dumbbells down.
Safety
Excessive weight or jerky repetitions can strain your elbows or wrists, especially as fatigue builds.
- Warm up with a light set before your working sets.
- Increase the weight in small increments only when every repetition stays controlled.
- Stop the set if you feel sharp pain in your elbow or wrist.
If you have ongoing elbow or wrist symptoms, ask a physiotherapist about a suitable load and range of motion before progressing.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Dumbbell
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 8–12 reps
- Rest
- 1 min
Finish each set feeling that you could complete about two more clean repetitions.