WhatWorksWhat.
Biceps

Hammer Curl

A thick squeeze in the middle of the upper arm and a strong pull through the top of the forearm.

Complexity · Lowhypertrophybeginner+Dumbbells
Check Your Form
  • Biceps
  • Biceps - Forearm peak
  • Biceps - Underneath biceps
  • Forearms
  • Outer biceps
  • Inner biceps
  • Underneath biceps
  • Forearm peak

PrimarySecondary

What it hits

Parts of the target muscle.

  • Outer biceps

    Not hit

    Long head - recruited more with elbows behind the body.

  • Inner biceps

    Not hit

    Short head - recruited more with elbows in front of the body.

  • Underneath biceps

    Hit

    Brachialis - pushes the bicep up. Loves neutral grip.

  • Forearm peak

    Hit

    Brachioradialis - recruited with pronated or hammer grip.

The movement

Get it right, not roughly right.

Optimal form

1:50· Physique Development

How to Dumbbell Hammer Curl | Form Tutorial

Full extension

Top contraction

Dumbbells at the sides, neutral grip (palms facing each other). Curl without rotating the wrist - thumb stays pointing up the whole rep. Elbows pinned, no swing.

Common mistakes

  • Letting the wrists turn out at the top - turns it into a regular curl.
  • Swinging the dumbbells up - the brachialis only grows from clean reps.

Where you should feel it

A thick squeeze in the middle of the upper arm and a strong pull through the top of the forearm.

Injury risk · 1/10

Variations

Same movement, moved emphasis.

Ranked by how directly each variation still trains biceps. 80%+ means the target barely changes. Below 60%, the emphasis has meaningfully shifted — useful for variety, but less precise for the specific part. The label calls it at a glance.

  • Cable rope hammer curl

    Rope at the low pulley, neutral grip.

    100% on target

    On target

    Same target, minor adjustment.

  • Incline hammer curl

    Incline bench, arms hanging behind.

    95% on target

    On target

    Bigger long-head stretch.

  • Cross-body hammer

    Curl across the body toward the opposite shoulder.

    90% on target

    On target

    Heavier brachialis bias.

Compare with another exercise

Cool-down

Worked it. Walk it back down.

A couple of minutes here pays back in soreness avoided tomorrow. Browse the full library.

  • Wrist Flexor Stretch

    Arm extended in front, palm up. Use the other hand to pull the fingers down and back toward the body. Elbow stays locked. 30s per side.

    ForearmsBiceps

  • Wrist Extensor Stretch

    Arm extended, palm DOWN. Pull the back of the hand down and toward the body. 30s per side. Cheap fix for cranky elbows after pulling days.

    Forearms

  • Biceps Doorway Stretch

    Stand in a doorway. Place a palm flat on the door frame at shoulder height, fingers up, thumb pointing away. Rotate the chest away from the wall to feel a stretch down the front of the upper arm. 30s per side.

    BicepsChestFront delts

Coach note

The brachialis sits under the biceps and pushes them up - building it is the single fastest way to make your arms look thicker from the side.