Hammer Curl

Starting position

1. Stand tall, feet shoulder-width apart, knees soft.
2. Hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip — palms facing each other, as if holding hammers.
3. Let your arms hang at your sides, elbows pinned, shoulders back, abs braced.

Execution

1. Exhale and curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder without rotating your hand: the palm faces in throughout.
2. The elbow stays by your side; only the forearm moves.
3. Pause briefly at the top.
4. Inhale and lower slowly until your arm is almost straight. Curl both arms together or alternate.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the torso — momentum lifts the weight and the lower back takes extra stress.
• Elbows drifting forward — the front delts join in.
• Rotating the wrist — it turns into a regular biceps curl.
• Dropping the dumbbell — you lose the lowering phase and strain the elbows.

Beginner tips

• You can usually handle a bit more weight than in a regular curl, but the torso must stay still.
• Curl the dumbbell to the same-side shoulder, not across your body.
• It pairs well with regular dumbbell curls in the same workout.

Alternatives

• Standing Cable Biceps Curl — constant tension on the cable
• Standing Barbell Reverse Curl — also works the brachioradialis
• Seated Dumbbell Curl — less room to cheat