Movement Demo – Hammer Curls

Rogue athlete Arielle Loewen demonstrates proper form for alternating hammer curls, and double hammer curls in these quick and simple movement demos from Rogue HQ.

The Hammer Curl is an arm isolation exercise that targets the biceps and forearm. The movement uses a neutral grip (palms facing each other) which makes this exercise more forearm and grip dominant than a standard curl. This movement can help pulling power and build bigger, stronger arms.

Benefits

• This movement can help build stronger and bigger arms.
• The neutral grip helps increase forearm and grip strength which has transferability to grip endurance for pulling movements, therefore assisting movements such as pull ups, rope climbs and the olympic lifts.
• The neutral grip reduces strain on the wrist and elbow compared to supinated curls (palms facing up).
• Easy to learn, low injury risk, scalable for all levels.

Set Up

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing each other (neutral grip).
• Stand tall, feet hip-width apart, proud chest with the core braced.

Execution

• Keeping elbows tucked by your sides, flex at the elbow, curling the dumbbell(s)
• Squeeze the biceps at the top of the movement (head of the dumbbell(s) should be around shoulder height)
• Slowly lower the dumbbells back to starting position, maintain control

Regressions

• Decrease the load, use light dumbbells, fractional plates or even bands
• Single-Arm Alternating Hammer Curl, focus on form one side at a time.
• Seated Hammer Curl, this will help reduce the torso swinging to gain momentum.

Progressions

• Increase the load
• Add a tempo to the raising and lowering of the weights to increase time under tension and control.
• Example; 3–4s up/down for time under tension.
• Cross-Body Hammer Curl (also known as the “Diagonal Curl”), curl the dumbbell across body toward opposite shoulder.
• Incline Hammer Curl, be seated on an incline bench, arms start behind the body, this set up can help to increase the range of motion of the curl.

Use thick grips, this will place a greater emphasis on the grip and therefore forearm strength.