Hammer Curl

Biceps, ForearmsDumbbell

Neutral-grip dumbbell isolation exercise targeting the biceps and brachioradialis with minimal axial spine load.

How to do it

1Stand upright, holding dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing each other.

2Pin your elbows close to your torso and freeze your upper arms in place.

3Exhale and curl the weights toward your shoulders without rotating your wrists.

4Pause briefly at the top contraction.

5Inhale as you slowly lower the dumbbells back to the start position.

Common mistakes

Swinging your torso to momentum-curl the weight up.

Drifting your elbows forward, cutting range of motion and tension on the target muscles.

Lowering the weights too fast, eliminating tension during the eccentric phase.

Breathing

Exhale as you curl the dumbbells up and inhale as you lower them down smoothly.

Make it harder or easier

To scale down, perform alternating single-arm curls; to scale up, slow down the lowering phase to three or four seconds.

This is general guidance, not a medical opinion. Listen to your body: if it hurts, stop. If you have an injury or a chronic condition, talk to a doctor first.