Dumbbell hammer curls are a great exercise for hitting the outer part of the bicep, helping create separation between your bicep and tricep muscles. Do not mistaken this as an outer bicep exercise however.
The dumbbell hammer curl will place a greater emphasis on your outer bicep when performing the exercise but will still sufficiently work your whole bicep muscle.
The dumbbell hammer curl is often performed after the traditional bicep curl exercise or at the end of your bicep workout. Here’s how to perform the dumbbell hammer curl:
Grab a Pair of Dumbbells. Ideally you will want to pick a weight that allows you to perform between 8-12 clean and solid reps without cheating. If you are unsure of the amount of weight you can handle then purposely go light and if needed, pyramid the weights up during your working sets.
Stand Upright. If you want to make this exercise more challenging or simply like to perform each exercise with strict form, you should try your best to remain upright throughout the movement. Do not swing or sway your body in anyway to help get the weight up. This will make the movement slightly easier and take stress and work away from the targeted muscle.
Dumbbells By Your Side. Standing upright, place dumbbells at arms length down by your sides. You want to be gripping the dumbbells with your palms facing in towards the side of your body. Grip the dumbbells firmly before you lift to make the lift feel more stable and comfortable.
Lift! Now lift the dumbbells up whilst remaining as upright as possible (unless you want to use momentum). When lifting the dumbbells up you can either lift them up until your hands are in line/just above your elbows, or you can lift them all the way up so that the top of the dumbbell brushes your shoulders.
Once at the top of the movement lower the dumbbell in a controlled manor back down to your sides minimizing movement in the elbows and keeping them still. I prefer to lift the dumbbell all the way up but this is personal preference. Lifting to the top of the shoulders will make the lift slightly more challenging. Its also important to remember that during the lift your palms remain facing in towards your body throughout the whole movement.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls – Pointers
Grip. Try to grip the dumbbell firmly before you begin the lift and maintain this firm grip throughout your set. Gripping the dumbbell this way will help you feel more comfortable throughout the lift and should allow you to squeeze out an extra rep or two that you wouldn’t of otherwise got.
Stance. Assume a normal comfortable stance when performing the dumbbell hammer curl. Usually a shoulder width or slightly less than shoulder width stance is fine. Try and minimize swaying or movement throughout the movement if you’re concentrating on strict form. A slight bit of movement is acceptable and sometimes can only be natural with heavy weight but do not over exaggerate it.
Head Position. Where you look during the lift doesn’t matter too much. Unlike the squat and deadlift you can actually look down in front of you if you wish to do so. It’s not such a big factor in the dumbbell hammer curl, just do what feels comfortable for you. Obviously you don’t want to be hunched over performing the lift but looking down in front of you wont hurt you.
Variations. You can add a slight variation to the dumbbell hammer curl by performing them sitting down on a bench. This helps minimize body movement and forces stricter form. This will make the lift more challenging and ensure the muscle is worked even harder.
