Dumbbell Hammer Curls (How To, Muscles Worked, Benefits)

Hammer Curls are a bicep exercise that targets both the biceps brachii and the brachialis—the muscle that sits underneath the biceps—using a neutral (palms-facing-in) grip. This variation builds arm size and strength while also working the forearms. It’s a simple, effective way to add thickness and balance to your arms.

Primary Muscles Worked: Biceps Brachii, Brachialis
Secondary Muscles Worked: Brachioradialis (Forearms)
Equipment Needed: Dumbbells

How To Do Hammer Curls

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up:
- Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides, palms facing your torso (neutral grip).
- Keep your elbows tucked in close to your body and your shoulders relaxed.
Execution:
- Curl the dumbbells up by bending at the elbows, keeping your palms facing inward the entire time.
- Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.
- Lower the dumbbells back down slowly and with control.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Tips for Proper Form:
- Don’t swing the weights—keep your upper arms still and move only at the elbows.
- Stand with your core engaged and your knees slightly bent for stability.
- Keep your wrists neutral and aligned with your forearms throughout the lift.

Key Benefits

Builds both biceps and forearms for fuller, stronger arms.
Targets the brachialis, which can make your arms look bigger from the side.
Neutral grip is wrist-friendly and easy on the elbows.

Modifications and Variations

Easier Option: Use lighter weights or perform one arm at a time for better control.
Harder Option:
- Add a pause at the top of each rep.
- Perform with slow tempo (3–1–3) to increase time under tension.
- Try cross-body hammer curls (bringing the dumbbell across your chest).

Common Mistakes

Using Momentum: Avoid swinging—keep the movement strict.
Elbows Drifting Forward: Keep them pinned to your sides.
Partial Range of Motion: Lower all the way down and fully extend your arms before the next rep.

Reps and Sets Recommendations

For Beginners: 3 sets of 10–12 reps with light to moderate dumbbells.
For Hypertrophy: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps with controlled tempo and full range.
For Strength: 4–5 sets of 6–8 reps with heavier weight and good form.

Dumbbell Hammer Curl Variations

Looking to shake up your workout a bit? Here are a couple of Hammer Curl variations.

Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curls

The simplest variation (and the one many of us probably do anyway) is to alternate curling one arm at a time. It allows you to focus on each arm individually and usually allows you to lift just a little more weight.

Dumbbell Curls

Regular Dumbbell Curls are a simple, but effective Hammer Curl variation.

Instead of keeping the palms neutral (facing in), turn and rotate the palms up as you curl the weight. This puts a little more emphasis on the Biceps Brachii (the major biceps muscle).

Seated Hammer Curls

Another variation for Hammer Curls is to do them seated instead of standing. With Seated Hammer Curls, everything stays the same except they are performed sitting down on a bench instead of in a standing position.

DB Hammer Curl Alternatives

If you can’t do Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curls, for whatever reason, here are a couple of alternatives. If you want even more alternatives, here are my 10 favorite Hammer Curl Alternatives.

Barbell Curl

If you don’t have dumbbells, don’t worry, Barbell Curls are a perfect (some would even say better) alternative to their dumbbell cousin.

Stand tall, grip the bar shoulder-width apart, keep elbows tucked and curl the bar up to shoulder level. Slowly lower back to the starting position and repeat for the desired number of reps.

Band Curls

If you’re traveling or on vacation and all you have is a resistance band, you can give Band Curls a try.

Stand on one end of a resistance band and grab the other end with both hands. With Band Curls, you can use the same neutral grip by keeping your palms facing each other.

If you have an issue that is hindering your ability to grip, band curls can be a great alternative because you drape the band over the hand or even the wrist and eliminate the need to grip a dumbbell or barbell.

Seated Dumbbell Curls

Similar to Seated Hammer Curls, Seated Dumbbell Curls can be done sitting on a bench as well. Sitting down typically helps keep a more strict range of motion and less twisting and rocking with the upper body (although it’s still easy to cheat reps if you don’t put an emphasis on good technique).