Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length with palms facing your torso (neutral grip).

2. 2

   Pin your upper arms to your sides and brace your core to eliminate torso sway.

3. 3

   Curl the dumbbells upward simultaneously by flexing the elbows, maintaining the neutral wrist position throughout — do not rotate the forearms.

4. 4

   Continue until the dumbbells reach shoulder height with the thumbs pointing toward the ceiling.

5. 5

   Squeeze at the top and hold for one second to maximize brachialis engagement.

6. 6

   Lower under control over 2-3 seconds back to full extension, maintaining tension at the bottom without resting.

Common Mistakes

• Rotating the wrists into supination during the curl, which converts the movement into a standard curl and reduces brachialis emphasis.

• Swinging the elbows forward to shorten the lever arm and cheat the weight up.

• Alternating arms in a rapid see-saw fashion that uses contralateral momentum rather than isolating each arm.

• Gripping the dumbbell too tightly, causing forearm flexor fatigue to limit the set before the target muscles are adequately stimulated.

About This Exercise

The dumbbell hammer curl uses a neutral (palms facing each other) grip to shift emphasis from the biceps brachii to the brachialis and brachioradialis, building the width and thickness of the upper and lower arm. The brachialis sits beneath the biceps and, when developed, pushes the biceps peak higher, while the brachioradialis adds mass to the forearm. This variation also places the wrist in a biomechanically stronger position, typically allowing heavier loads than supinated curls.

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