What you'll gain

• Builds the brachialis underneath the biceps for thicker arms.

• Strengthens the forearm and improves grip endurance.

• Adds variety to curl programming with neutral-grip loading.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1

   Stand tall with a dumbbell in one hand at your side and the other hand resting on your hip.

2. 2

   Set your feet shoulder-width apart with knees soft and core lightly braced.

3. 3

   Start with the working arm fully extended and palm facing your thigh.

4. 4

   Curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder while keeping the palm facing in throughout the rep.

5. 5

   Squeeze the biceps and brachialis hard at the top with the elbow tucked beside your ribs.

6. 6

   Lower the dumbbell slowly back down to full extension, then repeat for reps before switching arms.

Common Mistakes

• Rotating the wrist into a regular curl partway up, which turns the hammer into a standard biceps curl.

• Swinging the torso to throw the dumbbell up, which removes the work from the biceps and forearm.

• Letting the elbow drift forward, which shortens the range and reduces brachialis loading.

• Cutting the lowering phase short, which skips most of the muscle-building tension.

About This Exercise

The dumbbell standing single arm hammer curl is a curl variation done with a neutral grip — palms facing in toward the body — instead of the standard supinated grip. That hand position shifts the work onto the brachialis (the muscle underneath the biceps) and the brachioradialis in the forearm, which is what gives the upper arm a thicker, more three-dimensional look. For app builders, this clip is a strong inclusion in any arm-day or upper-body block alongside the standard biceps curl. It's also useful in hypertrophy specialization programs where users want to build forearm and brachialis thickness, and in coaching platforms teaching grip-position variation as a programming concept.

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