Open Exercise

Development draft, v0. Formats and IDs may change.

Catalogue

Dumbbell Hammer Curl

oec:dumbbell-hammer-curl

A standing bicep curl variation performed with a neutral grip to target the brachialis, brachioradialis, and biceps brachii.

Generated by gemini-3.8-flash from the sources below. No person has checked this record. Don't rely on it for safety.

Also called: hammer curl, dumbbell hammer curls, neutral-grip dumbbell curl, Hammer Curls

How to do it

Setup

  1. Stand tall with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly soft.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at arms' length by your sides.
  3. Position your hands with palms facing inward toward your thighs in a neutral grip, keeping your shoulders back and chest up.

Movement

  1. Keep your upper arms stationary and pinned near your torso.
  2. Flex at the elbows to curl the dumbbells upward while keeping your palms facing each other throughout the movement.
  3. Continue raising the weights until your elbows are fully bent and the dumbbells approach shoulder level.
  4. Pause momentarily at the top to squeeze the target muscles.
  5. Lower the dumbbells smoothly back to full elbow extension under control.

Breathing

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

Cues

  • Pin your elbows to your sides.
  • Thumbs toward the ceiling.
  • Control the descent without swinging.

Common faults

Swinging the torso to gain momentum to lift the weights.
Brace your core and glutes, and reduce the dumbbell weight to ensure movement happens only at the elbow joint.
Flaring elbows out or drifting them significantly forward.
Lock upper arms against your ribs so the load is placed directly on the elbow flexors rather than the anterior deltoids.
Supinating or pronating the wrists during the curl.
Maintain a strict neutral grip with palms facing each other through the entire range of motion.

Safety

  • Avoid hyperextending the lower back under heavy loads.

Muscles

  • Brachialis prime mover
  • Brachioradialis prime mover
  • Biceps brachii synergist
  • Wrist and finger flexors stabilizer
  • Front deltoid stabilizer

Joints

  • Elbow: Flexion
  • Forearm: Isometric stabilization
  • Shoulder: Isometric stabilization

Details

Movement
Elbow flexion isolation
Modality
Hypertrophy, Strength
Mechanics
isolation
Force
pull
Laterality
bilateral
Kinetic chain
open
Level
beginner
Equipment
Dumbbell
Record
Repetitions and Load
Load
external, per implement

Related

Sources

This record: CC-BY-SA-4.0.

Data

dumbbell-hammer-curl.json