There are endless amounts of bicep curl variations to create a changing stimulus for the muscle tissue, and variation is key to gains in strength and hypertrophy. This will also allow for a greater contraction at the top of the movement. You can perform hammer curls while using a tricep push-down rope but attaching it to a low-pulley. This also creates better bicep recruitment and allows for a greater contraction at the top of the movement. Other options include cross-body hammer curls where you will bring the dumbbell across your body getting it close to your opposite pectoral muscle. You often will need to lighten the weight in this position. This will put even more emphasis on the biceps and brachioradialis. One effective way is doing them on an incline position on a bench. The hand position needs to be the same, but there are several variations you can perform with hammer curls. Can also be done one at a time or simultaneously.Pause at the top, then lower back under control.Exhale and curl the weights up to shoulder level while squeezing your bicep.Keep your elbows tight to your sides and your palms facing upward.Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging at your sides.Start in a standing or sitting position with your back straight.These can be done one arm at a time or simultaneously together.Pause for a second squeezing the bicep, and lower back under control to the starting position.Start with dumbbells hanging at arm’s length, exhale, and then bend your elbows pulling the dumbbells up until they get close to shoulder height, but don’t touch the shoulders.Keep your elbows stationary and keep them close to your body.Grasp dumbbells with your hands turned in toward your body.Stand up straight, or sit in a seat with your back flat against the back.They also help you gain forearm and wrist strength which is helpful for other compound movements. Strong biceps help assist you in other pulling exercises such as barbell rows, and chin-ups. Benefits of Bicep Curlsīicep curls are one of the best exercises for strengthening and targeting the biceps. And one of the most notable benefits of hammer curls is how they improve your grip strength which has positive benefits for other lifts such as deadlifts, pull-ups, and barbell rows.

They are also very effective at developing wrist strength. Hammer curls are a great exercise to strengthen and grow the bicep and forearms muscles.

There is still some shoulder usage as the brachialis attaches to your shoulder blade resulting in some deltoid recruitment. A bicep curl doesn’t target the brachioradialis as well as a hammer curl, but there is still some recruitment.īicep curls also work the forearm flexors and extenders. The bicep curl also targets the long and short head of the biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis. Grip strength is also used during a hammer curl. The brachialis can help to make the bicep appear larger.īesides these muscles, hammer curls also work stabiliser muscles through the wrist and forearm, and can also partially recruit the deltoids as they are used to help keep arm position stable. Hammer curls are also very effective at targeting the brachialis which is the muscle that sits under the biceps. Hammer curls target the long head of the bicep and the brachioradialis which is part of the muscle that makes up the forearm. Hammer curls still function as a bicep exercise, but the muscle emphasis does change. The bicep curl grip allows for a greater range of motion to engage the long head of the bicep better, but the hammer curl gip can build a wider range of arm strength. In a hammer curl, the palms face inward and you hold the dumbbell vertically as if you were to use it as a hammer. A simple change in grip creates a significant change in the exercise, and muscles worked.īoth grips work in a lever-action and with a bicep curl, your hands are in the supinated position aka palms facing upward. The difference in grips for hammer curls vs bicep curls comes down to the hand positioning. This article will look at hammer curls vs bicep curls to see which exercise will give you the most bang for your buck. The question is, what are the top bicep exercises that lead to gains in strength and hypertrophy? Bicep curls are the classic go-to exercise, but are they best? Any strength training/bodybuilding program worth its salt will have some devotion to bicep training. Strong biceps are the instant indicator that you workout and have developed your physique. The biceps are one of the most coveted muscle groups.

Standing culrs with a twist