Hammer Curls for Biceps

If you have well-defined bicep muscles, people say you have a strong body. Biceps are one of the main muscles that people focus while exercising. Hammer curls are one of the most important exercises that help give your muscles an attractive and definite shape. Hammer curls not only build your biceps, but also put immense pressure on your forearms, which helps in strengthening them.

How to do Hammer Curls

Hammer curls are very popular among body builders and gym trainers. The hammer curl is a different version of the standing dumbbell curl. There are various reasons people perform hammer curls. It gives a neutral wrist position. It also forces you to block the range of motion when your forearms are parallel to the floor.

Hammer Curls
Pick up two dumbbells and stand erect with your arms by your side and the palms should face your body. Hold the dumbbells tight and lift your arms, until your forearms are parallel to the floor. Stop when your forearms are parallel to the floor and squeeze your biceps muscles hard, then slowly lower back down to the starting position. Through this entire step, keep your elbows locked at your sides. Don't lean back. If you think you are going back while lifting your dumbbell, take a lighter weight. It's entirely your decision to do hammer curls with one arm or two. I would advise you to do the one arm hammer curl. It helps you focus on one arm at a time.

Incline Hammer Curls
For incline hammer curls, adjust the position of your seat to about 30° to 45° incline. The lower the angle of the seat, the more difficult the exercise will be, so 30° is always preferred. Sit on the bench, pick up your dumbbells and lay with your back straight on the seat padding. Hold your dumbbells with a neutral grip and palms should be facing your body. Slack in your arms by a slight bend. This will put a little tension on the biceps. Keep your elbows tight and slowly lift up the dumbbells as far as possible. Squeeze your bicep muscles when you reach the top of your movement, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat 3 sets of 10.

Hammer Curls Vs Bicep Curls

Many people have this doubt in mind that which curl is best suited for building biceps. I say both of these exercises are equally beneficial. The difference between hammer curls and bicep curls is that while doing biceps curls your thumb is facing towards you. Both the curls work on bicep muscles, but hammer curls also exercises your forearms at the same time. When you perform regular bicep curls you might feel your wrists weaken for the last reps. This does not happen with hammer curls. These are the slight differences in biceps and hammer curls. If you want to have those strong bodybuilder's arms, I advise to do both the curls. Just keep your back straight while doing these exercises.

While performing hammer curls for biceps, be sure that you lower your arms in a slow motion. Have an erect posture and keep your shoulders in the same position. Do not shrug your shoulders while doing hammer curls. Hammer curls will definitely help you in getting those attractive and toned biceps.