Execution
- Assume a balanced standing position holding dumbbells in the hands. The arms should be straight and alongside the body.
- The grip should be neutral; that is, the palms of the hands should face the midline of the body so that the thumb is forward and the little finger is pointed toward the rear.
- When ready, inhale and hold your breath as you flex the elbows to raise the dumbbells as high as possible.
- Be sure to keep the elbows alongside the body during the entire curling action.
- Exhale as you return to the full straight-arm position with the elbows still alongside the body. Pause momentarily and then repeat.
- Be sure to maintain the body in a stable position so the upper body and hips do not move during any portion of the total execution.
- For greater tension in the shortened (peaked) muscle position, hold for 2 to 3 seconds before returning to the initial position.
Training Tips
- It is important that you keep the elbows in place alongside the body throughout the entire execution. Bringing the arms forward as you begin the curling action creates momentum which makes the curling action easier resulting in less muscle force and less muscle development.
- To insure that the elbow stays in place, it is important that you do not lean backward or push the hips forward to get the movement started. This typically occurs when you use too much weight; thus keep the weight such that you can do the exercise with most effective execution to produce the best results.
- Do not turn the hand during execution. Be sure that the thumbs stay forward at all times. If you turn the hand–as, for example, more palm up–you involve more of the short head of the biceps and there will be less emphasis on the brachialis. If you pronate the hand, more emphasis will be on the brachioradialis and pronator teres much less on the biceps.
- To help stabilize the body and to insure a strong as possible muscular contraction, it is important that you inhale and hold the breath during execution. With breath holding you can generate up to 20% more force.
Be sure that you maintain a firm wrist during execution. There should be no ulnar or radial flexing during the lift. Doing this will help insure a more steady contraction during the execution.
Major Muscles Involved
There are 4 major muscles involved in the hammer curl; biceps brachii, brachialis, brachioradialis and pronator teres. The biceps is located in the front of the upper arm, and when well developed, a division can be seen between the long and short heads. Underneath the biceps and slightly closer to the elbow is the brachialis. This muscle has the best leverage in this exercise and is typically considered the workhorse of all the elbow flexors. The biceps are most strongly involved (especially the short head) when there is resistance and when the hand is supinated. The brachioradialis is located on the thumb side of the forearm close to the elbow. It provides the outer contour of the upper arm. The pronator teres is partially covered by the brachialis and is situated on a diagonal, high on the front side of the forearm. Its pronating action is neutralized by the supinating action of the biceps. It and the brachioradialis are important assistive muscles in the hammer curl.
Muscle and Joint Actions
In the hammer curl, there is flexion in the elbow joints in which the forearm moves closer to the upper arm which remains in place throughout execution. The brachialis is emphasized greatly in this exercise because of the neutral grip together with the short head of the biceps. If you use a supinated grip, i.e., palms-up, the biceps would be the major muscle emphasized. The brachioradialis and the pronator teres are fairly strong during execution because of the partially pronated grip.
Sports Uses
In bodybuilding, the hammer curl is very effective for producing more mass in the upper arm and forearm especially close to the elbow. In weightlifting, elbow flexion and the muscles involved are important when raising the bar as high as possible, as for example in the top pull in the clean. The greatest value of the hammer curl is in improving pulling actions such as chinning and raising the body on various pieces of equipment, as in gymnastics. It’s very important in sports such as wrestling, football and judo, where players may grab, hold and pull in an opponent. In basketball, elbow flexion is important in grabbing and pulling down rebounds. Martial artists use this in various holds and in the racquet sports, elbow flexion is a strong action in forehand strokes to get a good whip on the ball. In lacrosse, field and ice hockey since a split grip is used on the stick, the elbow flexors play an important role in pulling the upper end of the stick in to get the lower end moving out for the hit.