As evident from the names, both hammer curls and biceps curls have similarity in the fact that they require you to ‘curl the weight up’. Just that the 2 exercises are carried out with different positions of hands.
Biceps curls are of 2 types:
- Standard (exercise done with hand’s supinated position)
- Reverse (exercise done with hands pronated)
These are the popular training exercises meant to develop bicep muscles.
Biceps curls target to bulk up arm muscles (biceps brachii) at a time; whereas hammer curls are effective for training all the major arms muscles. You can work on both inner and outer muscles to the same extent at the same time.
This is what makes people recommend hammer curls more than bicep curls while training.
So choose your curls depending on your preferred placement of hand position. Both exercises more or less target the same group of muscles but it all boils down to the way you hold the dumbbells while performing the 2 exercises.
Now, let’s see how to do each one.
Biceps curls:
Step 1: Hold dumbbells in each hand (palm facing outwards) stand straight, feet hip-width.
Step 2: Curl the weights up (as high possible), bring them to your shoulder level (without moving elbows) just by contracting the biceps.
Step 3: Gradually lower the weights after holding the position (at the top).
Hammer curls:
Step 1: First stand with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
Step 2: With palms facing your body hold the dumbbells in each hand.
Step 3: Bend elbows to curl and bring the weights to your shoulder level. Upper arms will be static throughout.
Step 4: Hold the position (at the top) for sometime and then lower the weights very slowly.
Both the curls have their advantages and cater to different muscle activation needs. So, choose wisely to train your muscles.
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