Answer (1 of 11): All curls are great for differing reasons so I simply can't recommend any one over the other. However, they do hit the long head of the biceps a little harder than standard hammer curls. In terms of growing your biceps and brachioradialis, it is the hammer curl that is the clear winner. Curl the weights up to your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body. Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl. although other barbells can be a different weight and then you can increase the intensity by adding weighted plates. Hammer curls enable you to lift heavier weight than Zottman curls, which in turn means that you can overload your arm muscles with more resistance and make them grow larger. Moving the weight in a hammering motion forces your muscles to work harder, allowing for better gains. 2. Weights Used for Hammer Curls vs. Barbell Curls. Keep your palms turned to face your body when at your sides. When you do waiter curls, you tighten the outer part of your biceps, which is known as the "long head." Unlike any other arm exercise, you can feel your biceps burning. Effective workouts will include a variety of exercises, so it's good to include both waiter and hammer curls into your workouts and mix and match over time to keep the biceps working hard. While doing the hammer curl, you must hold the dumbbell in a neutral grip, with . Standard hammer curls work brachioradialis, brachialis and the long head of the biceps. Hammer curls are biceps curls performed with your hands facing each other. Hammer curls will help you build bicep mass more effectively than reverse curls. Go back. Keep your elbows tucked towards your torso and really work to isolate with just the biceps to get great work done. Hammer curls are more effective at bulking bicep brachii as well as the brachialis than reverse curls. Make sure your upper arm stays still. Step 2. This is one of the best biceps exercises that you definitely do not want to overlook. Cable curls with a rope attachment are the best workout for this since they allow you to lift more weight and hence stress the brachialis more than reverse-grip bicep workouts. Hammer curls are a great addition to your upper-body strength training. Follow these instructions to perform kettlebell hammer curls the right way: Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Standard biceps curls primarily target the biceps brachii, while the brachialis and brachioradialis are just afterthoughts. The regular curls are one of the easiest exercises to do. I don't do a lot of preacher curls, but I think they would be good for the cheaters who use momentum and bounce while doing standing. Then lower the dumbbell and curl the other one. You wouldn't be able to position . Because the arm is in a neutral position, there is significantly more muscle activation in the brachialis and brachioradialis. Whilst it is an exercise that can be performed by beginners, biceps isolation exercises such as the hammer curl are recommended primarily for experienced lifters looking specifically for advanced biceps development. Cross body hammer curls, where you turn the arm in, work the same muscles. Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart and that your knees and elbows are relaxed or not locked. As the name suggests, you are moving the dumbbells in a "hammering" motion. Hammer curls may increase grip strength to a greater extent compared to bicep curls, so they could offer more carry-over to other lifts such as the deadlift, snatch, and clean. When you hear the words 'waiter curl', you no doubt envision a club or restaurant waiter . You can perform these with a range of different implements, but dumbbells or a rope attachment are most common. Are Zottman curls useful? It consists of two heads- long (Inner) and short (Outer). Waiter curls are better at isolating the biceps, whereas hammer curls are better at strengthening your grip, forearms and biceps. How To Do Bicep Curls Start in a standing or sitting position with your back straight Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging at your sides Keep your elbows tight to your sides and your palms facing upward Exhale and curl the weights up to shoulder level while squeezing your bicep Pause at the top, then lower back under control The bicep curl targets more of the biceps brachii (Biceps). The palms-up position in the preacher curl causes your biceps brachii and brachialis muscles to contract. When the elbow is straight the Brachialis will be the primary muscle initiating the movement. When programming Supinating Curls we advocate a "controlled" tempo. Bend your elbows to bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders and then control the weights back down to starting position. The three muscle groups worked in the hammer curl: biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and brachialis Although the movement of hammer curls is similar to regular biceps curls, the target muscle group is somewhat different. This means that the brachialis muscles are targeted more than they are with a regular bicep curl. Keep your arms against your sides and curl one dumbbell while keeping your wrist neutral and straight. Follow these steps to do hammer curls correctly: Stand up straight, with a dumbbell in each hand. The secondary muscles worked are the abdominals which act as a stabilizer around your midsection. It's all dependent on your goals, as is everything. Do them early in your workout, such as at the very beginning or following the major biceps mass builder barbell curls. The standard curl is usually performed with a dumbbell, however, you can also perform it with bands or cables. There is a minor difference which is mainly due to the way you have to hold the dumbbells when doing both exercises. The most obvious difference between hammer curls and preacher curls is the position in which you perform each exercise. What Is The Waiter Curl? How Do Hammer Curls Work? Keep your upper arms and elbows tight to your body. Hammer Curls vs Regular Curls: 3 Reasons Hammer Curls are Awesome 1) They Aren't Limited in Targeting Only the Bicep Since hammer curls use a completely different grip, they target more than just biceps. They're beneficial to add mass to your arms and can help focus more attention on the short head of the biceps. Keep your back straight and shoulder blades slightly pressed back. Which Is Best For Building Biceps? Gently lower back to the starting position and repeat for your desired number of reps. In the dumbbell curl, you have your hands in the supinated position at all times, which means your palms are facing upwards from beginning to end of the movement. Why are hammer curls easier? 2. Curl your arm slowly as you would with any other form of a standard bicep curl, bringing it up and across your body to the opposite shoulder. During hammer curls, you're in a standing position with free movement of your arms. Use your forearm to control the movement. The cable hammer curl helps your arms appear more buffed in detail by strengthening the brachioradialis. Brachialis doesn't cross the shoulder joint, so rotating the shoulder shouldn't have . Bicep curls and hammer curls work in more or less the same groups of muscles. By resting the flat side of a dumbbell on top of your hands, not gripping the end, and keeping your wrists bent toward the backs of your forearms, you'll de-emphasize the forearm flexors and put. Work with one arm at a time. The stimulation from the long head makes the bicep peak bigger, which makes the arms bigger. Hammer curls target the long head of the bicep as well as the brachialis (another muscle in the upper arm) and the brachioradialis (one of the key forearm muscles). When you're ready, pull the weight up by flexing your biceps. During concentration curls, you ' re in a seated position with your working arm supported by your leg. 3. )#dumbbellcurl #hammercurl #biggerbicepsThe hammer curl and the dumbbell curl each have an . Keeping the rest of your body still, gently curl the weight towards your chest. Curl the weight forward with your right arm while squeezing the biceps until your forearm is vertical. Repeat your set by alternating arms for the desired number of reps. The primary muscles worked are the biceps, anterior deltoids, and forearms which consist of the brachioradialis (a muscle that runs up and down your forearms), and brachialis (a muscle located deep in the upper arms). Preacher curls are performed using a preacher bench which helps to isolate your biceps throughout the movement. Cable Bicep Curl Muscles Worked: Primary Movers: Biceps. Should beginners do hammer curls? Reverse Cable Curl. Secondary Muscles: Anterior deltoid, trapezius, levator scapulae, brachialis, brachioradialis, core. However, for other purposes or for training the various smaller muscles that make up the forearms, it is the reverse curl that will serve the purpose better. [ 1] Reverse curls vs hammer curls: Brachioradialis development When programming the Hammer Curl or Supinating Curl, the tempo can play a large factor in the muscle being used during the movement. Many newbies might be familiar with other bicep curl variations like the barbell curl, dumbbell curl, hammer curls, and cable curl, but the waiter curl is very different from any other bicep curl variation. To focus more on the biceps peak, include incline dumbbell curls in your training. The different hand positions between the hammer curl and preacher curl exercises are what change the muscle focus. Step 1: Grab both your dumbbells and stand straight. An Olympic barbell weighs 45 lbs. Tips: A weighted barbell is used for barbell curls. In other words, progressive overload is a critical component of muscle growth. 3. To perform hammer curls with strict form, you will need to find a weight that you can lift for 8-10 repetitions. Here are the steps: 1. So based on this line of reasoning, hammer curls are the superior choice. The palms-in position during the hammer curl uses the . Since you can only use a single dumbbell while maintaining perfect form, the chances of an injury due to muscle overload reduce significantly. Hammer curls are a variation of the traditional bicep curl - they target muscles in the lower and upper arm. The biceps is a double-headed muscle. The main difference between a hammer curl and a bicep curl is that a hammer curl uses one side of the arm at a time. Great Finisher Most lifters like to leave the gym with a muscle-ripping pump. Hammer curls tend to be performed standing up with dumbbells by your sides. Curl the weight up. Looking for hammer curl alternatives to spice up your biceps workout? The hammer curl differs most significantly in the fact that the exerciser utilizes a neutral grip throughout the repetition, quite distinct from the supinated grip found in the bicep curl and thus also resulting in a somewhat altered muscular activation pattern and resistance distribution among the biceps brachii and the forearm muscles. Standard curls will allow for a deeper stretch at the bottom of the movement while also engaging more of the ' peak ' of the bicep. The Proper Technique For A Hammer Curl To do a hammer curl, stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbell in front of you at thigh level. Building muscle mass requires overloading your muscles with heavy weight for 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps. Hammer curls allow you to do much heavier weight than reverse curls, which means your biceps are more easily overloaded. Dumbbell curls, barbell curls, curls with the curl bar, curls with a straight bar, curls with a Swiss bar - do them all. Hammer curls are performed with a neutral grip position, so they put less strain on the wrist. This encourages an increase in bicep size. Make sure your hands stand parallel to the ground throughout the whole exercise. The waiter curl is an isolation exercise that targets your long brachii head. A cool thing about hammer curls is that they also target your wrists and forearms not just the biceps while building grip strength. Getting Fantastic Forearms. The Benefits of Hammer Curls. Make sure the dumbbell's top faces up towards the ceiling. standing, incline, cables, barbell, machines etc.) The hammer curl, however, is completed with dumbbells. To do the waiter curl: Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart. Dumbbell Bicep Curl VS. Hammer Curl (WHICH ONE FOR BIGGER BICEPS?! Bend your elbows and lift the kettlebells to your shoulders without flexing your wrist. To perform hammer curls, hold a dumbbell in each hand and allow your arms to hang down on either side of you with your palms facing your thighs instead of forward. Below is a step by step guide on how to properly execute the hammer curl exercise for optimum results. This is because the way the dumbbell waiter curl changes the way you hold your hands. Reverse Grip EZ-Bar Curl. How To: With a tight core and stance around shoulder-width apart, grip the dumbbells and hold them vertically with a neutral grip. 2. 5. Pull your elbows back to maximize the biceps' outer head stretch. How do you do waiter curls? Here are the 9 best hammer curl alternatives you can try today: Pinwheel Curl ("Cross Body Hammer Curl") Preacher Curl. While your feet should be flat on the floor, you may . Step 3. The waiter curl is not an exercise you encounter in the gym every day. The hammer curl, in which you hold the dumbbell in the same way you would grab a hammer, places more emphasis . Whilst it is an exercise that can be performed by beginners, biceps isolation exercises such as the hammer curl are recommended primarily for experienced lifters looking specifically for advanced biceps development. Step 2: Unlike the standard bicep curl that positions your hands' palm outwards, the . How to perform hammer curls with strict form 1. Choose a weight that is challenging, but not so heavy that you cannot complete the desired number of reps. 3. Hold a kettlebell in each hand. Hammer curls are a popular arm exercise consisting of performing arm curls with a neutral grip. Hammer Curls Muscles Worked. Muscle mass is gained by stressing your muscles with high weight for three to five sets of eight to twelve reps. Hammer curls let you lift far more weights than reverse curls, which indicates that your biceps are more susceptible to overload. Of course, you should also include preacher curls in your training to work the short head of the biceps for better balanced biceps development. by Steve Theunissen updated on January 6, 2022. The biggest difference between the dumbbell bicep curl vs hammer curl is the positioning of your grip. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral or hammer grip while standing with feet hip-width apart. The biceps is the largest muscle in the front of your upper arm. Hammer curls are more effective for building forearm, wrist, and grip strength, while also hitting more of the biceps long . Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a weight in each hand with your palms facing forward. One of the main differences between hammer curls and concentration curls is the position you take during each movement. The hammer curl is a popular weight training exercise to develop the biceps muscle. The Waiter Curl allows us to reach peak contraction, but the Spider Curl position allows for a greater range of motion as the dumbbell isn't obstructed by our legs. The hammer curl is a relatively simple exercise that beginners can quickly master. As a result, hammer curls are better than reverse curls for bicep growth (not just activation) because, all else being equal, higher levels of muscle tension lead to greater hypertrophy than lower levels. Keep your palms facing your torso and your elbows close to the body. CONCLUSION There you have it, the 6 best biceps exercises to get bigger biceps. The hammer curl is a popular weight training exercise to develop the biceps muscle. Muscles Recruited for Biceps Curls Score: 4.5/5 (15 votes) . However, in order to illuminate the difference, we need to look at hypertrophy on a per muscle basis. It's recommended to wear a shirt with no sleeves that can. Both allow for many variations (i.e. The hammer curl is a variation of the standard bicep curl that allows you to, by a simple twist of the wrist, change the target muscles of the curl. Should beginners do hammer curls? A good tip is to not lock your legs in a straight position.