There are a lot of bicep curl variations.
During any given training session at the gym, you’ll probably need at least two hands to count all of the different types of curls being performed.
Today we’ll be looking at two popular curl variations: the classic dumbbell bicep curl and the hammer curl.
Specifically, we’ll be digging into the main differences between these two curls and when these movements should be added to your training.
Let’s get to it.
Table of Contents
Bicep Curl vs Hammer Curl
What’s the main difference between the hammer curl and bicep curl?
The main difference between the hammer curl and bicep curl is that the bicep curl works both heads of the bicep muscle. The bicep curl activates the long and short head of the bicep while the hammer curl mainly activates the long head of the bicep.
This makes the bicep curl more effective for building bicep size.
Spartan Aesthetix does a nice job of summarizing the differences and similarities in this video.
While the bicep curl may be superior for increasing bicep size, the hammer curl more effectively targets muscles in the forearm and wrist. Since the hammer curl is performed with the wrist in a neutral position, the biceps cannot exert maximal force and are supported by other muscles. Bicep curls are performed with a supinated grip, which is superior for bicep activation.
Determining which is “better” depends on your specific goals, but for most those seeking larger and stronger biceps, the bicep curl is the better choice. If you’re trying to emphasize the “peak” of your biceps, you should probably include hammer curls as well.
Which one is worth putting into your workout routine? Keep reading to find out!
Arm Anatomy
The bicep, also known as the biceps brachii, is a muscle that makes up about one-third of your upper arm. It’s positioned on the front of your arm and runs from the shoulder to the elbow. As the name suggests, the bicep is made up of two heads – the long head and the short head.
The long head of the bicep brachii is located on the lateral (outer) side of the upper arm and makes up the peak, also known as the height of the bicep. On the other hand, the short head of the biceps brachii is positioned on the media (inner)l side of upper arm and contributes to the width or thickness of the bicep.
Therefore, if your goal is to build a bigger bicep peak, then hammer curls may be superior since they target the long head of the biceps brachii. They also hit the brachialis, which sits under the biceps brachii and can help increase bicep height.
However, if your arm is lacking width or thickness, then it may be a good idea to utilize bicep curls.
Now that you know more about the biceps, let’s dive into the two exercises that we’ll be comparing.
Pros and Cons
The Advantages of Hammer Curls
Here are some of the benefits of hammer curls:
- Hammer curls target more muscles of the forearm, including the brachioradialis, in addition to the biceps brachii and brachialis on the upper arm. Therefore, they are better for forearm development.
- 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.
- Hammer curls are performed with a neutral grip position, so they put less strain on the wrist.
- You are typically stronger performing hammer curls compared to bicep curls because the brachioradialis is in a better position to assist the biceps brachii with lifting the weight.
- Hammer curls are a simple movement, so they are quite easy to learn.
The Disadvantages of Hammer Curls
Some of the drawbacks of hammer curls are:
- Since the wrist is not fully supinated (facing up) during a hammer curl, the biceps brachii is positioned at a mechanical disadvantage. In other words, the biceps brachii cannot produce maximum force, so hammer curls may result in less hypertrophy of the biceps.
- Hammer curls limit your ability to use barbells and various cable attachments because your wrist has to be in a neutral position.
- Since most people are stronger with hammer curls, some people may default to using more weight than they can handle and rely on momentum to lift the weight. However, this drawback could also apply to any bicep curl variation.
The Advantages of Bicep Curls
The benefits of bicep curls include:
- Bicep curls are performed with your wrist in a supinated position, so they isolate the biceps brachii to a greater degree than hammer curls. Therefore, they are more ideal for those looking to grow and strengthen their biceps.
- Bicep curls can be performed in several ways with a variety of equipment.
- A 2018 study found that bicep curls executed with an EZ-Bar (undulated bar) led to more activation of the biceps brachii and brachioradialis than dumbbells or a straight barbell.
- A 2014 study revealed that concentration curls were the most beneficial for bicep activation than eight other popular bicep curl variations.
- Bicep curls help with shoulder strength and stability.
- Bicep curls are also easy to learn, which makes them great for beginners.
The Disadvantages of Bicep Curls
- Bicep curls may place more strain on your wrist.
- Bicep curls will likely not increase grip strength as much as hammer curls, so there’s less carry-over to other lifts.
- It’s easy to use momentum when performing bicep curls, which may lead to pain in the front of your shoulder (also known as biceps tendinitis).
- Most people cannot lift as much weight when performing bicep curls compared to hammer curls.
When To Do An Exercise
When To Do Hammer Curls
Anyone that has wrist pain or is looking to increase the size and strength of their forearms in addition to their upper arms should consider doing hammer curls.
Hammer curls are usually performed at the end of an upper-body workout and are most commonly paired with back training. If your grip strength, forearm, and bicep development are lacking, then you may want to perform hammer curls earlier on in the workout.
When To Do Bicep Curls
If your goal is to maximally develop and strengthen the biceps brachii, then adding traditional bicep curls to your routine is likely a good idea.
Typically, bicep curls are placed towards the end of an upper-body workout and most commonly paired with back training. Although, if arm hypertrophy is your primary focus, you may want to do bicep curls towards the beginning of the workout when you’re fresh.
For optimal results, training your biceps two times per week is recommended. So for maximal arm development, you could do hammer curls in one session and bicep curls in another.
Muscles Used
Hammer Curl Muscles Used
Hammer curls primarily work the long head of the biceps brachii, but they also engage the short head of the biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and brachialis.
- Primary: Long Head of Biceps Brachii
- Secondary: Short Head of Biceps Brachii, Brachioradialis, and Brachialis
Bicep Curl Muscles Used
Bicep curls primarily activate the biceps brachii, but it also engages the brachialis, brachioradialis, and wrist flexors.
- Primary: Short Head of Biceps Brachii
- Secondary: Long Head of Biceps Brachii, Brachioradialis, Brachialis, and Wrist Extensors
Proper Form
How To Do Hammer Curls with Proper Form
Here’s how the hammer curl is executed:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells (one in each hand).
- Stand straight up with your knees slightly bent, arms relaxed at your sides, and palms facing your torso.
- While keeping your upper arm still and elbows pinned to your side, begin to curl the dumbbell by contracting your biceps and forearm muscles.
- Once the dumbbell is close to your shoulder, hold for 1-2 seconds before lowering the dumbbell in a controlled fashion back to the starting position.
- Repeat.
Watch this video to see how to do hammer curls properly!
How To Do Bicep Curls with Proper Form
Keep in mind that the instructions below are for dumbbell bicep curls, but there are numerous variations to this exercise (i.e. barbell curl, EZ-bar curl, cable curl, etc.)
Here’s how a bicep curl is performed with dumbbells:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells (one in each hand).
- Stand straight up with your knees slightly bent, arms relaxed at your sides, and palms facing forward.
- While keeping your upper arm still and elbows pinned to your side, begin to curl the dumbbell by contracting your biceps.
- Once the dumbbell is close to your shoulder, hold for 1-2 seconds before lowering the dumbbell in a controlled fashion back to the starting position.
- Repeat.
Check out this video to see how to do dumbbell bicep curls properly:
Hammer Curls vs Bicep Curls: Final Thoughts
It seems that everyone is on the hunt to find the best exercise for any given body part. However, the question is quite challenging to answer because it depends on the individual. The hammer curl vs bicep curl debate is a great example of the nuances of resistance training.
Some may prefer hammer curls over bicep curls because their stronger, places less strain on their wrists, and it has better carry over to other lifts. Whereas others may be biased towards bicep curls because they isolate the biceps brachii more and have a better mind-muscle connection, thus providing them with greater bicep hypertrophy.
With that said, if you’re goal is to grow your biceps and that’s it, then traditional bicep curls are likely a better option than hammer curls. If your goal is to increase grip strength, forearm development, and bicep growth, then hammer curls reign supreme.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hammer Curls and Bicep Curls
Hammer curls are not necessarily better or worse than bicep curls. This comparison only makes sense within the context of a particular goal.
If your goal is to build the largest possible biceps, then both hammer curls and bicep curls should be utilized.
The hammer curl activates the long head of the bicep muscle while also working the brachialis, which can help increase the “peak” of the arm by filling out the arm and pushing up the long head of the bicep.
On the other hand, the standard bicep curl does a good job of activating the short head of the bicep, which can help add thickness to the bicep.
In terms of coordination, the hammer curl is just as easy to perform as the bicep curl.
Most people can lift more weight with the hammer curl than the bicep curl. This is because more muscles, especially those in the forearm, are activated when performing the hammer curl. These extra muscles help move more weight than the bicep curl, which puts the vast majority of the load on the bicep.
Yes, hammer curls can help build bigger biceps. Because they do not work the short head of the bicep, they should be supplemented with a bicep curl variation that does, such as the bicep curl, spider curl, or preacher curl.
The bicep curl is better for building thick biceps than the hammer curl.
Yes, hammer curls can increase forearm size and strength. They achieve this by activating the brachioradialis, which is located on the posterior (i.e. outer) part of the forearm.
Variations of the hammer curl include the rope hammer curl, cross body hammer curl (aka pinwheel curl), Swiss bar hammer curl, incline seated hammer curl, alternating hammer curl, and preacher hammer curl.
As you can see, there are plenty of hammer curl variations to help you switch up your bicep training! For more ideas, check out our hammer curl alternatives.
Variations of the bicep curl include concentration curls, spider curls, drag curls, barbell bicep curls, incline seated bicep curls, preacher curls, EZ-bar curls, cable curls, plate curls, and Zottman curls.
With a list of bicep exercises this long, you’ll be able to keep your arm muscles growing for quite some time!
Other Exercise Comparisons
If you enjoyed this article, check out our other comparisons of popular exercises.
References
- Marcolin, G., et al. (2018). “Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl.” PeerJ, 6, e5165. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6047503/
- Young, S., et al. (2014). “Ace study reveals best biceps exercises.” American Council on Exercise. https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/prosource/august-2014/4933/ace-study-reveals-best-biceps-exercises/
