Looking for hammer curl alternatives to spice up your biceps workout?
Here are the 9 best hammer curl alternatives you can try today:
- Pinwheel Curl (“Cross Body Hammer Curl”)
- Preacher Curl
- Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl
- Reverse Grip EZ-Bar Curl
- Reverse Cable Curl
- Cable Hammer Curl
- Zottman Curl
- Band Hammer Curl
- Kettlebell Curl
All of these exercises target the same muscles as the standard hammer curl.
What Muscles Do Hammer Curls Work?
Hammer curls work three different muscles in the upper and middle arm:
- Biceps brachii
- Brachioradialis
- Brachialis
Unlike standard dumbbell or barbell curls, which focus mostly on the biceps brachii, hammer curls work the brachialis and brachioradialis to a significant degree.
In fact, so much so that hammer curls are often considered a forearm exercise, even though they mimic standard biceps curls so closely.
All of the hammer curl alternatives presented here target these three muscles, with a focus on the brachialis and brachioradialis.
9 Best Hammer Curl Alternatives
#1 – Pinwheel Curl (AKA “Cross Body Hammer Curl”)
Instructions
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart and dumbbells at your sides in a neutral grip
- Curl one dumbbell up, bringing your wrist to the center of your chest and letting your elbow flare out a bit
- Squeeze at the top of the rep
- Slowly control the weight on the downward portion
- Now repeat with the other arm
Why do I love pinwheel curls? Because you can lift heavy weight with them. You should be able to do more with them than with hammer curls. And that’s why they’re easily my favorite of all the hammer curl alternatives.
Pro Tip: Keep your traps from getting too involved with the movement. Your traps are going to want to get involved, especially when the reps get hard. Remember that this movement is a curl, and the force applied should be coming from elbow flexion, not from your neck.
#2 – Preacher Curl
Instructions
Note: Preacher curls can be done with a barbell, EZ-bar, or dumbbells. We’ll go with a barbell/EZ-bar for the instructions, but generally the same would apply for dumbbell.
- Pick up bar and place elbows and back of upper arms on preacher pad
- Slowly lower bar, but DO NOT lower to full extension, instead lower to about 15 degrees
- Without lifting your arms off the pad, curl the bar back up, squeezing your biceps at the top
- Slowly lower bar and repeat
Although I highlighted the barbell variation here, my favorite is actually the dumbbell version. There’s just no feeling like curling a heavy dumbbell on the preacher bench. You can really go all out and totally focus in on feeling the muscle work.
Pro Tip: Avoid lowering the bar to full extension because it places your biceps in a compromised position and could lead to injury. Also, watch out for leg drive when the reps get hard. Stay solid in one position and let your biceps do the work. They’re going to thank you for it!
#3 – Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl
Instructions
Note: You can do these with both dumbbells at once or one arm at a time. I prefer one arm at a time.
- Set up one arm on a preacher bench with a dumbbell held in a neutral grip
- Hold dumbbell at top of movement and slowly lower, under control
- Stop just before full extension and curl the weight up, keeping your arm firmly on the pad
- Slowly lower under control and repeat
This is a fantastic and often overlooked hammer curl alternative. I don’t use it all the time, but it’s a perfect exercise to throw in and challenge the muscle in a slightly different way. When you do that, you elicit growth.
Pro Tip: With a neutral grip preacher curl, you can lower a bit farther than with a standard (palms up) preacher curl. Still, I recommend stopping just short of full extension to save your biceps.
#4 – Reverse Grip EZ-Bar Curl
Instructions
Note: Reverse grip curls can also be done with a standard barbell, but it’s really hard on your wrists, so I recommend sticking with an EZ-bar.
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart while holding bar with an overhand grip
- Curl weight up, keeping elbows locked in at your sides
- Squeeze your biceps at the top
- Slowly lower under control
- Repeat
Try doing these with all grip variations possible on the EZ-bar. These are hard, but rewarding if you do them consistently.
Pro Tip: You really want to keep your elbows locked in with reverse curls. If you move your arms forward to help lift the weight, you’re just getting your anterior deltoids involved instead of your biceps/brachialis/brachioradialis.
#5 – Reverse Grip Cable Curl
Instructions
Notes: This exercise can be done with any straight bar or EZ-bar attachment.
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart while holding bar with an overhand grip
- Curl weight up, keeping elbows locked in at your sides
- Squeeze your biceps at the top
- Slowly lower under control
- Repeat
You can also try the lat bar attachment for an even wider grip curl. I like doing this exercise for high reps at the end of a workout.
Pro Tip: In addition to keeping your elbows locked in, make sure to squeeze at the top. The tension of the cable will be pulling your arms down and making it difficult to get that squeeze in. But you got to do it!
#6 – Cable Hammer Curl
Instructions
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart while holding rope with a neutral grip
- Curl weight up, keeping elbows locked in at your sides
- Squeeze your biceps at the top
- Slowly lower under control
- Repeat
Another overlooked exercise (even by me), the cable hammer curl is actually quite effective. The rope is perfectly designed to mimic a regular hammer curl, and this makes it one of the best hammer curl alternatives.
Pro Tip: Keep the rope as vertical as possible throughout the movement. This will help you avoid bringing your elbows up and involving the anterior deltoids.
#7 – Zottman Curl
Instructions
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart while holding dumbbells at your side with an underhand grip
- Curl weight up, keeping elbows locked in at your sides
- Squeeze your biceps at the top while turning your palms out
- Slowly lower under control
- Repeat
I actually don’t do Zottman’s all that often, but they seem to be popular with some people. They are a great exercise to do in addition to hammer curls, since they complete the full rotation of your wrists, hitting all three major muscle groups in the upper/mid arm.
Pro Tip: The key with the Zottman curl is to squeeze and control your biceps at the top. By doing this, you can control the dumbbell as you turn your palms out.
#8 – Band Hammer Curl
Instructions
- Stand on top of band with feet shoulder width apart, using a neutral hand position
- Curl weight up, keeping elbows locked in at your sides
- Squeeze your biceps at the top
- Slowly lower under control
- Repeat
These are another excellent biceps finishing exercise. You could start off with heavy dumbbell hammer curls and then completely toast the muscle with these. Just a thought.
Pro Tip: Really focus on lowering under control. The band tension will be tough at the top. Also, you can do a two-handed variation with a regular resistance band. Simply use an overhand grip instead.
#9 – Kettlebell Curl
Instructions
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart while holding kettlebells at your side with a neutral grip
- Curl weight up, while keeping your wrists as straight as possible, and elbows locked in
- Squeeze your biceps at the top
- Slowly lower under control
- Repeat
Kettlebell curls can be frustrating because of how much pressure they put on your forearms and wrists. But, they are challenging in a good way. Few exercises challenge your wrists and forearms in that way.
Pro Tip: Stick to doing this one with lighter weight and high(er) reps. The heavier you go, the harder and more awkward they will be to control.
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