Hammer Curls...Forearm or Bicep Exercise ?

[Overload]

Just started doing these and depending what article you read, it's listed as strictly a forearm exercise or as a bicep exercise with a little forearm coming into play.

So to those that have used them regularly, what area do you feel they affect the most?

[Dutchman]

Overload, for me they are my favorite forearm exercise. The bicep effect is secondary because I do them seated and elbows at my side, I carefully raise the weights (this AM eg. with just 40 lb DBs) slowly up from the fulcrum point. If I let my arms/elbows slide backwards even a little bit it seems to bring the biceps more into play.

[Overload]

I had my elbows tucked in at my side when I did them last night and definitely felt them more in the forearms so I thought I was doing something wrong. I like them and since I need something to hit the forearms a bit more, these will remain in my routine

Harder than I thought also, after doing biceps.

[phikappa]

Don't like 'em, don't do 'em.

[Gator]

I think it gets the brachialis part of the bi..could be wrong, been wrong before..
I do em here and there..
No need to work forearms if u deadlift..

Gator

[phikappa]

Originally posted by Gator
I think it gets the brachialis part of the bi..could be wrong, been wrong before..
I do em here and there..
No need to work forearms if u deadlift..

Gator

There's no need to work a few things if you deadlift. Oy!

[OneHotMama]

The brachialis and the biceps are both use in elbow flexion; the brachialis' strongest action in elbow flexion occurs with the forearm in a mid or neutral postion(hammer grip), and the biceps' strongest action occurs when the hand is supination(palms up position).

[Gator]

Sounds official to me..

Gator

[TwoWalks]

And here all this time I thought you could change what hammer curls hit by putting thumb in or thumb out.

[Minotaur]

Originally posted by Gator
I think it gets the brachialis part of the bi..could be wrong, been wrong before..
I do em here and there..
No need to work forearms if u deadlift..

Gator

No, you're right. Hammer curls, like reverse curls, work the brachialis. The brachialis sits underneath and to the outside of the biceps. Working the brachialis give a little more width to the arm.

[batteryrequired]

Originally posted by OneHotMama
The brachialis and the biceps are both use in elbow flexion; the brachialis' strongest action in elbow flexion occurs with the forearm in a mid or neutral postion(hammer grip), and the biceps' strongest action occurs when the hand is supination(palms up position).

Do this on an incline bench and really feel the burn when you do this. Works them both great!

[Overload]

Originally posted by Minotaur
Working the brachialis give a little more width to the arm.

I sure can use more width...all over.

[hbk3]

Originally posted by Gator
I think it gets the brachialis part of the bi..could be wrong, been wrong before..
I do em here and there..
No need to work forearms if u deadlift..

Gator

your right it hits brachialis , if you want great arms do them with a twist . lift up and before dumbell hits shoulder twist the dumbell where it is sitting in your hand like you were doing curls. puts more muscle in the bottom of your bicep belly. this exercise will push bicep peak up like a tent pole making peaks higher i do one set a week . 75 pounds each hand alternate 4 reps thats it , this is great but stupid me tried 80 before i was ready and now i have some pain in my right elbow. stick to 3-4 reps doing less on heavier weight = ouch.

[Minotaur]

When I was battling tennis elbow, twisting was the only way I could do curls. My biceps would go to work when the stress was off the epicondyl (part of the bone/tendon construct that was inflamed).

For the 'lift' portion, it was a hammer, which put no stress on the epicondyl. So I got the best of all worlds... biceps workout, brachialis workout, and no aggravation of my tennis elbow.

Now twisting curls are the only way I'll fdo them with dumbells (or EZ curls... no elbow stress either).

[Overload]

Originally posted by hbk3
if you want great arms do them with a twist . lift up and before dumbell hits shoulder twist the dumbell where it is sitting in your hand like you were doing curls. puts more muscle in the bottom of your bicep belly. this exercise will push bicep peak up like a tent pole making peaks higher

Cool. I will definitely try "the twist" next time I do them.

[Bob45]

I do my Db curls starting like a hammer curl then turn my hands out as I go up. Feels like everything gets hit that way.

[egoatdoor]

I make it work both ways.

If I loosen my forerams and flex the biceps on the upswing, I feel it in the biceps. If I squeeze the dumbbell harder and relax the bicep, it works the forearm.

I will do it sometimes with bis and other times with forearms.

[A-rod]

Hammers hit bis(brachiallis and biceps brachi) and forearms hard , it`s a great exercise

[chick_magnet]

Hi well i have been doing hammer curls for a lil less than 2 weeks and the majr notice i have seen is in my outter bicep and the vein thts right over the bicep the vein has grown broder and thicker. Thats my personal experince dnt knw what the book says

[BBingUniverse]

I love hammer curls and alternate them with sets of straight dumbell curls. Really blows the whole arm up.

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