Arms · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Hammer Curl
How to do the dumbbell hammer curl, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Curl
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand with dumbbells at your sides, palms facing your body. Curl the weights up towards your shoulders, keeping your palms facing each other throughout the movement. Lower back down with control.
- 1Hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip and curl them by bending your elbows, feeling your brachialis and biceps work
- 2Keep your elbows tucked at your sides and your wrists in a neutral position
- 3Squeeze at the top and lower slowly to emphasise the eccentric phase
Common mistakes
- Don't swing the dumbbells or lean backward to lift them
- Avoid rotating your wrists or letting your elbows drift forward
- Don't rush; maintain a controlled pace for both upward and downward movements
Muscles worked
The dumbbell hammer curl mainly works the biceps and forearms.
- BicepsPrimary
- ForearmsPrimary
- Front DeltsMinor
Dumbbell Hammer Curl strength standards
See how your dumbbell hammer curl ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.
Bronzee1RM20 lb
Silvere1RM35 lb
Golde1RM55 lb
Platinume1RM77.5 lb
Diamonde1RM90 lb
Champione1RM102.5 lb
Find your rank
Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.
Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.
Kovo programs the dumbbell hammer curl for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More biceps exercises
- How to do the resistance band bicep curl
- How to do the resistance band hammer curl
- How to do the barbell bicep curl
- How to do the cable bicep curl
- How to do the cable hammer curl
- How to do the overhead bicep curl
Last reviewed April 2026.