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Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl

A neutral-grip incline curl that biases the brachialis and brachioradialis while keeping the long head of the biceps under stretch from the reclined position.

ArmsDumbbellElbow flexion
GoLightWeight mediadumbbell-incline-hammer-curl

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Primary

BrachialisBrachioradialis

Secondary

Biceps brachiiAnterior deltoidsForearm flexors

Equipment

Dumbbell

Pattern

Elbow flexion

Setup

  1. 01Set an incline bench to roughly 45 to 60 degrees.
  2. 02Sit back with head and upper back on the pad.
  3. 03Let both arms hang straight down with palms facing each other.
  4. 04Keep the shoulders pulled back and down.

Execution

  1. 01Curl both dumbbells up keeping the thumbs-up neutral grip throughout.
  2. 02Drive the movement from the elbow with the upper arms hanging vertical.
  3. 03Squeeze at the top with the dumbbells near shoulder height.
  4. 04Lower slowly to a full stretch at the bottom.

Checkpoints

  • -Palms stay facing each other the entire rep.
  • -Elbows stay behind the torso line, not drifting forward.
  • -Wrists stay straight, not curling in at the top.
  • -Torso stays on the pad without shrugging.

Common mistakes

  • -Rotating the palms up and turning it into a regular incline curl.
  • -Swinging the dumbbells with shoulder momentum.
  • -Cutting the eccentric short instead of lowering to full extension.
  • -Letting the elbows flare wide off the body line.

Programming notes

  • -Use 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
  • -The neutral grip usually handles more load than the supinated incline curl.
  • -Good pairing with a supinated curl in the same session to cover both grips.

Related exercises

Incline Dumbbell Biceps Curl

Dumbbell / Arms

Hammer Curl

Dumbbell / Arms

Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl (Variation 2)

Dumbbell / Arms

Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Dumbbell / Arms

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