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Exercises

Hammer curl alternatives that still build your forearms and biceps

Published October 23, 2026

The best hammer curl alternative is the reverse curl: a palms-down grip on a barbell or EZ bar loads the same outer forearm and the muscle under your biceps that the hammer curl targets. With dumbbells, the Zottman curl and the seated hammer curl cover it; in a gym, the cable twisting curl adds a steady pull. With no dumbbells, a band hammer curl or close-grip chin-ups get the job done.

What a hammer curl alternative has to replace

The hammer curl is a curl with your thumbs pointing up. That grip shifts work from the biceps to the brachialis, the muscle underneath it, and to the brachioradialis on the thumb side of your forearm. It is why hammer curls build thicker arms and forearms and usually let you lift more than a palms-up curl.

A good swap keeps a thumbs-up or palms-down grip for at least part of the rep.

How to do the hammer curl

Barbell, EZ bar and cables

In a gym or home gym with a bar, change the grip, not the movement: palms down on a straight bar, or the angled handles of an EZ bar. A cable adds a twist from thumbs-up to palms-up.

Closest barbell swap

Reverse Curl

Biceps, Forearms

A palms-down grip puts your biceps in a weak position, so the brachialis and the forearm muscles do most of the lifting, as they do on a hammer curl. You will use less weight than on a normal curl, so start light and keep your wrists flat.

How to do it

  1. Hold a straight bar palms down, hands roughly shoulder-width, and stand tall with the bar resting against your thighs.
  2. Pin your elbows to your sides and set your wrists in line with your forearms, knuckles pointing forward.
  3. Bend your elbows to raise the bar in an arc until your forearms are about vertical and the bar is near shoulder height.
  4. Pause for a beat at the top without letting your elbows drift forward.
  5. Lower the bar over two to three seconds until your arms are straight again.

Cues

  • Knuckles up, wrists flat
  • Elbows stay at your ribs
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Letting the wrists bend back under the bar: drop the weight until you can keep your knuckles in line with your forearms for every rep.
  • Swinging the hips to start the rep: the reverse curl uses much less weight than a normal curl, so pick a load you can lift with your arms alone.
  • Elbows sliding forward at the top: that turns the end of the rep into a front raise; stop where your forearms are vertical.
Build a session with Reverse Curl

Halfway grip on a bar

EZ-Bar Curl

Biceps

The angled handles turn your palms partly in, between a hammer grip and a normal curl. It lets you load a bar heavier than any dumbbell curl while keeping some of the hammer curl's forearm work.

How to do it

  1. Load the bar, stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, and take the inner angled grips with your palms facing up and slightly in.
  2. Let the bar hang against your thighs with your arms straight and your elbows tucked by your ribs.
  3. Bend at the elbows to bring the bar up in an arc until your forearms point roughly at the ceiling and the bar sits near your upper chest.
  4. Pause for a moment at the top without letting your elbows drift forward.
  5. Lower the bar under control for about two seconds until your arms are fully straight, then start the next rep.

Cues

  • Elbows glued to your sides
  • Ribs down, no lean back
  • All the way down every rep

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the hips to get the bar moving: if the first inch needs a hip snap, the weight is too heavy for the rep target.
  • Letting the elbows travel forward at the top: that turns the end of the curl into a front raise and takes tension off the biceps.
  • Cutting the bottom short: half reps let you lift more but skip the stretched part of the curl. Straighten your arms fully before each rep.
Build a session with EZ-Bar Curl

Cable swap

Cable Twisting Curl

Biceps

You start with your thumb up and turn your palm up as you curl, so one rep trains both the hammer and the normal curl position. The cable keeps the top of the rep loaded.

How to do it

  1. Attach a single handle to a low pulley and hold it in one hand with your palm facing in.
  2. Stand side-on or facing the pulley, elbow by your side, arm straight.
  3. Curl the handle up and rotate your hand so your palm faces the ceiling as you finish.
  4. Untwist back to a neutral grip as you lower to a straight arm, then repeat and switch sides.

Cues

  • Turn the pinky up at the top
  • Elbow stays put
  • One arm, full focus

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the twist at the very end: start rotating early and finish it as your forearm reaches vertical.
  • Swinging the body to finish reps: a single handle is light work, so pick a stack weight you can control.
Build a session with Cable Twisting Curl

Dumbbells

With dumbbells, keep the thumbs-up or palms-down grip and change how you curl: arms taking turns, seated, or with a slow palms-down lowering.

The hammer curl, arms taking turns

Alternating Hammer Curl

Biceps

This is the standard hammer curl with the arms taking turns, one rep each, not a different lift. If you have been curling both dumbbells together, alternating gives each arm a short rest between reps and lets you watch one elbow at a time for drift.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall holding two dumbbells by your sides, palms facing your thighs.
  2. Keep your elbow at your side and curl one dumbbell toward your shoulder without turning your wrist.
  3. Lower it slowly until the arm is straight, then curl the other side.
  4. Keep alternating, counting each arm, until the set is done.

Cues

  • Thumbs up the whole rep
  • Elbows stay by your sides
  • Two seconds down

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the dumbbell up with a lean back: if your body moves, the weight is too heavy.
  • Stopping short at the bottom: straighten the arm fully before the next curl on that side.
Build a session with Alternating Hammer Curl

Strictest dumbbell swap

Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Biceps

Sitting on a bench removes the hip swing that creeps into standing hammer curls, and curling one arm at a time keeps your focus on the working side. Pick it if your heavy hammer curls have turned into a body lean.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the end of a bench, feet flat and back tall, with the dumbbells hanging beside you, palms in.
  2. Curl one dumbbell up, thumb leading, until your forearm is upright.
  3. Pause briefly, then lower it until your arm is straight beside the bench.
  4. Curl the other arm, and keep alternating without leaning back.

Cues

  • Sit tall
  • Thumb to shoulder
  • Arm straight at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Letting the dumbbells hit the bench on the way down: shift slightly forward so they clear it.
  • Leaning back as the set gets hard: end the set instead.
Build a session with Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Best dumbbell swap for forearms

Zottman Curl

Biceps, Forearms

You curl with palms up and lower with palms down, so the slow lowering trains your forearms the way the hammer grip does. Use lighter dumbbells than for hammer curls.

How to do it

  1. Stand with one dumbbell per hand, arms straight at your sides, palms facing forward.
  2. Keeping your upper arms still at your sides, curl both dumbbells up to your shoulders.
  3. At the top, turn your wrists so your palms face down.
  4. Lower the dumbbells slowly, taking about three seconds, with your palms still facing down and your wrists straight.
  5. At the bottom, turn your palms forward again and start the next curl.

Cues

  • Palms up to lift, palms down to lower
  • Three seconds on the way down
  • Elbows stay at your sides

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the lowering: the slow overhand descent is the point of the exercise; if you can't take three seconds, the dumbbells are too heavy.
  • Turning the wrists halfway down instead of at the top: finish the rotation at shoulder height so the whole descent is palms down.
  • Letting the wrists bend back while lowering: keep your knuckles in line with your forearm so the forearm muscles do the work.
Build a session with Zottman Curl

One-dumbbell option

Waiter Curl

Biceps

Both hands cup one dumbbell under its top plate, so you can still train your arms with a single weight. Your palms face up, which shifts the work toward your biceps, so keep a Zottman or band hammer curl in the same week for your forearms.

How to do it

  1. Hold one dumbbell upright with both palms flat under the top plate.
  2. Keep your elbows by your sides with arms straight.
  3. Curl it to chest height, keeping the dumbbell vertical.
  4. Lower slowly back to straight arms.

Cues

  • Palms flat
  • Dumbbell upright
  • Straight arms at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Tilting the dumbbell back toward you: hold it vertical so the plate stays level in your palms.
  • Swinging the last reps up with your hips: stop the set when your elbows can no longer do it alone.
Build a session with Waiter Curl

Bands and bodyweight

No dumbbells: a band, a door frame or a pull-up bar keeps the same muscles working.

Band swap

Band Hammer Curl

Biceps

The thumbs-up curl with a band under your feet, one arm at a time. It is lightest at the bottom and hardest at the top, so slow the lowering to make every rep count.

How to do it

  1. Stand on the middle of a band, feet about hip-width, an end in each hand with palms facing in.
  2. Keep your elbows at your sides and curl one hand up toward your shoulder, thumb up.
  3. Hold the top for a second, then lower slowly to a straight arm.
  4. Curl the other arm, and keep alternating until the set is done.

Cues

  • Thumbs up the whole rep
  • Elbows still
  • Control the band down

Common mistakes

  • Rushing the lowering: let the band pull for two seconds.
  • Too little tension: shorten the band by stepping wider.
Build a session with Band Hammer Curl

Bodyweight swap

Bodyweight Bicep Curl

Biceps

Gripping the sides of a door frame puts your hands close to a thumbs-up angle while you curl your bodyweight toward it. Step your front foot closer to the door to make it harder.

How to do it

  1. Face an open door frame and take hold of both sides, hands level with your hips.
  2. Step one foot forward and lean back until your arms are straight and your body weight hangs on your hands.
  3. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides and bend them to pull your body toward the frame.
  4. Straighten your arms slowly to lean back out, then repeat.

Cues

  • Elbows pinned to your sides
  • Body stays straight
  • Front foot closer to make it harder

Common mistakes

  • Pulling your elbows back like a row: keep them fixed at your sides so only your forearms move.
  • Bending at the hips to finish the rep: tense your glutes and keep your body in one line.
Build a session with Bodyweight Bicep Curl

Best swap with only a pull-up bar

Close-Grip Chin-Up

Lats, Biceps

A close, palms-up chin-up loads your biceps and forearms with your whole bodyweight.

How to do it

  1. Grab the bar palms-up with your hands about a fist's width apart.
  2. From a straight-arm hang, pull until your upper chest nears the bar.
  3. Squeeze at the top with your elbows tight to your body.
  4. Lower slowly to a full hang.

Cues

  • Hands close
  • Chest to the bar
  • Three seconds down

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging your shoulders to your ears at the bottom: keep a little tension so the shoulders stay set.
  • Swinging between reps: pause in the hang until your body is still.
Build a session with Close-Grip Chin-Up

Triceps to pair with them

Each example session ends with one triceps exercise, so it covers your whole arm.

Triceps, to pair in the gym

Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps

The gym session ends with a pressdown so one visit covers both sides of your arm.

How to do it

  1. Clip a rope, straight bar or V-bar to a pulley set above head height and pick a weight you could move for about 15 reps.
  2. Grab the attachment, take a small step back and lean your chest slightly forward with your knees soft, so the cable runs just in front of your face.
  3. Pull your upper arms against your sides with your elbows bent and your hands around chest height. This is where every rep starts.
  4. Press the attachment down by straightening your elbows until your arms are fully locked out by your thighs. With a rope, spread the ends apart as your hands pass your hips.
  5. Let your hands rise back to chest height over about two seconds, keeping your elbows in the same spot, then press again.

Cues

  • Elbows glued to your ribs
  • Lock out hard at the bottom
  • Only your forearms move

Common mistakes

  • Leaning over the stack and pushing with your body weight: if your shoulders roll forward to finish a rep, drop the weight until your torso stays still for the whole set.
  • Letting the elbows drift forward on the way up: your shoulders take over and the rep turns into a press. Stop your hands at chest height and keep your upper arms vertical.
  • Cutting the bottom short: the last few inches before lockout are where the triceps work hardest, so finish every rep with straight arms.
  • Letting the stack yank your hands back up: control the return, since a dropped weight gives you half a rep.
Build a session with Cable Triceps Pressdown

Triceps, to pair at home

Triceps Kickback

Triceps

One dumbbell and a bench or chair is enough for the triceps half of a home arm day.

How to do it

  1. Put one knee and the same hand on a flat bench and lean forward until your back is close to flat, holding a dumbbell in the other hand.
  2. Lift your upper arm until it is level with your torso and tight to your side, with the elbow bent about 90 degrees and the dumbbell hanging below it.
  3. Straighten your elbow and push the dumbbell back until your whole arm is in a straight line.
  4. Hold the straight arm for a second and squeeze the back of your arm.
  5. Bend the elbow slowly back to 90 degrees without letting the upper arm drop, then finish all reps before switching arms.

Cues

  • Upper arm stays parked
  • Lock out and pause
  • Only the forearm moves

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the dumbbell up: use a lighter weight so you can stop it at the top for a second.
  • Letting the upper arm drop toward the floor: keep the elbow level with your back; if it sinks, the weight is too heavy.
  • Bending only partway: straighten the arm fully, since the top is where the triceps work hardest.
Build a session with Triceps Kickback

Triceps, to pair with no weights

Floor Triceps Dip

Triceps

Sitting on the floor with your hands behind you, you press your hips up with your triceps.

How to do it

  1. Sit with your knees bent and your hands flat behind you, fingers facing forward.
  2. Lift your hips slightly off the floor by straightening your arms.
  3. Bend your elbows to bring your hips down toward the floor, stopping just short of it.
  4. Push back up to straight arms.

Cues

  • Fingers face your feet
  • Hover the hips
  • Elbows straight back

Common mistakes

  • Sitting all the way down between reps: keep the tension on.
  • Letting the feet do the lifting: press from the hands.
Build a session with Floor Triceps Dip

Example sessions without the hammer curl

Session 1

Gym, bars and cables

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, EZ Bar, Adjustable Cable

You train in a gym and want the hammer curl's forearm and arm thickness work without dumbbells.

The reverse curl takes the hammer curl's place first, while you're fresh, because it is the closest match. EZ-bar curls add heavier biceps work, the cable twisting curl finishes both grips, and a pressdown covers the triceps. 12 working sets.

Arms
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Reverse Curl1 warm-up set firstWrists flat, knuckles up. 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
EZ-Bar Curl 3 × 8–12 2 90 s
Cable Twisting CurlSets are per arm. 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Cable Triceps Pressdown 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Once or twice a week, on a day that doesn't follow heavy back work.
How to progress
When every set reaches the top of its range at the RIR shown, add the smallest weight jump next session. Reverse curls go up slowly; add reps before plates.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Home, dumbbells and a bench

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You have a pair of dumbbells and a bench or chair at home, and your standing hammer curls have turned into a swing.

The seated hammer curl keeps the grip and removes the swing, the Zottman curl loads your forearms on a slow lowering, and the waiter curl finishes on the biceps with one dumbbell. Light home dumbbells mean higher reps and shorter rest. 12 working sets.

Arms
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl1 warm-up set firstCount each arm. 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Zottman CurlThree seconds down. 3 × 10–12 1 1 min
Waiter Curl 3 × 15–20 0 45 s
Triceps KickbackSets are per arm. 3 × 12–15 1 45 s
How to run it
Twice a week on non-consecutive days. Keep rest to 60 seconds or less so light dumbbells still make each set hard.
How to progress
Add reps until every set hits the top of its range, then move up a dumbbell. At your heaviest pair, take three seconds to lower each rep.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

No weights, band or pull-up bar

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets39 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Resistance Bands

You train at home with a pull-up bar, a door frame or a resistance band and no dumbbells.

Close-grip chin-ups give your biceps and forearms the heaviest load, so they go first. Band hammer curls keep the thumbs-up grip for high reps, door-frame curls finish, and floor dips cover the triceps. 13 working sets.

Arms
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Close-Grip Chin-Up 4 × 5–10 2 2 min
Band Hammer CurlCount each arm. 3 × 15–25 1 45 s
Bodyweight Bicep Curl 3 × 10–20 1 1 min
Floor Triceps Dip 3 × 15–25 1 45 s
How to run it
Two or three times a week. Take the band and door-frame sets within one rep of failure.
How to progress
On chin-ups, add a rep a week until you reach 10 on every set, then slow the lowering to four seconds. On the rest, add reps, then step wider on the band or closer to the door.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What can I do instead of hammer curls?

Reverse curls with a barbell or EZ bar are the closest swap, because a palms-down grip trains the same forearm and brachialis. With dumbbells, Zottman curls and seated hammer curls work well.

Is there a way to do hammer curls without dumbbells?

Yes. Stand on a resistance band and curl with your thumbs up, or grip the sides of a door frame and curl your body toward it. A close-grip chin-up also trains the same muscles.

Are hammer curls even necessary?

No single exercise is. But a thumbs-up or palms-down curl trains the brachialis and forearm better than palms-up curls alone, so keep at least one in your week.

Should you alternate on hammer curls?

Either way works. Alternating gives each arm a short rest between reps, so you may get a rep more; curling both together is faster.

What are some alternatives to dumbbell curls?

Barbell curls, EZ-bar curls, cable curls and chin-ups all train the biceps. With dumbbells, try incline, concentration or Zottman curls for a different angle.

How often should I train biceps?

Twice a week suits most lifters: split your biceps sets across two sessions instead of piling them into one, and log them so you can see whether they go up.