Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl
Skip the guesswork: Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl leans on independent dumbbell loading for muscle you built on purpose.
How to do Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
- Keep your elbows close to your torso and your upper arms stationary.
- Exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps, bringing the dumbbells across your body towards your opposite shoulder.
- Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
5 sets of 2-4 reps with 3-5 minutes of rest. Start each set with the weaker arm and match it.
Hypertrophy
4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up.
Endurance
3-4 sets of 18-25 reps with 30-45 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong.
Common Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl Mistakes
Dropping the bells hard at the end of a set
Lower them under control so the last rep still counts as training.
Moving through the easy half of the range only
Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.
Cutting range to keep the load climbing
Protect the full range first; the load can wait a session.
Easier and Harder Than Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl
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Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl?
Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body. Keep your elbows close to your torso and your upper arms stationary. Exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps, bringing the dumbbells across your body towards your opposite shoulder. Use dumbbells and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl work?
The Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl primarily targets the biceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with dumbbells.
How many sets and reps of the Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl should I do?
For muscle growth: 4-5 sets of 6-10 reps with 60-90 seconds of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl good for beginners?
Not usually. The Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl is an advanced movement that assumes existing strength and joint control. Build up through easier arms progressions first, then add this once the basics feel comfortable.
What can I do instead of the Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl?
Try the Barbell Prone Incline Curl, Cable One Arm Curl or the Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl. Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
