Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl
Also known as: seated dumbbell hammer curl
Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl trades complexity for muscle you built on purpose, and it fits late in an arms workout.
How to do Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl
- Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your torso and arms extended straight down.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
- 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 Seated Hammer Curl Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
4 sets of 4-6 reps with 3 minutes of rest. Add reps on the smaller bell before you size up.
Hypertrophy
4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong.
Endurance
3 sets of 15-20 reps with 45 seconds of rest. Start each set with the weaker arm and match it.
Common Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl Mistakes
Letting the bells drift off the working path
Keep both dumbbells travelling the same line on every rep.
Moving through the easy half of the range only
Work the part of the range that feels hardest, not the part that feels good.
Letting the last set decay into a different exercise
End the set when the pattern changes, not when the reps run out.
Easier and Harder Than Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl
Swap Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl For
Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl?
Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your torso and arms extended straight down. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. 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 Seated Hammer Curl work?
The Dumbbell Seated 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 Seated Hammer Curl should I do?
For muscle growth: 4 sets of 8-12 reps with 75-90 seconds of rest. Size up only when both sides finish equally strong. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl good for beginners?
It is an intermediate movement. You will get more out of it once you can already perform the basic arms patterns with controlled form. Beginners can still use it with light load and close attention to technique.
What can I do instead of the Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl?
Try the Ez Barbell Reverse Grip Preacher Curl, Barbell Seated Close-grip Concentration Curl or the Weighted Seated Bicep Curl (on Stability Ball). Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
Is the Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl the same as the seated dumbbell hammer curl?
Yes. The Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl is also commonly called the seated dumbbell hammer curl. Different gyms and training programs label it differently, but "seated dumbbell hammer curl" refer to this same movement.
