Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl
Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl trades complexity for strength you can feel outside the gym, and it fits late in an arms workout.
How to do Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold an Olympic barbell with an overhand grip.
- Let the barbell hang at arm's length in front of your thighs, with your palms facing your body.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the barbell until your biceps are fully contracted and the barbell is at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly begin to lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl Sets and Reps by Goal
Strength
5 sets of 4-6 reps at a leverage you can only just control, resting 3 minutes. Change one variable a week and let the rest stay put.
Hypertrophy
4-5 sets of 15-20 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Add reps before you add load, and keep every rep the same shape.
Endurance
4 sets of 40 seconds of unbroken work with 30 seconds of rest. Stop the set at the last rep that still looks like the first.
Common Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl Mistakes
Choosing a load you can move but cannot own
Pick a weight that lets you finish every rep looking the same.
Feeling the movement everywhere except the muscle it trains
Lighten the load and rebuild the position until the target muscle burns.
Cutting range to keep the load climbing
Protect the full range first; the load can wait a session.
Easier and Harder Than Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl
Swap Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl For
Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl — Frequently Asked Questions
How do you do the Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl?
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold an Olympic barbell with an overhand grip. Let the barbell hang at arm's length in front of your thighs, with your palms facing your body. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Use olympic Barbell and keep the movement controlled through the full range. The animated GIF above shows the complete rep at normal speed.
What muscles does the Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl work?
The Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl primarily targets the biceps. It is classified as a arms exercise and is performed with olympic Barbell.
How many sets and reps of the Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl should I do?
For muscle growth: 4-5 sets of 15-20 reps with 45-60 seconds of rest. Add reps before you add load, and keep every rep the same shape. Adjust the load rather than the rep target if form breaks down before the final rep.
Is the Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl good for beginners?
Not usually. The Olympic Barbell 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 Olympic Barbell Hammer Curl?
Try the Cable Lying Close-grip Curl, Barbell Prone Incline Curl or the Dumbbell Preacher Curl. Each trains the biceps with a similar movement pattern, so you can swap based on the equipment you have available.
