Hammer Curls vs Bicep Curls: Which One is Better?

Hammer curls vs bicep curls have always been a topic of intense discussion and debate. So, it’s understandable when a beginner wants to know which one is better to grow their biceps and leads to bigger arms.

However, before understanding which is better, you must understand how each exercise helps the biceps. Only then will you be able to understand whether hammer curls are better than bicep curls or vice versa.

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How do the biceps work?

Hammer curls vs bicep curls only make senses as a debate if you know how the bicep muscle is formed. Here’s a quick explanation of how the muscle group is spread out on the upper arm.

The biceps have two heads, and it’s placed between the forearm and shoulder. The muscle group begins with the scapula coracoid process and ends at the radial tuberosity, which is beneath the radius (a bone in the forearm).

The muscle group allows you to enable forearm flexion and forearm supination. Additionally, the biceps are the muscles worked in lifting and pulling movements.

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How do bicep curls work?

Bicep curls (Photo via Unsplash/Gordon Cowie)

To do the bicep curl:

• Stand with your arms by your side with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Turn your palms outwards to keep them in a supinated position.
• Curl the dumbbell till the shoulders while keeping the elbow stable and slightly in front of the hips.
• Squeeze the biceps at the top of the motion for a second before lowering the dumbbell to the starting position.
• The elbow must remain in one spot during the entire movement.

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How do bicep curls help?

The dumbbell bicep curl works on the long head and the short head (it’s not possible to do exercises that isolate the short and the long head). In other words, bicep curls focus on the bicep brachii.

However, supinated bicep curls focus more on the short head of the bicep. The short head is responsible for the muscle peak. So, the more you focus on it, the better your bicep peak will be.

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How do hammer curls work?

Hammer curls (Photo via Unsplash/Jeff Tumale)

To do a hammer curl:

• Stand with your arms by your side with a dumbbell in each hand.
• Turn the palms towards your legs to put them in a neutral grip.
• Curl the dumbbell all the way to your shoulders while keeping a stable elbow.
• Squeeze the muscles at the top of the motion before steadily lowering them.
• The elbows must remain steady.

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How do hammer curls help?

Hammer curls work on the long head and short head as well, but its major focus is on the long head. Hence, the hammer curl focuses more on the brachioradialis (the muscle that moves from the bicep to the forearm) and the brachialis.

Therefore, hammer curls work on the thickness of the biceps and forearm development. The more hammer curls you do, the more your biceps will have an overall development.

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So, what's the answer to hammer curls vs bicep curls?

Hammer curls vs bicep curls (Photo via Unsplash/Norbert Buduczki)

Now that you know how hammer curls and bicep curls help, it’s easy to deduce an answer for hammer curls vs bicep curls.

Ideally, you should choose the exercise based on your goals rather than picking one as the best. The muscles worked in both exercises are the bicep brachii, but the intensity on the long and short head differs in each exercise. If you want to focus on the peak, it’s supinated dumbbell curls but for overall development, choose hammer curls.

NOTE: Keep in mind that hammer curls and dumbbell curls are both types of bicep curls.

It’s better to include both exercises and other types of bicep curls such as cable curls, rope curls, barbell curls, and others to add variation to your workout routine and develop the muscle group from all angles.

It may not be wise to choose one between hammer curls and bicep curls, as sooner or later, you will need to add the unchosen exercise to your bicep workout routine.