How is the hammer preacher curl different from a regular dumbbell preacher curl?

The grip is the difference: here the palms face each other with the thumbs up, while the Dumbbell Preacher Curl turns them toward the ceiling. The neutral grip shifts more of the work to the brachialis and brachioradialis, the palm-up grip puts more on the biceps, and many programs use both.

Should I curl both arms together or one at a time?

Both together is quicker and works well when your arms are roughly even in strength. The Dumbbell Single-Arm Hammer Preacher Curl lets you focus on one side and match the weaker arm's reps on the stronger one, which helps when one arm clearly lags.

How far should I lower the dumbbells?

Lower under control until your arms are nearly straight, without bouncing at the bottom. In a study of untrained women doing one-arm seated dumbbell preacher curls, the arm trained only through the bottom half of the range, from straight to about halfway up, gained more full-range curl strength and more biceps size near the elbow than the arm trained only through the top half.

Can I do it without a preacher bench?

Yes. Kneeling or standing behind an adjustable bench with the backrest set fairly upright and your upper arms draped over the top gives a similar fixed arm position. Gyms that have one can also use the Machine Preacher Curl (Hammer Grip).

How much weight and how many reps should I use?

Most people do well with 8 to 15 controlled reps, stopping a set when the range shortens or the elbows start to leave the pad. Expect to use lighter dumbbells than for a standing hammer curl, because the pad removes any help from body swing.

Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl

What Is the Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl?

Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the biceps, with the brachialis doing a large share of the work, and also engages the brachioradialis and the forearm muscles that hold the wrist straight. It is a beginner-level movement performed seated at a preacher bench, curling two dumbbells at the same time with a neutral grip, palms facing each other and thumbs up.

The preacher pad holds both upper arms in place, so the body cannot swing the weight up and the shoulders cannot help, which makes every rep strict. The neutral grip moves more of the work onto the brachialis and brachioradialis than the palm-up Dumbbell Preacher Curl does, while the Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curl turns the palms down and shifts the load further toward the forearm. Building the brachialis adds thickness to the upper arm, and the brachioradialis adds size to the top of the forearm.

It usually sits near the end of an upper-body or pulling session as accessory arm work, often paired with a palm-up curl so all three elbow flexors get trained. Curling both arms together saves time compared with the Dumbbell Single-Arm Hammer Preacher Curl, which suits lifters who want to focus on one side or bring up a weaker arm. A machine version, the Machine Preacher Curl (Hammer Grip), is another option where a gym has one.

The exercise suits beginners and experienced lifters alike, and many people find the neutral grip more comfortable on the wrists than a palm-up curl. Anyone new to curling can learn the same neutral-grip action first with the standing Dumbbell Hammer Curl, then move to the pad, where lighter dumbbells are usually needed because no body swing is available.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Biceps Brachii: Primary
Brachialis: Primary
Brachioradialis: High
Extensor Carpi Radialis: Medium
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Low
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Low
Deltoid: Minimal

Instructions

Set the seat so your armpits rest on the top edge of the preacher pad when you sit with your chest against it.
Sit with your feet flat on the floor and hold a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip, palms facing each other and thumbs up.
Rest the backs of both upper arms flat on the pad, with the dumbbells hanging vertically beyond its lower edge.
Start with both arms extended down the pad and the elbows slightly bent.
Curl both dumbbells up together by bending only the elbows, keeping the palms facing each other and the wrists straight.
Stop when your forearms are close to vertical and the dumbbells are in front of your shoulders, with your upper arms still on the pad.
Pause briefly, then lower both dumbbells slowly until your arms are nearly straight.
Repeat without bouncing at the bottom or lifting your elbows off the pad.

Common Mistakes

Dropping into lockout
Letting the dumbbells fall the last few inches and bounce off locked elbows loads the front of the elbow at its most stretched point.
Lifting the elbows off the pad
Raising the upper arms or leaning back to finish a rep hands work to the shoulders and turns a strict curl into a swing.
Setting the seat wrong
A seat that is too low lets the shoulders shrug up to help, and one that is too high folds you over the pad.
Rotating the palms
Turning the palms up during the lift drifts toward a regular preacher curl and takes away the neutral-grip emphasis.
Bending the wrists
Curling the wrists in at the top or letting them sag under the dumbbells shifts strain onto the forearm tendons.
Going too heavy
A load that forces a lean-back, a shortened range or one arm lagging behind the other is too heavy for strict preacher work.

Injuries

Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The pad keeps the upper arms still and the loads are modest, but it puts the elbow flexors under tension with the arm nearly straight, which is where the front of the elbow and the distal biceps tendon are most exposed.

The main strain points are the front of the elbow at the bottom of the rep, the outer elbow and the thumb side of the forearm with high volume, and the wrists if they bend under the dumbbells. Lower both dumbbells under control, stop with a slight bend instead of dropping into a locked elbow, and never bounce out of the bottom. Set the seat so the armpits sit on the top edge of the pad, warm up with a light set, and choose a weight the weaker arm can control through the whole range.

If the stretched bottom position irritates the elbow, use lighter dumbbells and stop a little short of straight for a while, or switch to the standing Dumbbell Hammer Curl or the Cable Rope Hammer Curl. To progress, add weight in small jumps or slow the lowering phase before adding load.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the front of the elbow, a pop, sudden weakness or a bulge in the upper arm, or numbness or tingling in the hand. Bruising or pain that persists after a session needs assessment by a medical professional.

Overview

Primary Focus: Biceps
Equipment: Dumbbell and bench
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How is the hammer preacher curl different from a regular dumbbell preacher curl?: The grip is the difference: here the palms face each other with the thumbs up, while the Dumbbell Preacher Curl turns them toward the ceiling. The neutral grip shifts more of the work to the brachialis and brachioradialis, the palm-up grip puts more on the biceps, and many programs use both.
Q: Should I curl both arms together or one at a time?: Both together is quicker and works well when your arms are roughly even in strength. The Dumbbell Single-Arm Hammer Preacher Curl lets you focus on one side and match the weaker arm's reps on the stronger one, which helps when one arm clearly lags.
Q: How far should I lower the dumbbells?: Lower under control until your arms are nearly straight, without bouncing at the bottom. In a study of untrained women doing one-arm seated dumbbell preacher curls, the arm trained only through the bottom half of the range, from straight to about halfway up, gained more full-range curl strength and more biceps size near the elbow than the arm trained only through the top half.
Q: Can I do it without a preacher bench?: Yes. Kneeling or standing behind an adjustable bench with the backrest set fairly upright and your upper arms draped over the top gives a similar fixed arm position. Gyms that have one can also use the Machine Preacher Curl (Hammer Grip).
Q: How much weight and how many reps should I use?: Most people do well with 8 to 15 controlled reps, stopping a set when the range shortens or the elbows start to leave the pad. Expect to use lighter dumbbells than for a standing hammer curl, because the pad removes any help from body swing.