hammercurls

[Bluto]

i usually do hammers as a long movement starting seated and bringing my arms up with the thumb up to shoulder level
however, watching pros like branch warren they do a very short movement bringing their thumb up to chest if even that

obviously you can do more weight that way, question is if that's more beneficial?

discuss

[The Squadfather]

an old powerlifter that trained at my old gym did them that way, worked his way up to 120's, you can handle a lot of weight that way, he claimed they helped his bench by making the top of his forearms and lower biceps stronger.

[candidizzle]

i prefer reverse curls to hammer curls. 

but i think both ways of doing the movement are beneficial.. you have to change it up.. go back and forth between the two..

[Bluto]

i saw jay cutler doing hammers

he do them all the way but he swings a bit with his body and do them more leaning into the body, where as i do them straight up and down

[mass 04]

I've been doing them with my knuckles facing in front of me lately and they seem to work pretty well.

[jpm101]

Warren was doing partial rep Hammer curls. Partial anything, on any exercise, for most of the Pro's and top BB'ers seems to be their main choice. Cutler was doing cheating (moderate) Hammer curls. Another favorite of some of the top guy's. Most top level men today may write (usually ghost written) how they go by strict exercise movements. And even show than on video's doing by the book exercise, but not true in their regular gym workouts.  Most lasting big gun's require hoisting big weights.

The whole point is for them to use max amount weight, any way they can, for most exercises. So you got partial and cheating rep's leading the way. Check out what may pass as a classic  BB row. More of a semi bent over high pull to the gut. Which is really a great exercise, I have gotten good results with it. When using a closer curl grip the biceps are affected more, in most cases. Good luck and think heavy.

[tonymctones]

I used to do them straight out in from like a regular curl, but my tendons and elbow joints seem to have a little pain that way if i do them now or days so Ive switched to bringing the weight to my chest. I always just try and get the weight above parellel to the ground, i think that both ways are benificial. whatever floats you boat mang

[JasonH]

I prefer the short range movement like Branch Warren does - I tend not to go too heavy though - only as high as 45-50lbs for 3 sets of 12 and use them as a finishing exercise after I've done other curling movements in my bicep workout - my biceps are already fried by this point and I don't feel the need to go all out.

[Cap]

I find that I hit more forearms curling them at the sides and more the bicep and brachialis going across the body.  Both are good to do IMO. Doing hammer curls two arms at a time is a fun variation that I started trying.

[Bluto]

i would do two arms for higher reps cause otherwise i feel it takes forever to finish 

[Get Rowdy]

I've never tried partial hammers.

I usually go across the body and squeeze at the top to try and hit my brachialis.

[Meso_z]

Try to bring the dumbell accross your chest not straight up, at the top of the movement. this way it will hit the brachialis more...

[thewickedtruth]

i usually do hammers as a long movement starting seated and bringing my arms up with the thumb up to shoulder level
however, watching pros like branch warren they do a very short movement bringing their thumb up to chest if even that

obviously you can do more weight that way, question is if that's more beneficial?

discuss


man it's hard to say..i'd say do them however you best feel the movement..i know when I go super heavy in the 90's and heavier I end up doing them at about how branch does them. I get a sick pump and arms feel it all the way. There's no way you can ever work with progressively heavier weight without a little cheating until your body grows to accomodate the weight being used.

[MisterMagoo]

do heavy heavy hammers with no straps and watch your forearms blow up. i rarely have the energy to do it, but on occasion i'll snag the 75s and just go for it and after a few sets of 6-8 it's hard to even pick up my chalk.

i have noticed, though, that lighter "stricter" hammers hit the biceps pretty nicely, but that's not why i do them.

[Bluto]

ill think ill try out a few branch style and see how it feels, i dont use straps

forearms are very important, very visible when putting them on a bardisk