Preacher Hammer Curl
Neutral grip, full extension. The preacher hammer curl pairs a fixed upper arm with palms facing each other, which loads the brachialis under a hard stretch. Keep the wrists neutral the whole way rather than rotating them. It is an unusually effective combination for arm thickness when standard curling has stopped producing anything.
Setup
- Chest on the preacher pad, dumbbells in a neutral grip, arms over the front.
- Armpits pinned to the pad.
How To Do It
- Curl both bells up keeping the palms facing each other.
- Squeeze at the top.
- Lower slowly to a fully straight arm.
Breathing
Exhale on the curl.
Common Mistakes
- Rotating the wrists. Neutral the whole way.
- Cutting the bottom range short.
Programming It
Three sets of 8-12.
Why This Exercise Works
The preacher pad fixes the upper arm forward, which removes the shoulder from the movement entirely and loads the stretched bottom position. The neutral grip then aims that stretch at the brachialis rather than the biceps.
Where You Should Feel It
The brachialis in a fully stretched position, with the upper arm fixed forward and the shoulder removed entirely.
Where It Fits in a Program
Neutral grip on a preacher pad targets the brachialis under a hard stretch. It belongs after the heavy work, when precision matters more than load.
Progressing and Regressing It
To progress the preacher hammer curl: add a small increment, or pause at the bottom. To regress it: reduce the load until the bottom is controlled, not dropped.
Who It's For
Anyone building arm thickness who has plateaued. The combination of a fixed arm and a neutral grip is unusually specific.
Equipment and Substitutions
The version shown uses a preacher bench and dumbbells. No dumbbells? A kettlebell of similar weight works for almost all of this, and the cable and machine versions below cover the rest.
Related Exercises
- Reverse Curl · Brachioradialis, Forearms, Biceps
- Rope Hammer Curl · Biceps, Brachialis, Forearms
- Incline Hammer Curl · Biceps, Brachialis
- Wrist Curl · Forearms, Grip
- Hammer Curl · Biceps, Forearms
- Spider Curl · Biceps
- Scott Curl · Biceps
- Incline Dumbbell Curl · Biceps
Common Questions
What muscles does the preacher hammer curl work?
The preacher hammer curl primarily trains the brachialis, biceps, forearms.
How many sets and reps should I do?
Three sets of 8-12.
What are the most common preacher hammer curl mistakes?
Most often: rotating the wrists; cutting the bottom range short.
Do I need a preacher bench and dumbbells to do this?
This version uses a preacher bench and dumbbells, and it trains the brachialis, biceps, forearms. Any hand-held load will do: kettlebell, plate, or a filled bag. The related list below covers the machine versions.
Is this safe if I have an existing injury?
Elbows and wrists take the brunt of the preacher hammer curl, and both are slow to settle once irritated. If the ache lingers into the next day, reduce the load or change the grip angle before you train it again. Not medical advice.