The Holy Hammer Hallelujah Curl

Trail Log · Movement Breakdown

This is the preacher curl's cooler, more versatile cousin — the hammer curl version. Instead of a barbell, you've got dumbbells, and instead of a supinated grip, your palms face each other in what's called a neutral or hammer grip. It's called that because your hands look like they're holding hammers, which — if you think about it — is exactly how you're going to feel after a few sets of these.

You place the upper portion of both arms against the preacher bench pad, dumbbells in hand, palms facing inward toward each other. From this elevated, isolated position, you slowly lower the weights until your arms reach full extension and your biceps feel like they're being gently pulled apart by well-meaning but overzealous physical therapists. Then you curl the dumbbells back up to shoulder height, squeezing your biceps hard at the peak contraction like you're trying to crack a safe with your forearms.

The hammer grip shifts some of the emphasis to the brachialis — a muscle that sits underneath your biceps — and the brachioradialis of your forearms. Training the brachialis is like inflating a balloon underneath your bicep; it pushes the bicep higher, creating that thick, powerful arm look that says 'I work out' without you having to say anything at all. Hold the squeeze for a solid second at the top of each rep, because that's where the magic happens. This is the kind of exercise that makes your arms look like they belong to someone who takes arm day very, very seriously.