Arms · Isolation

Cross Body Dumbbell Hammer Curl

A bicep and brachialis exercise curling a dumbbell across the body with a neutral grip to target different fibers than standard curls. The cross-body path emphasizes the brachialis, the muscle beneath the biceps that pushes the whole arm up and out as it grows. It rounds out a curl rotation nicely because the angle is one nothing else in the library covers.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Beginner Dumbbell Isolation Pull
cross-body-dumbbell-hammer-curl-poster
  • Level Beginner
  • Equipment Dumbbell
  • Primary Muscles Biceps, Forearms
  • Movement Isolation Pull

Demonstration

Watch the Form Demo

Technique

How to Do the Cross Body Dumbbell Hammer Curl

  1. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your thighs.
  2. Curl one dumbbell up and across your torso toward the opposite shoulder.
  3. Keep the palm facing inward and the elbow close to your side as the hand travels.
  4. Squeeze at the top, with the dumbbell near the opposite pec.
  5. Lower back along the same diagonal path under control.
  6. Alternate arms each rep or finish one side first.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

arms
Primary muscles
Biceps Forearms

Do This

Form Cues

  • Curl across the body toward the opposite shoulder.
  • Keep the palm facing in for the whole rep.
  • Hold the elbow still against your side as the hand travels.
  • The elbow stays home while the hand travels. Only the forearm crosses the body.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Letting the elbow swing across the body with the weight.
  • Rotating the wrist partway up.
  • Leaning away from the working arm to gain leverage.
  • Curling to the same-side shoulder out of habit, which quietly turns it back into a standard hammer curl.

More to Explore

Variations & Related Exercises

Variations of this lift

Trains the same muscles

Put It Into Practice

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