Arms · Isolation

Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl

A bicep and brachialis exercise on an incline bench with a neutral grip, combining the stretch of incline curls with the thickness work of hammer curls. The lean-back position lengthens the arm flexors while the palms-in grip biases the brachialis, so one exercise covers the two best stimuli for overall arm size. It is the logical next step once flat hammer curls and incline curls are both familiar.

By Macros Inc Team Verified by Alex Dedmon Updated August 2026

Beginner Dumbbell Isolation Pull
incline-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 Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl

  1. Set an incline bench to around 45 degrees and lie back with a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Let your arms hang straight down and slightly behind you, palms facing each other.
  3. Curl both dumbbells up, keeping the neutral grip for the whole rep.
  4. Squeeze at the top for a beat.
  5. Lower over two to three seconds to fully hanging arms.
  6. Keep the elbows pointing at the floor rather than drifting forward.

Anatomy

Muscles Worked

arms
Primary muscles
Biceps Forearms

Do This

Form Cues

  • Set the bench at around 45 degrees and let the arms hang.
  • Keep the palms facing each other for the whole rep.
  • Pause at the top before lowering slowly.
  • The dumbbells stay vertical like hammers even at the top of the rep. No rotation at any point.

Avoid This

Common Mistakes

  • Rotating the wrist partway up.
  • Letting the elbows drift forward out of the stretch.
  • Using momentum from the shoulders to start the rep.
  • Sliding down the bench mid-set, which shortens the hang and removes the stretch.

More to Explore

Variations & Related Exercises

Variations of this lift

Trains the same muscles

Put It Into Practice

Workouts Featuring This Lift

Intermediate Program Intermediate 4-Day Hypertrophy Program

Intermediate 4-Day Hypertrophy Program

A 4-day program built around hypertrophy principles: moderate to high rep ranges, controlled tempos, and progressive volume increases across two…

Duration 8 Weeks
Frequency 4x / Week
Level Intermediate
Read guide →