Alternating Hammer Curls
Posted in Fitness by inMotion Life
Alternating Hammer Curls primarily target your Bicep muscles. It is best to do hammer curls with a dumbbell in each hand, as this will help you control the rate at which you work your biceps. Strong Biceps not only look good, but they will also help you to improve with other exercises that involve weights.
Alternating Hammer Curls | Image: exercise.com
Whenever you do free weights, you should make sure that you have a buddy or spotter with you so that they can help you to keep your form and correct technique. This will prevent you from accidentally spraining or damaging any other muscles in the process.
How to do Alternating Hammer Curls
- Stand straight with your feet firmly planted on the floor, shoulder width apart.
- With your arms at your side and your palms facing you, you need to curl each arm up to chest height alternatively.
To see this exercise in action, watch the Video.
Pro Tips
You should start with lighter weights and build up to heavier weights as you improve. You may find that you are unable to lift the weights that you think you can in the beginning, since you are now using your Bicep muscle alone, rather than any other muscles to support the lift. Concentrating on one muscle takes time and patience.
Image: thefatlossauthority.com
Holding your Bicep and using a counting system will improve the rate at which you strengthen and build your biceps. Always keep your wrists locked so that you do not inadvertently hurt them in any way.
Effectively, only your forearms should move, as this ensures that the concentration of the exercise is entirely on your Biceps.
Keeping your breathing measured and controlled will allow you to lift heavier weights over time, and will benefit your training regime as a whole. Inhale as you raise the weights and exhale as you let go after your count.
Stretching before and after exercising, will minimize the chances of you hurting yourself or damaging your muscles. So make sure that you stretch thoroughly before you start, as looking after yourself does not start or end with the exercise alone.
Variations of the Alternating Hammer Curl Exercise
There are variations of this exercise if you need more support for your back, or your legs. This can be achieved if you sit down on a bench, using the back rest to support your back. Seated alternating hammer curls are performed in exactly the same way, with a straight back and your feet shoulder width apart. Tuck your elbows into your waist and use only your Biceps to lift the weights with alternating arms.
We hope you found this tutorial on how to do alternating hammer curls useful. If you have any tips or suggestions of your own, we’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
