Cross-Body Hammer Curl

How to perform the Cross-Body Hammer Curl

1. Stand holding dumbbells with a neutral grip, palms facing the thighs and the elbows tucked to the ribs.
2. Curl one dumbbell diagonally across the body toward the opposite pectoral rather than straight up.
3. This across-the-body path drives the brachialis and the biceps long head hard because the forearm crosses the midline.
4. Keep the working upper arm pinned to the side; only the forearm swings across the torso.
5. Squeeze at the top near the opposite shoulder, then lower under control back to the hip.
6. Alternate arms, keeping the wrist locked neutral so the load stays on the brachialis rather than rotating to the biceps peak.

Suggested working range: 10–15 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Curling straight up instead of across the body, which loses the brachialis emphasis.
• •Letting the working upper arm swing away from the side rather than staying pinned.
• •Rotating the wrist toward supination, turning it into a regular curl.
• •Using torso momentum to swing the dumbbell across instead of a controlled forearm path.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.