Incline Hammer Curl

What is the Incline Hammer Curl?

The incline hammer curl is a neutral-grip dumbbell curl done lying back on an incline bench, so the arms hang behind the body. It combines the deep biceps stretch of the incline position with the hammer grip’s bias toward the brachialis and forearm, loading arm thickness from a lengthened start.

Muscles worked

Primary: Biceps

The biceps flexes the elbow from a stretched, behind-the-body position while the neutral grip loads the brachialis beneath it, working the upper arm through a long range.

Secondary: Forearms

The brachioradialis and forearm muscles work throughout to hold the neutral grip and control the stretched lowering.

How to perform the Incline Hammer Curl

1. Set an incline bench to roughly 45 to 60 degrees and sit back so the arms hang behind the torso line.
2. Hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip so the palms face each other and the thumbs point up throughout.
3. Combining the stretched behind-the-body arm position with a neutral grip loads the long head and brachialis under a deep stretch.
4. Let the dumbbells hang fully with the upper arms held back, then curl them straight up keeping the neutral grip fixed.
5. Squeeze at the top without swinging the upper arms forward off the deep stretch.
6. Lower slowly to the full hang, keeping the back and shoulders pinned to the pad.

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

Mechanics

A single-joint isolation on an incline bench: elbow flexion with the forearm held neutral (thumbs-up) and the upper arms hanging back behind the torso. The reclined angle stretches the biceps and brachialis at the bottom while the neutral grip keeps the load on the brachialis and forearm.

Form cues

• •Sit back on a moderate incline and let the arms hang straight down, thumbs up.
• •Keep the neutral grip and the upper arms still. Curl by bending only the elbows.
• •Let the arms stretch fully at the bottom behind the torso before curling.
• •Lower slowly back into the stretch rather than letting the dumbbells swing down.

Common mistakes

• •Sitting too upright so the arms never hang behind the torso into the long-head stretch.
• •Swinging the upper arms forward off the deep stretch to cheat the weight up.
• •Rotating the grip out of neutral, which loses the brachialis bias.
• •Cutting the descent short and never reaching the full behind-the-body hang.

Variations & alternatives

• •Standing hammer curl, the neutral-grip base movement without the stretch.
• •Incline dumbbell curl, the same stretched position with a supinated grip.
• •Cross-body hammer curl, a diagonal path biasing the brachialis harder.
• •Cable hammer curl, constant tension on the brachialis with a rope.

Barbell Curl

Biceps · Barbell

Dumbbell Curl

Biceps · Dumbbell

Hammer Curl

Biceps · Dumbbell

Cable Curl

Biceps · Cable

Incline Dumbbell Curl

Biceps · Dumbbell

Programming: sets, reps & when to use it

Program the incline hammer curl in the library’s 10–15 rep range as a stretch-focused brachialis-and-forearm accessory. Lower under control into the behind-the-body stretch, keep the grip neutral, and use a light enough weight to stay strict. Run it after pulling work or pair it with a supinated incline curl.

Frequently asked questions