The Cross-body hammer curl targets the biceps and places a lot of emphasis on the forearms. They differ from normal Bicep curls in a variety of ways. The first will be the angle, the curled, and the direction in the palms face. The second reason is that they target various muscles.
Regular hammer curls help develop the brachioradialis muscle that sits on top of your forearm. Cross-body hammer curls put more stress on the muscles between your Bicep and your tricep.
For preparing for cross-body curls with hammers, it is essential to be aware of the muscles will be performing. This is because of two reasons. First, to ease muscles and ensure that there’s no chance for injuries to occur, and the second reason is to make the most of your curls. In the final analysis, it’s more than just engaging in an exercise routine, it’s about building your muscles and strength and making sure that you reap the maximum benefits.
It is necessary for the biceps to be stretched, your inner arms, and your obliques and pecs. Although it could appear to be an exercise designed to strengthen your biceps but think about other muscles of your body which will be stretched or needed for balance and support.
It is the next step to ensure you can get the most from your workout. One method to do this is by the pre-exhaustion of your muscles, or, in other words, a warming-up. Utilizing lighter heavy weights (very light) you can perform a set of two of the standard bicep curls to increase the strength of your arms. You should aim for somewhere around the 15-25 range to ensure that you don’t completely overwork your muscles.
Perform some waist twists while standing to loosen your muscles so that you’re not a rigid body to perform the ‘cross-body portion that hammer curls. In most exercise programs, one hand is washed while the other one, in a way. It’s not obvious, however, by performing one workout, you could be strengthening non-targeted, auxiliary muscles that help support the exercise and you aren’t even aware of. This is the reason why the mentioned warm-up is beneficial.
You can also add some presses or light chest flies to energize your triceps to ensure that you’re ready before you lift.
Instructions for the cross-body Hammer Curl
- Get up straight and place an exercise dumbbell in each of your hands. Your hands should be to your sides and your palms facing up.
- With your palms facing toward you and not turning your arms, pull the dumbbell of your right arm toward your left shoulder as you exhale. Place its upper part with your shoulders and keep it for at least a second.
- The dumbbell should be slowly lowered in the same direction while inhaling and repeat the same motion for the left arm.
- Keep alternating this way until the recommended number of repetitions has been completed in each arm.
Additional Information
- Your upper and lower arms are in a still position Your forearms are the only ones that should be moving.
- Alternate your arms, as explained in the previous paragraph, or perform only one arm at a given time (as shown in the clip).
- The standard hammer curl targets the exact muscles (i.e. the brachioradialis muscle on your forearm as well as your brachialis and biceps brachii both in your upper arms). But, in comparison to the standard hammer curl, it is a cross-body curl that places the emphasis more on your brachialis and also the lengthy (outer) head that is your brachii biceps. This is why the standard hammer is more suitable for making big forearms, while the cross-body one is slightly better at creating a large Biceps Peak.
Alternative Exercises Cross-body hammer curl
