Fitafter50
Search

Exercise library / Single-Arm Hammer Curl

Single-Arm Hammer Curl

Suggestions, not prescriptions. Exercises here pass automated checks. They have not been clinically reviewed, and no exercise is right for everyone. Adjust to your comfort and ability.

A more challenging exercise. Make it a goal if you like. “Show alternatives” below lists easier steps toward it.

A unilateral dumbbell curl with a neutral grip that keeps the working elbow close to the torso while the brachialis and brachioradialis flex the elbow.

Main focus
Strength
Level
Building
Equipment
Dumbbells
Load
Free weight
Stability
Unstable: single leg, suspended or on a ball
Before you start
  • Warm up first with a minute or two of easy walking or marching in place, and cool down the same way after.
  • Wear flat, closed shoes with a good grip, or go barefoot on a non-slip floor if that feels steady to you.
  • Clear the floor around you. Keep a sturdy chair, counter or wall within reach for any move you do standing.
  • Build up slowly. Add repetitions or minutes over weeks, not days. If you take a break, work back up gradually.

Talk with a doctor or physical therapist before you start if you have not been active for some time, if you have a health condition or a worry about exercise, if you have fallen or fear falling, or if a clinician has told you to limit activity. This library is general information, not medical advice.

What you need

A pair of dumbbells, or one, in a weight you can lift with control.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and hold one dumbbell at your side with the palm facing inward.
  2. Brace your trunk and keep the working upper arm beside your ribs as the arm hangs straight.
  3. Curl the dumbbell toward your shoulder without rotating the palm or swinging the torso.
  4. Squeeze the elbow flexors at the top, then lower the dumbbell under control until the arm is straight.
  5. Complete the repetitions on one side, then switch arms and repeat.

How much

To start: 1 to 2 sets of 8 to 12 slow repetitions, resting 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

As it gets easier: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 12 repetitions with good form, resting 1 to 3 minutes. Add load or repetitions gradually, no more than about once a week.

How it should feel: The muscles you are working should feel the effort. The last repetitions should be hard but controlled, never shaky or painful.

Make it easier

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Make it harder

Use the other ways to do this movement below.

Tips

  • Let the weaker arm set the repetitions and weight so both sides receive the same work.
  • Keep the wrist neutral and the shoulder quiet; the movement should come from bending the elbow.
  • Use a controlled lowering phase instead of dropping the dumbbell from the top.

Safety

  • Warm up first, and keep your breathing steady. Breathe out on the effort and in as you ease off. Do not hold your breath.
  • Move with control. Do not lock your joints straight at the end of a movement.
  • Choose a version, load and number of repetitions you can finish with good form. The last few should feel hard but not shaky.
  • Pick up and put down dumbbells by bending your knees, with a straight back.
More safety notes
  • Choose a weight you can lift for the planned repetitions with good form.
  • Keep your wrists straight and your grip firm.

When to stop

  • Stop and rest if you feel dizzy or lightheaded, sick to your stomach, or unusually short of breath.
  • Stop if you feel sharp, sudden or joint pain. Muscles working hard is expected. Pain is a signal to stop.
  • Stop and sit down if you feel unsteady and cannot settle yourself right away.
  • Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure, fainting, or sudden weakness, numbness or trouble speaking.
  • After any of these, do not repeat the exercise until you have talked with a doctor or physical therapist.
  • A weight slips or you cannot control it.
  • You feel pain in a wrist, elbow or shoulder.

Other ways to do this movement

Sign in and we will show other ways to do this, with other equipment or at a different level, chosen from your own answers. Sign in

Where this comes from

Steps and tips are from an open exercise dataset named below. Starting amounts, equipment and safety notes are Fitafter50's general guidance. Nothing here is clinically reviewed.

Steps and tips: Exercise data by RepDB (repdb.co). License: RepDB Free Tier License v1.0: personal or commercial use inside applications, visible attribution, no redistribution as a dataset or API. All credits.

    This is general information, not medical advice. It does not diagnose anything or tell you whether an exercise is right for you. Adjust to your comfort and ability.