Hammer Curls

What it is

This is an isolation exercise that strengthens your biceps. You perform it by holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your torso, then curling the weights upwards. This movement effectively builds your arm muscles.

Technique tips

• Keep your torso upright and core engaged throughout the movement.
• Ensure your palms face your sides, not forward or back.
• Keep your elbows tucked close to your torso and stationary.
• Exhale as you curl the dumbbells up, squeezing your biceps.
• Control the weight slowly as you lower it back down.
• Avoid using momentum by swinging your body or arms.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.