Thread: Why R Hammers better than barbell or preacher curls?

most people here hate direct bicep work.

i'm one of them, I just do it to check out my badass bi's after a back/bi day.

Originally Posted by viet_jon

most people here hate direct bicep work.

i'm one of them, I just do it to check out my badass bi's after a back/bi day.

lol nice

Why do guys wiith big arms do them? I've switched to weghted pull ups, but I feel like I need direct work too. Just trying to decide which lift. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Mike Tuvre, USA

Why do guys wiith big arms do them? I've switched to weghted pull ups, but I feel like I need direct work too. Just trying to decide which lift. Thanks.

You don't need em man.


I'm my gym, there's tonnes of guys with big arms, that do nothing but benchpresses and curls day in , day out. But the rest of their body is lacking, and looks weird to me. Overall appearance is just not there.

Stick to the basics. Pound out the major compounds. You'll get the fuller, overall development that looks killer.


Squats
Deads
Chins
Bench
Squats
Deads
Chins
Bench
Squats
Deads
Chins
Bench
Squats
Deads
Chins
Bench

repeat

Originally Posted by kenwood

lol nice

dude, your on here 24 freakin 7.








so am i...lol.

I love them, for some reason I can go heavier. I like the way they hit the lower part of your arm....I know, I know you can't target areas of the blah blah blah.

Originally Posted by Mike Tuvre, USA

Most people here recommend hammer curls for direct bicep work over barbell or preacher curls. Why? Does anyone do reg curls anymore?

I find one of the reasons to be due to the fact that it relates to functional strength. For instance, when you go to pick something up with one arm, how is your wrist? Is it in the form of a hammer grip or a regular supine grip? Its hammer.

Originally Posted by AKIRA

I find one of the reasons to be due to the fact that it relates to functional strength. For instance, when you go to pick something up with one arm, how is your wrist? Is it in the form of a hammer grip or a regular supine grip? Its hammer.

It basically feels more natural to me.

Hammers are kinder to the elbow and you can use more weight. But pullups are better for bicep work IMO

i do weighted chinus and weighted wg pullups on my pull days kill the bi's

Originally Posted by Mike Tuvre, USA

Most people here recommend hammer curls for direct bicep work over barbell or preacher curls. Why? Does anyone do reg curls anymore?

Better for what?

There are some lifts that are true kings (deadlifts, squats, C&J, Snatch, etc.), but in general, let that "better" stuff go. It has no real place in weight training.

Originally Posted by min0 lee

I like the way they hit the lower part of your arm....I know, I know you can't target areas of the blah blah blah.

Ha. Thats funny. I do that too.



It's like you just know what "they" are going to say before they say it.

hammer curls actualy put your biceps at a mechanical disadvantage to perform elbow flexion and puts other elbows flexors at a greater advantage (brachioradialis i believe is the winner with hammer curls) thus one could make the argument that for biceps isolation, hammers are worse. however the whole isolation idea is garbage because there really is no muscular isolation in any lift IOW there are always other muscles and muscle groups contracting in various ways (even at other joints) to help the finish the movement and stabilize your body throughout the ROM.

Also, as others have stated, a hammer grip is really a more functional grip as you rarely flex your elbow in the real world with having a completely supinated wrist (think pulling open a door, picking up a gallon of milk etc). as well being strong in that ROM with a neutral grip is important for the bench press as those same elbow flexors which are the agonists in hammer curls become stabilizers during the bench press.

I enjoy dumbell preachers!

I think the difference in overall development you will experience by changing curl variations is going to be pretty negligible.

Fine. Tomorrow is pull day. I'll just do hammers after weighted pull ups. Thanks all.

I've found since doing Hammers instead of regular DB or BB curls that my forearms are bigger and stronger and they dont get injured as much - just my experience though. But I also do overhand EZbar curls too because I like em

On the subject of Pullups guys - I do weighted pull ups too, but do you guys tend to do them with your fingers facing towards you (I think thats the reverse grip) or with the back of your hands facing towards you?

Do you think it makes material difference to the work out of the biceps or do you do both?

Originally Posted by JonnyStead

?

why do you have a bucket on your head?

Because I cant get it off - thats a warning to all of you BTW learn from my example

Anywho - earlier I was saying -

On the subject of Pullups guys - I do weighted pull ups too, but do you guys tend to do them with your fingers facing towards you (I think thats the reverse grip) or with the back of your hands facing towards you?

Do you think it makes material difference to the work out of the biceps or do you do both?

You will hit the bis more with an underhand grip (fingers facing you)

Think of it as reverse bb curls and normal curls

Originally Posted by MyK

I enjoy dumbell preachers!

Me too!