How to perform the hammer exercise.
Many believe that this exercise can also help to increase the stability of the wrist and improve the grip strength.
Although this exercise is almost always performed with dumbbells, it can also be performed with ropes or ribbons if dumbbells are not available. Other typical equipment for flexing the arms on the biceps, such as a barbell or a kettlebell, is not suitable for this exercise because of the need to rotate the wrist.Also known as: flexing the arms on the biceps with a neutral grip, a hammer.
Target: upper arm (biceps of the shoulder), lower arm (shoulder, radial)
Necessary equipment: dumbbells.
Level: Medium
Advantages
The biceps of the shoulder is often considered a vanity muscle, because they are easily visible on the front of the body. Men and women who want to look muscular often target these muscles to achieve a more athletic appearance. Other muscles for an attractive appearance are the pectoral (chest), deltoid (shoulders), trapezoid (back) and, of course, the abdominal press. But strong biceps have other advantages.
The biceps muscle of the shoulder is the flexor of the elbow - this means that it is responsible for the flexing movement in the elbow joint. It also helps to rotate the forearm.
In everyday movements, strong biceps help to lift and carry heavy objects. These muscles also help with movements such as closing a door or pulling objects towards or across the body.
Flexing the arms on the biceps is just one of the ways to strengthen the biceps muscles. The traditional flexion of the arms on the biceps is the most common exercise used to strengthen this muscle.
However, bending with a hammer is often called a more effective way to train the muscles of the arms, because many trainees believe that the rotation associated with the lower part of the arm helps to engage the forearm and improve the grip strength.
Step-by-step instructions
Before including hammer bending in your exercise program, you should have some experience with weights. If you are new to this or any exercise with weights, try performing movements without weight (or with very little weight) to get used to the movement. You can also work with a fitness trainer to get tips and recommendations.
To prepare for the exercise, stand with your shoulders relaxed and your arms at your sides. Practice proper posture, keeping your feet parallel, ankles and knees aligned under the hips. Your legs should be straight, but not stiff. Throughout the exercise, engage the abdominal muscles to prevent the support from shifting to the lower back when lifting and lowering weights.
1. Place one dumbbell in each hand. Turn your hands so that the palms are facing the hips. After doing this, you will notice that your thumbs are facing forward.
2. Keeping the elbows in a fixed position, bend the arm at the elbow so that the forearms rise up and towards the shoulders. Keep your shoulders relaxed while working. Hold the grip and wrists firmly at the level of the forearm.
3. In the upper part of the movement, the thumbs are pressed against the shoulders, the palms are facing the midline of the body.
4. Lower the weights to the starting position.
At first, you can try two sets of 7-10 repetitions each. As you become stronger and more flexible, add repetitions. Then add weight.
Common mistakes
There are several common blunders that can often be seen when performing bending with a hammer.
Using the pulse
People often use swinging to make it easier to lift weight during hammer bends or traditional biceps bends. You can determine whether you are using inertia if you start the exercise by leaning slightly forward and putting your weight on your hips. These movements help you "wind up" on the load.
Unfortunately, using momentum reduces your ability to build strength with this exercise. Swinging can also put you at increased risk of injury because you lose control when inertia takes over. Athletes often bend their lower back if they swing while bending their arms.
Athletes using momentum often lift too much weight. If you notice that you bend before each repetition, reduce the weight and focus on the shape.
Bending too fast
Bending a hammer requires a relatively small range of movements. Thus, it is easy to perform this exercise and use fast movements, especially during the lowering phase. But when you are in a hurry, you lose the benefit of the exercise. Experts usually recommend that your concentric phase or contraction phase (when you lift a weight) last about two breaths. The eccentric phase (when you lower the weight) should also last about two breaths. If you spend time on the ascent and descent, you will have time to control the movements and focus on the form. Slowing down your movements also creates tension, because you need to engage your muscles for a longer period of time.
Bending too fast can be a sign that you are not lifting enough weight. Try adding a little to see if it will help you focus and load your muscles.
Floating elbows
During flexion, it is easy to allow the elbows to come off the body. Moving the elbows allows you to use other muscles, such as the deltoid muscles (shoulder), to lift weight. But the more you use other muscles, the less you use the biceps.
Try to keep your elbows in a stable fixed position and focus on the movement of the lower part of the arm only while bending the hammers. If you can't lift the weight without moving your elbow, you're lifting too much weight.
Modifications and variations
Need a modification?
If you try to perform a hammer bend and find that it is too difficult to maintain the correct shape throughout the entire movement, consider doing alternating hammer bends. Instead of raising both hands at the same time, raise your right hand and lower it, then raise your left hand and lower it. Continue alternating sides for 10-15 repetitions.
Are you ready to accept the challenge?
There are several options for bending the hammers, which can complicate the movement.
Some trainees use a bench to perform this exercise. A special bench for flexing on the biceps is simply an inclined soft armrest that allows you to keep your arm in an isolated position so that you can lift more weight and aim at the biceps.
