Exercise Comparison
Alternate Hammer Curl vs Reverse Barbell Curl
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Muscle Analysis
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Instructions
Alternate Hammer Curl
Stand up with your torso upright and a dumbbell in each hand being held at arms length. The elbows should be close to the torso.
The palms of the hands should be facing your torso. This will be your starting position.
While holding the upper arm stationary, curl the right weight forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Continue the movement until your biceps is fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps. Tip: Only the forearms should move.
Slowly begin to bring the dumbbells back to starting position as your breathe in.
Repeat the movement with the left hand. This equals one repetition.
Continue alternating in this manner for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Reverse Barbell Curl
Stand up with your torso upright while holding a barbell at shoulder width with the elbows close to the torso. The palm of your hands should be facing down (pronated grip). This will be your starting position.
While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Only the forearms should move. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the muscle.
Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Verdict
Both exercises target the biceps. Alternate Hammer Curl is a beginner exercise using dumbbell, while Reverse Barbell Curl is beginner and uses barbell. Choose Alternate Hammer Curl if you have access to dumbbell, or Reverse Barbell Curl if you prefer barbell.