Exercise Comparison
Barbell Curl vs Cross Body Hammer Curl
Side-by-Side
Muscle Analysis
Shared
Instructions
Barbell Curl
Stand up with your torso upright while holding a barbell at a shoulder-width grip. The palm of your hands should be facing forward and the elbows should be close to the torso. This will be your starting position.
While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Tip: 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 and squeeze the biceps hard.
Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Cross Body Hammer Curl
Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand. Your hands should be down at your side with your palms facing in.
While keeping your palms facing in and without twisting your arm, curl the dumbbell of the right arm up towards your left shoulder as you exhale. Touch the top of the dumbbell to your shoulder and hold the contraction for a second.
Slowly lower the dumbbell along the same path as you inhale and then repeat the same movement for the left arm.
Continue alternating in this fashion until the recommended amount of repetitions is performed for each arm.
Verdict
Both exercises target the biceps. Barbell Curl is a beginner exercise using barbell, while Cross Body Hammer Curl is beginner and uses dumbbell. Choose Barbell Curl if you have access to barbell, or Cross Body Hammer Curl if you prefer dumbbell.