10 Best Incline Hammer Curls Alternatives for Home and Gym

If you can’t do Incline Hammer Curls, use neutral-grip alternatives that load the brachialis and biceps similarly. Try standing hammer curls, cable rope hammer curls, cross-body hammer curls, Zottman curls, or neutral-grip chin-ups. Cue: keep the wrist neutral, elbow pinned to the torso, and control the down-phase to maximize brachialis activation.

Original Exercise: Incline Hammer Curls

Incline Hammer Curls
Primary Muscle
Biceps
Equipment
Dumbbell
Difficulty
Intermediate
Type
Isolation
How to Perform Incline Hammer Curls
  1. Seat yourself on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. You should pressed firmly against he back with your feet together. Allow the dumbbells to hang straight down at your side, holding them with a neutral grip. This will be your starting position.
  2. Initiate the movement by flexing at the elbow, attempting to keep the upper arm stationary.
  3. Continue to the top of the movement and pause, then slowly return to the start position.
Pro Tips
  • Category: Strength
  • Force: Pull
  • Movement type: Isolation

Ranked Incline Hammer Curls Alternatives

Best Match
Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl

1. Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl

99.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your torso and arms fully extended.
  2. Keep your back against the bench and your feet flat on the floor.
  3. While keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Incline Inner Biceps Curl

2. Incline Inner Biceps Curl

95.4% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie back on an incline bench.
  2. The dumbbells should be at arm's length hanging at your sides and your palms should be facing out. This will be your starting position.
  3. Now as you exhale curl the weight outward and up while keeping your forearms in line with your side deltoids. Continue the curl until the dumbbells are at shoulder height and to the sides of your deltoids. Tip: The end of the movement should look similar to a double biceps pose.
  4. After a second contraction at the top of the movement, start to inhale and slowly lower the weights back to the starting position using the same path used to bring them up.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Lying Supine Biceps Curl

3. Dumbbell Lying Supine Biceps Curl

95.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with your back and head supported, and your feet flat on the ground.
  2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing up and your arms fully extended.
  3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  4. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  5. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl

4. Dumbbell Lying Supine Curl

95.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up and arms fully extended.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Dumbbell Lying Wide Curl

5. Dumbbell Lying Wide Curl

95.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie flat on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing up and arms fully extended.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
Incline Dumbbell Curl

6. Incline Dumbbell Curl

94.7% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit back on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand held at arms length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward. This will be your starting position.
  2. While holding the upper arm stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Only the forearms should move. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second.
  3. Slowly begin to bring the dumbbells back to starting position as your breathe in.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

7. Lying High Bench Barbell Curl

94.7% Match
Biceps Barbell Intermediate Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Lie face forward on a tall flat bench while holding a barbell with a supinated grip (palms facing up). Tip: If you are holding a barbell grab it using a shoulder-width grip and if you are using an E-Z Bar grab it on the inner handles. Your upper body should be positioned in a way that the upper chest is over the end of the bench and the barbell is hanging in front of you with the arms extended and perpendicular to the floor. This will be your starting position.
  2. While keeping the elbows in and the upper arms stationary, curl the weight up in a semi-circular motion as you contract the biceps and exhale. Hold at the top of the movement for a second.
  3. As you inhale, slowly go back to the starting position. Tip: Maintain full control of the weight at all times and avoid any swinging. Remember, only the forearms should move throughout the movement.
  4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Dumbbell Peacher Hammer Curl

8. Dumbbell Peacher Hammer Curl

91.4% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your torso.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward.
  3. This will be your starting position.
  4. Now, keeping the upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  5. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls (with Arm Blaster)

9. Dumbbell Hammer Curls (with Arm Blaster)

91.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your torso.
  2. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward.
  3. This will be your starting position.
  4. Now, while holding your upper arm stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  5. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl

10. Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl

91.2% Match
Biceps Dumbbell Beginner Isolation
How to perform this exercise
  1. Sit on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your torso and arms extended straight down.
  2. Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
  3. Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
  4. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
  5. Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

Why You Might Need a Incline Hammer Curls Alternative

You may substitute Incline Hammer Curls for several reasons: lack of an incline bench, shoulder pain from bench angle, or a desire for more loading options and variety. The incline setup biases the long head by lengthening the biceps; alternatives that preserve a neutral grip still emphasize the brachialis and brachioradialis. Choose movements that maintain elbow position and neutral wrist to keep the loading pattern, for example, cable rope hammer curls let you vary tension across range of motion while reducing shoulder strain. If you have wrist discomfort, select a bar or neutral-handle option and focus on slow eccentrics to limit joint stress.

How to Choose the Right Substitute

Pick a substitute based on muscle emphasis, equipment, and joint tolerance. If you want the same brachialis focus, prioritize neutral-grip movements (hammer curls or rope curls) and cue a stable elbow and neutral wrist. For limited equipment, use neutral-grip chin-ups or inverted rows to load the biceps with bodyweight. If shoulder or wrist pain limits range, shorten the range and increase tempo control: 3–4 second eccentrics increase tension without heavier loads. Finally, match load and volume so you can apply progressive overload, track weight, reps, or tempo to ensure continued hypertrophy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles does Incline Hammer Curls work?

Incline Hammer Curls target the brachialis and brachioradialis while also loading the biceps brachii. The incline position places the long head under a greater stretch, increasing tension across the biceps while the neutral grip shifts emphasis toward the forearm pronator-supinator complex.

What is the best bodyweight alternative to Incline Hammer Curls?

A neutral-grip chin-up or towel chin-up is the best bodyweight substitute because it loads the biceps and brachialis under full-body tension. Cue: use a neutral handle, pull your chest to the bar with elbows tucked, and control the descent to emphasize eccentric biceps activation.

Can I build muscle without doing Incline Hammer Curls?

Yes, you can build the same muscle groups using other neutral-grip curl variations, cables, or pulling movements like chin-ups. Focus on progressive overload, full range of motion, and controlled tempo (slow eccentrics) to drive biceps and brachialis hypertrophy.

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