The hammer curl to lateral raise is a two-part dumbbell exercise that curls the weights with a neutral grip, then opens the bent arms out to shoulder height, training the biceps and side delts. Because the raise happens with the elbows still bent, the lever on the shoulder is short and the same dumbbells that suit a strictHammer Curlalso suit the raise, which a straight-arm lateral raise with that load would not allow. Lifters program it as an arm and shoulder finisher when time or dumbbells are limited.
What Muscles Does the Hammer Curl to Lateral Raise Work?
- Primary: Brachialis, biceps brachii, lateral deltoid (side shoulder)
- Secondary: Brachioradialis (upper forearm), supraspinatus, upper trapezius
- Tertiary: Forearm flexors, rectus abdominis, erector spinae
How Do You Set Up for the Hammer Curl to Lateral Raise?
Pick a pair of dumbbells you can curl strictly with a neutral grip. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees soft, and let the dumbbells hang at your sides with the palms facing your thighs and the elbows straight. Pull your shoulders down and back, brace your abs, and pin the upper arms against your ribs so the weights hang still before the first curl.
How Do You Perform the Hammer Curl to Lateral Raise?
- Pin your elbows to your ribs with the dumbbells hanging at your sides and the thumbs pointing forward.
- Curl both dumbbells toward the shoulders with the palms still facing each other, until the forearms are just past vertical.
- Open the bent arms out to the sides, lifting the elbows until they reach shoulder height with the forearms still bent at a right angle.
- Hold for one count with the elbows level with the shoulders and the dumbbells beside the ears.
- Lower the elbows back to the ribs under control, bringing the dumbbells back in front of the shoulders.
- Straighten the arms slowly until the dumbbells hang at your sides again before the next rep.
What Are the Key Form Cues?
- Lead the raise with the elbows: Lift the elbows, not the hands, so the side delts open the arms rather than the forearms swinging up.
- Keep the thumbs up through the curl: A neutral wrist keeps the brachialis working and stops the dumbbells rotating on the way to the shoulder.
- Squeeze the biceps at the top of the curl before the elbows begin to travel outward.
- Keep the elbows bent at a right angle during the raise so the lever stays short.
- Pull the shoulders down as the elbows come up, so the traps do not shrug the weights.
What Are the Most Common Mistakes?
- Picking dumbbells sized for the curl alone: the raise turns into a shrug and swing because the side delts cannot lift the load, so choose a pair the weaker raise can handle strictly.
- Swinging the hips to start the curl: the dumbbells leave the thighs on momentum and the brachialis unloads, so start each curl from a dead hang.
- Straightening the arms during the raise: the lever lengthens and the shoulders lose control of the weight at the top, so keep the elbows bent.
- Raising the elbows above the shoulders: the upper arm rotates the shoulder into an impinging position under load, so stop at shoulder height.
- Dropping both phases at once: letting the dumbbells fall from the raise straight to the thighs skips the lowering of the curl, so bring the elbows in first.
What Are the Best Hammer Curl to Lateral Raise Variations?
- Seated hammer curl to lateral raise: sitting removes the hip swing, for a lifter whose torso moves.
- Alternating hammer curl to lateral raise: one arm at a time, letting the trunk resist side bending.
- Hammer curl to front raise: opening the bent arms forward instead of out shifts the second half to the front delts.
- Cross-body hammer curl to lateral raise: curling across the body loads the brachialis harder before the raise.
- Bent-Elbow Dumbbell Lateral Raise: the second half performed alone, for isolating the side delts.
How Do You Progress the Hammer Curl to Lateral Raise?
- Add 2.5 to 5 pounds per hand once you complete all sets at the top of the rep range without shrugging.
- Build from 10 to 15 reps per set before moving up a pair.
- Add one set per session up to 4 sets, or a second arm day per week.
- Hold the raise for two counts at shoulder height, or lower each phase for a three-count, when heavier dumbbells get sloppy.
How Should You Program the Hammer Curl to Lateral Raise?
Place the hammer curl to lateral raise at the end of an upper body or arm session, after presses and rows have already loaded the shoulders and biceps. Train it 1 to 2 times per week for 3 to 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps, resting 45 to 60 seconds between sets. Pair it with a rope tricep pushdown so the arm work covers the back of the arm too.