Trending
Yoga During Cancer: Surprising Benefits & Guidance from Experts White Tea vs Green Tea : Which Is Healthier? 7 Yoga Poses To Ease Endometriosis Symptoms High Intensity Interval Training Workouts for Seniors Chair Exercises To Lose Weight : Is It Really Effective What Does Prunes Juice Taste Like? How I Solved My Muscle Decompensations Through Smart Gym Training? 8 Types of Warm Up Exercise With Advantages Amazing Health Benefits and Side Effects of Cardamom Oil Benefits of Eating Banana on an Empty Stomach in the Morning What is Swicy Flavor:  A Cooking Trend That is Becoming More and More Popular The Seated Zottman Curl Exercise : Benefits & How To Do Pilates Total Body and Hip Mobility Workout Benefits of Kokum Juice How to Relieve Knee Pain Caused by Intense Workouts Hasta Mudras: Benefits, Types, How To Do and Precautions Prioritizing Mental Health: Strategies for Managing Stress and Anxiety in College How Many Times Should You Workout Every Week? Ksepana Mudra: Benefits, Side Effects, How To Do and Precautions 18 Health Benefits of Solapur Pomegranate Digital Nervous System Dysregulation (2026): Why You’re Exhausted, Wired, and Weirdly Unable to Relax 😵‍💫 Best Sprained Wrist Exercises with Home Remedies Paralysis Treatment: By Yoga, Exercise And Physiotherapy Parkinson’s Disease: Causes, Stages and Treatment Muladhara Mudra: Meaning, Benefits, Side Effects and How To Do? How Mudras Helped Me Awaken the Pineal Gland: A Practical Guide to Inner Awareness Keto Diet and its Unexpected Effectiveness Things To Know Before and After Undergoing Facial Acupuncture Understanding Milk Thistle for Body Odor: An In-Depth Guide Thymidine Kinase 1 (TK1) as a Biomarker for Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Monitoring Does a Heating Pad Help TMJ: What Do Experts Say? 5 Effective Yoga Poses With Hyperbolic Diet Plan Best Yoga Poses, Pranayama and Mudra for Bipolar Disorder White Rock Tonic Water : Benefits And Weight Loss Effectiveness of Pipli For Weight Loss and Other Diseases What Makes Southern Spice’s Biryani ‘The Best’? A Deep Dive into Hyderabad’s Favourite Flavor.  Amazing Benefits of Lavender Peppermint Oil My Favorite 10 Yoga Practices for a Leo Full Moon Ritual Camphor For Weight Loss : Does It Really Work? Why the Hip Thrust is One of the Best Exercises to Hypertrophy the Gluteus?
Appointment
Ask Question
Talk2Expert
Q&A
Health Tracker
Workout
Nutritious
Meditation
Well-Being
Mood Music
Social Service
Podcast E-book
✓ Evidence Based
13.2k
Reads
1.5k

Cross Body Hammer Curl : Benefits and Steps

Medically reviewed
Our Review Process
Our content undergoes a rigorous editorial process, including fact-checking and clinical review by qualified medical experts.
READ MORE →

Our Editorial Team
Charushila Biswas (Fitness Expert), ISSA
AUTHOR
Jade Killen
MEDICAL ADVISOR
by   Jade Killen
Jade Killen ✔ Verified Expert
Jade Killen, based in Liverpool, England, holds a multifaceted role as both an Executive Assistant and a Personal Trainer specializing in working professionals. Her expertise…
READ MORE →
—Written by   Charushila Biswas (Fitness Expert), ISSA
Charushila Biswas (Fitness Expert), ISSA
Charushila is an International Sports Sciences Association certified Fitness, Nutritionist and Physical Exercise Therapist. For six years, she has published over 400 articles about diet, lifestyle, exercise, healthy food, and fitness gear. Know More. Learn about our editorial process.
READ MORE →
Updated on April 11, 2026
Why This Was Updated
We continuously monitor the health landscape and update our articles to reflect the latest evidence.

Updated on April 11, 2026

VIEW ALL HISTORY →
—Published on October 24, 2021
Our editorial process ensures that the information we provide is well-researched and reliable. Learn about our commitment to quality in our editorial policy.
Listen to this article

The Fast Facts

  • It is a shoulder flexion workout that reduces the activity of your biceps muscles and can therefore be used as a warm-up exercise.
  • At the end of the day, it’s not just about participating in an exercise, it’s about developing your strength and muscles and getting you the maximum benefits.
  • first improve the flexibility of the muscles to avoid injuries, and the second to make the most of your hammer curl.
FreakToFit logo

Cross body hammer curl also known as cross chest hammer curl, a muscle strengthening exercise that targets your biceps. Gym trainees usually do it in combination with other biceps and triceps workouts to develop their forearms holistically.

The cross-body dumbbell hammer curl targets biceps with an emphasis on curl forearms. They are different from standard bicep curl in many ways. First is the angle of lift, curl and direction that is facing your palms. Secondly, they target different muscles.

Standard hammer curl develop your brachioradialis, the muscle above your forepart. This exercise put more pressure on the muscles between your biceps and triceps.

Muscles Worked.

Primary: Biceps.

Secondary: Forearms.

How to do Cross Body Hammer Curl?

Cross Body Hammer . Video Source: Crossbody Hammer Curl

  • Stand with your hands downwards and your palms holding a pair of dumbbells with your body (a neutral grip). This is the starting position.
  • Slowly move the dumbbell of your left hand towards your right shoulder throughout the body. Touch the upper part of the dumbbell by the shoulder and maintain the contracted position for a second.
  • Slowly bring the dumbbell down and then move the same speed with the other hand.
  • Continue the same according to your capacity.

Preparation for Cross Body Hammer Curl.

It is important to prepare the above mentioned muscles for the exercise. This is for two reasons: first improve the flexibility of the muscles to avoid injuries, and the second to make the most of your hammer curl. At the end of the day, it’s not just about participating in an exercise, it’s about developing your strength and muscles and getting you the maximum benefits.

You also need to stretch your biceps, inner arms. While it may look like an exercise that will work entirely to your biceps, think about other parts of your body that will be stressed or necessary for balance and support.

Set one or two of the standard bicep curl to pump your arms using light weight (very light). Aim to do this somewhere in 15 to 25 areas so that you don’t get your muscles completely tired.

desktop

Follow it with some vertical waist bend so that you don’t stand harshly for the ‘cross body’ part of the hammer curl. When it comes to most bodybuilding and resistance training, one hand washes the other to speak.

You may not realize it, but doing an exercise can strengthen the helpful, non-targeted muscles that support action without you feel it. That is why the above mentioned warm-up will help.

You can also throw some press ups or light chest flies to heat your pecs so that you are in extreme condition when you come in the elevator.

Read Now: Top 10 Exercises for Scoliosis And Their Benefits

Cross Body Hammer Curl Benefits.

  • This exercise specifically target the brachialis of your forearms, which helps to push your biceps and triceps to build thick arms.
  • It is a shoulder flexion workout that reduces the activity of your biceps muscles and can therefore be used as a warm-up exercise.
  • It balances between the lower and upper parts of your arms.
Read Now: How To Do Incline Bench Press Exercise?

Cross Body Dumbbell Hammer Curl Tips.

  • While moving the dumbbell towards the shoulder, maintain the neutral grip position of your hand and make sure you don’t bend your arm.
  • Control speed and do not allow speed to contribute to the entire exercise.
  • Squeeze your biceps to the top of the movement to keep the muscles under stress.

Recovery From Cross Body Hammer Curl.

You have the option of heavy lifts at fewer iterations, or light lifts with maximum repetition. The latter is most effective for pumping and definition, while heavy lifts are more effective to develop your strength.

Whatever you choose, your muscles, especially your front-arms and biceps, will be pumped and beat. During your set you can change the amount of rest intermittently depending on your recovery capabilities. For example, if you want to laminate, you can reduce your rest time by one minute.

After this exercise you should avoid other biceps-targeted exercises till the end of your workout and rest for 24 hours before the second session. Growth occurs when you relax, and while high frequency exercises are effective for small muscle groups, rest is as essential as nutrition.

Your body will need protein and carbs to recover best after your session. In addition, compression will have a significant effect on both your lactic acid and inflammatory muscles.

+1 Source

Freaktofit has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, educational research institutes, and medical organizations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and up-to-date by reading our editorial policy.

  1. Brachioradialis muscle; https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/brachioradialis-muscle

Last reviewed on April 11, 2026

How we reviewed this article:

ⓘ SOURCES 🕖 HISTORY

FreakToFit follows strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and reputable medical organizations. We only use high-quality, credible sources to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our content.

    Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

    Current Version
    Apr 11, 2026

    Written By: Charushila Biswas (Fitness Expert), ISSA

    Reviewed By: Jade Killen

    Oct 24, 2021

    Written By: Charushila Biswas (Fitness Expert), ISSA

    Reviewed By: Jade Killen

    This workout advice is for general fitness guidance. Always check with your doctor or certified trainer before beginning any exercise program, especially if you have pre-existing conditions or injuries. Know More

    Charushila Biswas (Fitness Expert), ISSA

    Author
    Charushila is an International Sports Sciences Association certified Fitness, Nutritionist and Physical Exercise Therapist. For six years, she has published over 400 articles about diet, lifestyle, exercise, healthy food, and fitness gear. Know More. Learn about our editorial process.

    Jade Killen

    Fitness Expert
    Jade Killen, based in Liverpool, England, holds a multifaceted role as both an Executive Assistant and a Personal Trainer specializing in working professionals. Her expertise…

    Leave a Comment