If you’re wondering how many hammer curls you should do, then you’ve come to the right place!
In this article, we look at the optimum number of reps and sets for hammer curls, depending on whether you’re wanting to gain strength or size.
How Many Reps And Sets Of Hammer Curls Should You Do? (Short Answer)
If you’re a beginner with hammer curls, it’s usually a good idea to do 10 – 15 reps for 3 – 4 sets.
This allows you to get used to the movement with a light enough weight to promote the correct technique.
Ensuring your technique is correct when doing hammer curls is important to make sure the right muscles are working.
Your biceps are the primary working muscles during hammer curls, so if you’re feeling other muscle groups working, you may need to look at your technique and the amount of weight you are trying to lift.
How Many Reps And Sets Of Hammer Curls Should You Do? (Long Answer)
The most effective number of reps and sets of hammer curls you should perform depends a lot on the fitness goals you’re trying to achieve.
If you want to use hammer curls as part of a general overall fitness program where you’re looking to increase muscle tone and maintain strength – 10 to 15 reps will likely be a good rep range for you.
3 to 4 sets of hammer curls at this rep range seems to be effective for general fitness and maintenance.
If you’re looking to add strength to your biceps, then the rep range will need to be lower and the weight will need to be heavier.
Doing 6 to 8 reps for 3 to 4 sets can help add good levels of strength to your biceps.
To add size to your biceps, 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 15 reps will be a good starting point.
How Many Hammer Curls Should You Do In A Day?
Like all exercises, hammer curls need to be done enough to make progress, but not too much to cause overtraining.
It will likely be moving towards overtraining if you are completing more than 4 sets of 15 reps.
Unless you have a very specific goal that you are working with a fitness professional to reach – 60 repetitions in a day (4 x 15) will be the highest suitable number of hammers curls in a day for most people.
How Much Rest Should You Take Between Hammer Curls?
When it comes to resting between sets, 60 to 90 seconds tends to be a good general guide for hammer curls.
That may not be the most suitable for everyone but it is appropriate for most gym-goers.
In terms of the frequency of hammer curls, it’s a good idea to leave at least a day between bicep workouts.
If you are doing hammer curls for strength though and lifting heavier weights, then two days between sessions is a better choice.
How Many Hammer Curls Should You Do For Building Muscle?
If you are trying to add mass to your arms, then hammer curls are a great exercise to include in your training.
For building mass, performing 3 to 6 sets of 6 to 12 reps will be the optimal range for hammer curls.
How Many Hammer Curls Should You Do For Building Strength?
Building strength involves quite a high level of intensity and volume in your training.
When doing hammer curls to build strength, you will likely benefit most from 3 to 6 sets of 1 to 5 reps.
As the rep range is lower, more weight can be lifted which will help increase strength in your biceps.
German Volume Training with Hammer Curls
German volume training involves completing 10 sets of 10 reps of a particular exercise.
The weight should stay the same throughout the session so it may feel easier for the first few sets before becoming increasingly difficult the more sets you complete.
A rough guide for selecting the right weight for German Volume Training is to pick a weight that you could perform 20 reps with (around 60% of your 1 rep max).
This tends to be an appropriate weight to use for 10 sets of 10 reps.
Conclusion
In summary, the number of hammer curls you should do depends on your fitness goals.
That’s all for this article, but perhaps you’re interested in cross body hammer curls vs hammer curls? Or you might want to learn more about seated vs standing hammer curls?
Hope this helped!
Sources
I’ve been in the fitness and strength training industry for nearly a decade. In that time, I’ve gained 30 pounds of muscle, written hundreds of articles, and reviewed dozens of fitness supplements. As for my educational background, I’m a currently studying for my Active IQ Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training.