Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curl to Press
Also known as: hammer curl to press, hammer curl and press, dumbbell hammer curl to press, hammer curl to shoulder press, alternating hammer curl to press, hammer curl press, Standing Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curl to Shoulder Press
In SetGrip: Dumbbell Hammer Curl to Shoulder Press (Standing Alternating)
Linking a neutral-grip curl into an overhead press works the biceps, then the delts and triceps, in one alternating sequence per arm. The pressing half caps the load, since your shoulders decide the weight rather than your biceps, so it fits time-crunched full-upper sessions and circuits better than focused arm training.
How to do the Alternating Dumbbell Hammer Curl to Press
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body.
- Keep your elbows close to your torso and your back straight.
- Exhale and curl the dumbbell in your right hand towards your shoulder, keeping your upper arm stationary.
- Continue to raise the dumbbell until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbell is at shoulder level.
- Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat the curl with your left hand.
- After completing the curl with your left hand, exhale and press the dumbbell in your right hand overhead.
- Extend your arm fully and hold for a moment at the top.
- Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
- Repeat the press with your left hand.
- Continue alternating between curls and presses for the desired number of repetitions.
Tip: Lower for three seconds and stop just short of locking out the elbow to keep the muscle under tension.
Muscles worked
Primary
Biceps · Arms
The biceps bend the elbow and turn the palm up, so they work hardest when the palms face up; hammer and reverse grips shift more of the work to the forearm muscles.
Common mistakes
- Elbows drifting forward — as the elbows come up the front delt starts to lift the weight; pin the elbows to your sides and let only the forearm move.
- Swinging from the hips — a small rock backward on each rep means the weight is too heavy; drop it and curl from a dead stop.
- Cutting the bottom short — stopping with the elbow bent shortens the range where the biceps are stretched; lower until the arm is nearly straight.
- Wrists curling at the top — flexing the wrist toward you brings the forearm flexors in; keep the wrist neutral or slightly extended.
Where it fits in a workout
Curls go at the end of a pull session or arm day, after the rows and pulldowns that also load the biceps. Superset them with a triceps pushdown or extension.
How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.
Variations and alternatives
Similar exercises
Without dumbbell
When to talk to someone
- Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
- Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
- Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.
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Sources
- ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
- ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
- ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
- CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)
Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.
Animation and exercise data: ExerciseDB, licensed to SetGrip. General information, not medical or coaching advice.