Although all "curl" exercises work your biceps to some degree, the hammer curl relies more heavily on the brachioradialis, a muscle that spans your upper and lower arms. The brachioradialis acts particularly strongly when you curl your elbows with your hands in the thumbs-up hammer-curl position. You can do 12 repetitions of this exercise for general strength training, or use heavier weight and fewer repetitions for bodybuilding.
Equipment
Dumbbells are the most convenient home exercise equipment for performing this exercise. Because both hands must be oriented palms-in and thumbs-up, straight barbells or straight-bar handles on a pulley machine won't work. In the gym you can use a hammer curl bar with grid-like handles oriented perpendicularly to the bar itself, but this isn't a piece of equipment you're likely to have in your home gym.
Weight
Note that depending on your lifestyle and exercise program to date, your brachioradialis may be substantially weaker than your biceps. Expect to start with less weight than you'd lift for a biceps curl. As with any exercise, starting with less weight and working your way up to the appropriate amount helps protect you from injury.
Sets and Reps
Theories abound about the best combination of sets and repetitions to get the biggest muscles possible. Jessica Matthews, Certification Director for the American Council on Exercise, provides a starting guideline in an entry to ACE's "Ask the Expert" column. She recommends three to six sets of six to 12 repetitions, resting for 30 to 90 seconds between sets. Note that if you've just started strength training, you should set this as a goal and slowly work up to it. Starting with a single set of 12 repetitions is enough to build strength and practice good technique.
Proper Form
Your brachioradialis doesn't cross your shoulder joint. So if you really want to develop the brachioradialis your arm should stay still at the shoulder; no swinging your elbow forward. Instead, imagine that your elbow is pinned in place against your body as you start with the weights hanging at your sides, then bend your elbows and curl the weights up toward your shoulders. Squeeze your abs to keep from swinging your body back and forth, a common form mistake that increases your risk of injury. Swinging huge dumbbells might look impressive, but it won't do much to develop your brachioradialis if you're using other muscles to move the weights.
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