How to Do the Zottman Curl
The Zottman curl is a dumbbell curl with a twist: you curl up with palms facing you, rotate to palms down at the top, and lower with an overhand grip. One rep trains the biceps on the way up and the forearms and brachialis on the way down. It is a good finisher for arm day if you want both biceps and forearm work in one movement.
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Muscles worked
Primary
- Biceps
Secondary
- Forearms
How to do the Zottman Curl
- 1
Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward.
- 2
Keep your elbows against your sides and your shoulders down.
- 3
Curl both dumbbells up with an underhand grip to shoulder height.
- 4
At the top, rotate your wrists so your palms face the floor.
- 5
Lower the dumbbells slowly with the overhand grip until your arms are straight.
- 6
Rotate your wrists back to palms-up at the bottom.
- 7
Repeat without swinging your body.
Form cues to remember
- Curl palms up, lower palms down
- Elbows stay at your sides
- Rotate at the top, not halfway
- Lower slowly on the way down
Zottman Curl video tutorial
Common mistakes
Swinging the dumbbells
Drop the weight and keep your torso still.
Rotating too early
Wait until the dumbbells are at the top before turning the palms down.
Using the same weight as a normal curl
The overhand lowering is limiting, so go lighter.
Letting elbows drift forward
Keep elbows pinned so the biceps stay under tension.
Sets and reps
| Muscle growth | 3 sets of 8–12 reps, 60–90 sec rest |
|---|---|
| Endurance | 2 sets of 15 reps, 45 sec rest |
The overhand lowering stresses the wrists and forearms, so use a lighter weight than for regular curls and stop if you feel elbow pain.
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Zottman Curl FAQ
What muscles do Zottman curls work?
The biceps do the lifting phase, and the brachialis and forearm muscles take over on the lowering phase. That makes it a combined biceps and forearm exercise.
Zottman curl vs hammer curl?
A hammer curl keeps a neutral grip the whole time. The Zottman changes grips mid-rep, giving a stronger biceps contraction up and extra forearm work down.
Why is the Zottman curl so hard to lift heavy?
The lowering half is done with a reverse grip, which is weaker than an underhand grip. The weight you use is set by that phase, so most lifters need lighter dumbbells.
