EZ-Bar Curl

Biceps

Equipment: EZ Bar

New to this

Your first ez-bar curl

What weight should I start with on the ez-bar curl?

The empty EZ bar weighs 15 to 25 lb depending on the gym, which is enough for most people on day one. Add a 5 lb plate per side once you can do 12 clean reps.

You have got it right when you can lower the bar slowly instead of letting it drop.

What usually goes wrong on the ez-bar curl?

Grip the bar on the angled sections, palms up, hands about shoulder-width. Stand tall with elbows at your sides and a slight bend in the knees.

Curl the bar up to chest height, keeping your elbows still, then lower under control until your arms are straight.

Most common mistake: letting the elbows drift forward at the top, which parks the weight on your shoulders and takes the tension off the biceps. Keep the upper arms vertical.

If the EZ bar is in use

Hammer curls use a different grip with more forearm work, and dumbbells are usually available. The straight-bar barbell curl is harder on the wrists for some people, which is exactly why the EZ bar exists.

How to do it

Stand up straight while holding an EZ curl bar at the wide outer handle. The palms of your hands should be facing forward and slightly tilted inward due to the shape of the bar. Keep your elbows close to your torso. This will be your starting position.
Now, while keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps. Focus on only moving your forearms.
Continue to raise the weight until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the top contracted position for a moment and squeeze the biceps.
Then inhale and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.