The chest collapsing, and the biceps lacking width and fullness. Squeezing the bar will activate all of the muscles in your forearms and upper arm, which will generally activate the target muscles more. Also, you’ll be tight and less prone to flaring your arms out or performing generally sloppy reps.

A gentleman by the name of Lewis G. Dymeck invented the EZ curl bar back in the late 1940s as he injured his wrists and using a straight bar was too painful afterward. Aim to do five to eight sets of eight to 15 repetitions.Again, perform a couple of warm-up sets until the movement feels fluid and you’re ready to crush your working difference between powerlifters and bodybuilders sets. Below are two primary training goals and programming recommendations when programming barbell curls into training programs. The size of a bodybuilder or strength of a strongman, everyday gym-goers can still strive for more mass and strength. It’ll help with their general gym performance, confidence, and biceps mobility.

The close grip is what can put a little pressure on the shoulder joint. Once your arms are at about a 90 degree angle , squeeze your triceps and raise your lower arm back up to the overhead position while keeping your upper arm in place. Keep your upper arms stationary and squeeze your biceps hard as you bend your elbows until your lower arm is raised as high as you can toward your upper arm. The straight bar feels more natural and allows for a stronger grip when deadlifting as you can comfortably use an underhand/overhand grip. The main function of the EZ bar is to provide users with different wrist positions. The angled handle allows for a more neutral, semi-supinated grip, which is much more comfortable and safer on the wrists than a straight barbell.

Loading the bar with smaller, 25lb plates instead than larger 45lb plates will increase the range of motion and muscle growth potential. You can also stand on a platform to allow you to lower the bar more and increase the range of motion. Keep the curl bar overhead and slightly behind you at the start and end position, as this will keep constant tension on the triceps, even in between reps. The curl bar allows you to train any bicep curl exercise with a variety of supinated grips. You can train the curl with a more narrow grip, or a wider grip.

Try the grips out with any of the bicep curl exercises on this list. Contract the biceps hard at the top, then slowly lower the load, making sure to keep the back of the arms on the pad at all times. This can be trained with heavier loads (5-10 reps) as well as moderate to high reps (10-25 reps). While other exercises exist, it is important to ask yourself if doing them with a curl bar for the sake of using a curl bar is more effective than using something else. Rotate the bar back up to the center starting position at eye level, and repeat to the opposite side. Stand with your feet about hip width apart, good posture, and grab the bar with a medium overhand grip .

The overhead press can be performed in either standing or sitting position. If you prefer a seated press, the same basics of form apply. Just keep your feet firmly planted on either side of your seat as you work. Some exercises traditionally performed with dumbbells can be performed with the EZ curl bar. They are usually performed with too much weight, too much body momentum, and not enough control.