EZ-bar curl: how to perform it.
The EZ-bar curl is the curl for anyone whose wrists have filed a complaint. The cambered bar angles your grip just enough to take stress off the joints while keeping the work squarely on the biceps. For a lot of lifters this isn't the fallback version of the straight bar curl, it's simply the definitive curl.
Starting position
- Grip the EZ bar on the inner bends (medium grip), palms in semi-supination.
- Standing, elbows glued to your sides, shoulders down, chest up.
- Core braced, knees soft: the torso is a spectator.
Proper form
- Bend your elbows and bring the bar up toward your shoulders, elbows planted where they are.
- Stop at peak useful flexion, right before the elbows drift forward.
- Squeeze the biceps hard for a beat at the top.
- Lower over 2-3 seconds until the arms are FULLY extended.
- Pause a split second at the bottom, then go again with zero momentum.
When to inhale, when to exhale
Exhale on the way up, inhale on the controlled descent. Keep a steady rhythm: this curl is a precision exercise.
Mistakes to avoid
Same story as every curl variation: if the bar takes off from a hip thrust, the biceps are just spectating. The last reps need to move from a dead stop or not move at all.
Gripping the EZ bar in the wrong spots changes the angles and can bring back the exact wrist discomfort you were trying to avoid. Medium grip on the inner bends: that's where the EZ bar actually delivers.
Semi-supination tempts you to "hold" tension by stopping halfway. Don't. Biceps grow just as much, if not more, in the stretched position: straighten the arms fully at the bottom, every rep.
DAWT tip. The EZ bar also works great for close-grip curls (hands on the center bends), which emphasize the long head, and for 21s: 7 bottom-half reps + 7 top-half reps + 7 full reps. One bar, three exercises.
Variations and alternatives
Quick answers
Does the EZ-bar curl match the straight bar curl?
Yes: the difference in biceps activation is marginal, while the difference in wrist comfort is massive. If the straight bar bothers you, the EZ bar isn't a compromise, it's the right call.
Narrow or wide grip on the EZ bar?
Medium grip (on the first bends) is the baseline. Narrow shifts emphasis to the long head (the peak), wide to the short head. These are nuances: consistency matters more.
Related exercises
How much should you load on this exercise?
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