After comparing eight different bicep exercises, researchers have found that barbell curls were more effective than EZ curls. Key Features: Spin: With 1 needle bearing and 1 bushing per sleeve, these bars are the perfect combination of spin and stability. The EZ Curl Bar when held in your hands is a very comfortable bar to hold. All the time and effort you put in is much appreciated, many thanks, Jay. It feels like it’s the bone but people tell me that it’s because of my grips. This is the kind of thing that would have to be individualized to your needs based on exactly what your issues are, so there’s really no generic routine for ya. The BB curls and EZ bar curls (as shown in the video) hit the biceps in different ways. You can't begin to maximize the size of your biceps peak and arm circumference without also addressing the underlying and often-overlooked brachialis. Glad to hear it! They both cause sharp pain both during the lift and after when I release the grip. The aim of the study was to verify if the execution of these three variants could induce a selective electromyographic (EMG) activity of the biceps brachii (BB) and brachioradialis (BR). On going through the feed back section I am fortunate enough to be in this state. How To Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time, Doing barbell curls with a straight bar will likely provide. And that brings us to the next question that needs answering…. Building muscle (looks) and strength (performance), in that order. You can choose to do chest presses, pull-ups and pull-downs, shoulder presses, exercises that use the weight of your own body and exercises that are performed using equipment. Barbell moves form the foundation of many muscle-building routines, strength workouts or just general fitness routines. I also feel it a bit more in my biceps doing the barbell. It feels like it was built to take the stress off of the wrists and elbows during the curling motion. Keep up the great work! I wholeheartedly agree with your opinion on this one. Nice article man! I love the results I’ve gotten from only doing close grip chin ups (while leaning back) and parrarell bar dips (while leaning forward), but my arms could be bigger. Versa Gripps are still not available in my place (India) If i order from net it costs around 100 dollars. One is a specialized piece of equipment suited for specific tasks. Beginner question: I’m transitioning from a bulk over to a cut and would like your advice on how to structure my routine. Another study, which was conducted by the American Council on Exercise, says something else. Isn’t that the most important factor for growth, moreso than volume? Is there any difference / advantages in using the barbell vs Ez Bar for curling? Necessary for growth? Hey, what did you do once you developed your injury? Optimal for it? Chrome Spin-Lock Super Curl Bar w/ Spin-Lock Collars. Mostly just a matter of avoiding what hurts, solving underlying problems that may be causing the pain (if possible), sticking with what doesn’t hurt, using an intelligently designed overall program, deloading regularly, etc. Yea, at 57 years old avoiding injury is a key. I just recently started going to gym and im doing PPL. How do you feel about rear delt training man? I hope you have time to read this and I look forward to your answer thankyou. 00. Hi jay thanks for your answer, do you think that muscle can be built using lighter weights and more reps? I introduced the straight bar and plenty of close grip chin ups to improve bicep strength and growth. Should i train small muscle groups in the 5-8 reps scheme? Like the biceps, the brachialis is an elbow flexor. I’m pretty knowledgeable about a handful of forearm injuries, but it’s impossible for me to even guess until you’ve been examined by a doctor and had your injury properly diagnosed. Thinking about hitting up a physical therapist to help me figger it out but they are not big on body building. If you have a question or comment about this article, or just want to give me your feedback on it, feel free to contact me directly by using the contact form here. Is this bullshit? EZ Bar Curl vs Barbell Curl . Will this not lead to muscle imbalances? And at some point during those straight bar years, I developed an injury (that darn medial epicondylitis I mentioned before). If so, do the beginner routine. When I’m not personal training I enjoy multi discipline endurance events, mma and hitting the gym. Doesn’t your intermediate routine have more volume and frequency than your beginner routine, so isn’t technically better for beginners? It has pretty much all of the same features and the same high level of craftsmanship as the Rogue Curl Bar. Key Features: Spin: With 1 needle bearing and 1 bushing per sleeve, these bars are the perfect combination of spin and stability. Is it okay to switch dumbbell curls with barbell curls because it gets repetitive doing dumbbell workouts back to back. Introducing the long-awaited EZ Curl Bar! Add 2×12-15 of some rear delt isolation exercise to the end of one or both upper body workouts. Will i get the same results doing the 2 day workout routine as the other routines. Been doing standing cable curls over the last couple of years. And so... much... more. When I use to do a lot of bicep work I always preferred the EZ bar, got too much wrist pain from the barbell and I just felt it working the arms and forearms so much better. I’ve had serious forearm pain for a few months, maybe two, and I do attribute it to EZ and barbell curls. I just recently started going to gym and im doing PPL. So let’s say we magically created 100 people who are the same height, weight and age with the same genetics and body type, and put them on the same intelligently designed diet and workout programwith the sole difference being that 50 of them only did biceps curls with a straight bar, and the other 50 only did biceps curls with an EZ curl bar. What kind of deadlift? Thanks heaps man! Stay tuned. Now let’s answer the question…. Did you go to a doctor? I am 52 years old and working out for past 3 decades. Cool. That effects so many other workouts, and lots of time lost. Dumbbells don’t hurt, neither do pull ups or pull downs with under hand grips. Barbell curls can be more effective than their EZ bar counterpart. EZ Curl Bar vs Straight Barbell: Straight bar weighs more and the weight is further out to the sides which forces you to work on balance more than the ez bar. Hey Jay! EVIDENCE The biceps muscles are composed of two di erent heads that start from di… It’s not that im too busy, im just curious if the gains are the same i guess? That’s a pretty good way to think of it. Due to its position under the biceps, it literally pushes the biceps up as it gets bigger, making the biceps appear taller. thanks, I’ve been using the ez curl and I’m glad I did. This feels more natural and more comfortable on the wrists and elbows. Barbell moves form the foundation of many muscle-building routines, strength workouts or just general fitness routines. The curl bar is ideal just because of its easy grip and holding capability. An intermediate routine should have more volume than a beginner routine. Love to write more and experiment with new workouts from you whenever needed. 1. Pick your favorite based on your available schedule and personal preferences. Too many times having pain and had to lay off for 6 weeks at a time. In your upper body A workout on your muscle building routine, can i switch lat pull-downs with chin-ups? The other can be adapted and used in many other ways. Can I still build or maintain muscle using lighter weights and can you recommend a routine? So let’s say we magically created 100 people who are the same height, weight and age with the same genetics and body type, and put them on the same intelligently designed diet and workout program with the sole difference being that 50 of them only did biceps curls with a straight bar, and the other 50 only did biceps curls with an EZ curl bar. In which case it’s more likely that the straight bar group would have had to make some “oh-no-I-have-an-injury” style changes to their workout over this period of time (like reducing the amount of weight being lifted, completely avoiding affected exercises like curls, rows, pull-ups/pull-downs in the short term or long term, taking time off to let things heal, etc.). Most gyms carry a few different types of barbells, with the most common type being a straight bar. For heavy weights (eg 300 punds) the grip tend to give up by sixth or seventh rep even with straps. Your website is actually one of the most honest and informative I’ve come across. It has me do the hammer curls and dumbbell curls back to back 4x8-12. The advantage of the EZ Bar curl comes most into play when are dealing with wrist, elbow, or forearm issues/injuries (been there, done that, bought the tank top). Also I like to do neutral grip arm work (db hammer curls,db lying extensions) more often, which are easier on your joints. I do straight bar curls and have developed a pain in my wrist which i didn’t know why! There’s no doubt about it, the Rogue EZ Curl Bar is a very nice curl bar. will be affected by the deficit. Barbell bicep curls are the most effective bicep exercise that you can do. The differences in shape, size and gripping method bring about slight differences interms of the muscle groups trained:-. Dumbbell Curls vs Barbell Curls: Which one is best for you? Great learning tool here. Did you take time completely off? The person who asked this question kinda has it right: So basically, one exercise might hit your biceps slightly more but increase your risk of injury, and the other might hit your biceps slightly less but decrease your risk of injury. If you have a history of wrist pain, it’s a better option. It is good to mix the exercises up in your biceps routine so keep the EZ curls in. There are some incline varieties of these curls, including the inclined hammer curl, that are much more challenging and give you a better biceps workout. Body weight options, dumbbell options, and resistance band options. I’ve also been playing around with single arm cable curls a bit over the last couple of years. You are actually such a top guy! No wonder, I’ve been feeling comfortable with the EZ curl bar. No. Using the EZ bar for bicep curls makes the exercise easier - but less effective. A combination of both does wonders for any body. I kinda like ’em. Thanks for this! With all else being equal, and assuming the goal is to build muscle, I think most people will do best on a 3 or 4 day program. Meaning, is the difference in safety and injury prevention more significant than the difference in biceps activation? The new book I’m finishing up actually covers this topic and explains why. It has me do the hammer curls and dumbbell curls back to back 4x8-12. There are two days where I do bicep curls, one with dumbbells and the other with a bar. is it fine to replace the direct biceps and triceps training by adding one additional set in the each of primary and secondary compound movements with significantly lesser weight (may be 70-80 % of the max weight used on a given day) in your 4 day upper and lower body split. EZ curl bars are usually shorter than straight bars, which also means that the method you use for gripping EZ bars must be different from the way you grab straight bars. The EZ curl bar is often found on a preacher bench or racked in a barbell stand. Please, can you write an article about how to train the forearms? The daily number of ez bar curl lifts entered on Strength Level is less than the daily number of barbell curl lifts. It feels like it was built to take the stress off of the wrists and elbows during the curling motion. Now granted again, a lot of people will read this and think “it took years for straight bar curls to become a problem for you, so why should I care about that now? EZ bar curl And both the barbell curl and EZ bar were found to be superior to the dumbbell curl for activating these two muscles. Drag curls really burn my biceps. Meaning, is the difference in biceps activation more significant than the difference in safety and injury prevention? Are you a beginner? Rear delt work is actually included in some of my programs. Because a study suggested that activation in the biceps muscles during the dumbbell curl is less compared to the barbell and EZ bar curls. It’s mostly vital to do what doesn’t cause pain. Conventional? With the EZ curl bar, you’re in more of a semi-supinated position between supinated (palms up) and neutral (palms facing each other) which likely brings the brachioradialis into the movement a tiny bit more (and thus the biceps a tiny bit less). Thanks for your wisdom and insight! I think I may have very briefly had the comment box above the comments at some point, but I put it back at the bottom to prevent people from asking questions that someone already asked in the comments. FREE Shipping. Pullups and other exercises does it enough like the guru said. Jay, i bought your book It’s great, but the problem is i don’t know what routine to do because you listed? Basic exercises are the best. While exercising with straight bars, your palms are in a position called full supination, meaning that your palms are facing upwards, while in the case of EZ bars, your hands are in a semi-supine position, half-way between palms facing completely upwards and a neutral position (the palms facing each other). Yes it can. Excellent article. With the EZ Curl bar there is less force on your wrists which mean less pain. Interesting is that the same doesn’t happens for triceps when I train chest. Still doing your beginner workout (3 day full body split) and seeing great results in the mirror w/ progressive overload every trip to the weight room. About a month or two after that, got injured. If so, I've written the ultimate guide to getting the results you want without a gym. However, the EZ bar does not allow you to develop your biceps and triceps beyond a … Well, both EZ Curl Bars are designed to reduce stress on the forearm and wrist and provide a more comfortable grip while focusing on different bicep and tricep areas (but they can also be used on other body areas). Instead, stick with the EZ curl bar and/or various dumbbell curls (in terms of injury prevention, dumbbells are probably the best option of all). If you have a look at the gear most frequently used by those looking for efficient training methods of the biceps-triceps area, you will see that two of the most widely used pieces of equipment are EZ curl bars and straight bars, and you will also see that each of the two bar types has its own fan club, so here is a short outline of what you can expect of each of them. We’re all clear on that? QUESTION: Do you think it’s better to do biceps curls using the EZ curl bar or the regular straight bar? I also feel it a bit more in my biceps doing the barbell. If you’re still a beginner and progressing well, stick with the beginner routine in the deficit. Barbell curl. tried the experiment and your right about it.dumbbell curls-the short bar is straight.ez curl bars are one way-straight bar barbell curls-a more but difficult curl-but most effective movement-just harder.thanks for pointing this out.ez-curl vs straight bar -two different movements.got it. As long as I keep my elbows close to my body and finish to the center of my chest (I alter, but no wider then the inside of my shoulder), no wrist, elbow or should pain. I also think hitting biceps and triceps more than once a week is too much for the average Joe. Likewise, a well-developed brachialis increases the overall circumference of the upper arm. As the name shows, straight bars are made of a straight cylindrical rod and barbells attached to each end of the rod. Do the basic 3 and do others to compliment them. Barbell Curl Variations Below are three barbell curl variations that can be done to improve strength, size, and overall muscle growth. CAP Barbell Olympic EZ Curl Bar. So if any exercise causes pain, don’t do that exercise. Thank you. But, as someone who has been there and done that with straight bar curling, and as someone who has heard from a lot of other people who have been there and done that with straight bar curling, all I can tell you is that my recommendation would be to completely avoid it. The advantage of the EZ Bar curl comes most into play when are dealing with wrist, elbow, or forearm issues/injuries (been there, done that, bought the tank top). If so, you can pretty much do it whichever way you prefer. The 2 day routine will definitely work quite well, but it’s something I’d save for when a person is unable to train any more than that. That’s probably because it was and anyone serious about muscle-building will definitely take comfort into consideration as their first option when choosing an exercise. The curl bar is ideal just because of its easy grip and holding capability. Listen to your body when your work out , listen to your mind when you plan. Found about your site today. Should I reduce intensity of your beginner routine, or continue the same?? Barbell/EZ bar curls vs dumbbell curls. This is the reason that beginners like to choose an EZ bar for the workout. I’ll worry about it then, assuming it ever ends up being a problem for me which it might not ever be.”. Yes. Potential misunderstandings prevented? You rock! You’ll likely still progress decently for some amount of time. If you’re past the beginner stage, you really can’t go wrong with any of the other programs. There are many different exercises you can include into your training regimen to work on your biceps and triceps. Always done seated dumbell curls. For me it’s EZ bars and ropes all the way. Complete​ly agree. One of our most requested items, REP now offers a curl bar so you can target your biceps directly and get the most out of your curls! Messed up one of my wrists for months. Can i get your help on this? Taking ALL of the factors into account, full body tends to be sub-optimal for people past the beginner stage training primarily for hypertrophy. No gimmicks, no bullshit, just solid lifting advice. Well what about muscle protein synthesis? As for your grip on RDLs, why not just use regular lifting straps? 1.Is direct biceps training really necessary? Having the comments first forces people to (hopefully) read them before posting something. But if someone had preexisting lower back problems, chest supported rows and/or seated rows will be more lower-back-friendly than bent over rows. Just not worth it. My whole forearm isn’t sore, just one specific spot. I enjoy working out and I now believe it is that it is a privilege to be able to workout, therefore I have to protect it! OR Is it that the additional set of 1st primary compound movement (say bench press or rowing in upper body A workout) will affect the secondary compound movement (inclined dumbell press and lat pull down in this case? Gender ♂ Male ♀ Female. Barbell curls, Zottman Curls, EZ bar curls, concentration curls, and cable curls all target the biceps muscle as well. Starvation Mode: Is It A Myth or Is It Real? Resistance Band Exercises For Flabby Arms, Lying Skull Crusher Exercise With Dumbbells Performed Correct, Great Arm Workout for Women | With or Without Weights. One of our most requested items, REP now offers a curl bar so you can target your biceps directly and get the most out of your curls! There’s no doubt about it, the Rogue EZ Curl Bar is a very nice curl bar. I’m a “been there done that” with the straight bar, and totally agree. The average barbell curl entered by men on Strength Level is less heavy than the average ez bar curl. since a few of your articles have 200+ comments. Both EZ curl bars and straight bars are great pieces of equipment that work your biceps, your triceps and your shoulders very efficiently, so the best way to make the most of your upper body workout is probably to alternate the two devices to train your biceps very hard using a straight bar and to work your biceps and the surrounding muscles with an easier grip on an EZ curl bar. The first and most important difference between an EZ bar and a straight bar that you will notice when you look at the two devices side by side is that they are shaped and sized differently. Thank you! I really enjoy using your programs and advices and in a way it was your internet site that actually got me to put regular weight lifting into my sport-recreation routine, because I learned that wight training are primary big natural compound moves that are actuality quite pleasant to do, once you get started and not some boring hours of weird unnatural isolation moments on some torture devices. vs American Barbell Stainless EZ Curl Bar. Im a college student who doesnt have access to a gym when i go home for summer, so im am not working out for roughly 3.5 months. I’ve heard people say the straight bar hits your biceps a lot better but the EZ curl bar is safer for your wrists and elbows. Meaning, is the difference in biceps activation more significant than the difference in safety and injury prevention? This equals less worry about the total weight. An ez-curl bar or cambered bar is such that when gripping it your wrists will have a natural bend and angle when doing a curl. The average ez bar curl entered by men on Strength Level is heavier than the average barbell curl. thats what you get for curling in a squat rack hohoho . The EZ barbell curl is similar to the straight barbell curl. An EZ curl bar has a bend that gives it the shape of a shallow “W.” The advantage of using an EZ bar is it places your wrists in a more neutral position. And better yet, figure out the reason for that pain and correct it. So, I do everything I can to keep from getting injured. And try to find a good sports injury guy if you can rather than just a general PT. How many reps, sets and how often? Hey there Jay.Great article and great website in general.Your site has really helped me,since i am an ectomoprh as well But,I have one question.I have heard that you need to train small muscle groups like biceps only in higher reps(8-15) and strength hypertrophy will come. I go to college and may be fairly busy. When performing a reverse curl you can either use an EZ curl bar or a straight barbell like an Olympic bar. In fact, the EZ curl bar was actually designed for this purpose . Can split squats be replaced with lunges? But I wanna ask you what your thoughts are on that. Curled Barbell vs. Straight Barbell. Ez bar is better on your wrists and you can put on more weight. My goal is aesthetics of course and im willing to workout 3-4x a week. Curl bars and straight bars are both effective tools for weight lifting activities. It was most likely a combination of factors, with another being heavy chin-ups which also happen to involve that same supinated grip a straight barbell curl involves (this is not a coincidence… this fully supinated/underhand grip is a well known cause of wrist, forearm and elbow pain). Simply put, the potential CONS of straight bar curls (injury) easily outweigh any potential PROS (the “better” biceps activation it provides, which is likely to be so insignificant it won’t actually matter in the first place). One of the many topics on my to-do list. Background: Dumbbell curl (DC) and barbell curl in its two variants, straight (BC) or undulated bar (EZ) are typical exercises to train the elbow flexors. As I mentioned in my triceps guide a couple of weeks ago, the majority of your biceps/triceps growth will come as a result of getting stronger at compound exercises like various chest presses, shoulder presses, rows and pull-ups/lat pull-downs, which is why this type of stuff should always get your primary focus. Good from and proper programming will be the key to minimizing injuries. If you liked this article, you’ll also like: How To Get Bigger Arms: The Best Bicep And Tricep Workout Routine. Hi jay I am 52 years old and have been training for 20 years. But I didn’t enter into gym for four months due to orthopaedic advice! The EZ Curl Bar when held in your hands is a very comfortable bar to hold. Do I stay with the exact same routine in a deficit? In fact, I truly doubt you’d see any meaningful difference whatsoever. However, as a beginner, I question how recovery time, performance, etc. Hi Jay Please write an article about Rows, it would definitely Help us! I strictly follow your routine without adding or taking out anything. I have one question. Yes the straight bar clearly bothers me at times like the guru suggested. Which do you recommend and why? This feels more natural and more comfortable on the wrists and elbows. After all the rows and pull-ups, when I come to do a curl, my biceps is so pumped that I think that I am wasting my time, I had no strength left, even when using a light weight on curls. I used the straight bar for years until the EZ Curl bar came out. So you’re saying I angered the squat Gods? I do not suffer from any injuries or pain. While many bodybuilders prefer straight bars because straight bar exercises bring about more spectacular results over a shorter period of time, EZ curl bars are said to be safer to use because the wrists and the elbow are in a more natural position while lifting and lowering these angled bars; they are, therefore, more recommended for newcomers to weight training. Should I do any isolation exercise for it? Bench presses/DIPS don’t get my triceps tired as back work do for my biceps.