The E-Z curl bar is a piece of exercise equipment similar to a barbell but not straight like a barbell. The E-Z bar is used for the same exercises as barbells, but the bar is curved so that it can be held with your palms in a semi-pronated or angled position. Use the E-Z bar to train your biceps, triceps and forearms. You can do bicep curls, reverse curls and tricep extensions. Do four to six sets of one to five reps to increase maximal strength, three to four sets of 8 to 12 reps to increase muscle size, or one to three sets of 12 to 25 reps to increase muscular endurance, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
Bicep Curls
Step 1
Add as many plates to the bar as you want to lift. Put the same amount on each side so the weight is balanced, using half the total weight per side. For example, if you want to curl 30 lbs., put 15 lbs. on each side.
Step 2
Hold the E-Z curl bar with your palms facing up and at a diagonal to strengthen the biceps brachii muscles of the upper arm. Place your hands about shoulder-width apart. Stand up straight and allow your arms to hang straight in front of you, below your waist.
Step 3
Exhale and bend your elbows to curl the bar toward your shoulders. Do not touch your forearms to your biceps.
Step 4
Inhale and straighten your arms again. Control your movement and do not use momentum to throw the bar upward.
Reverse Curls
Step 1
Put less weight on the bar than you did with the biceps curls. James T. Bell, Ph.D., president of International Fitness Professionals Association (IFPA), says, "Use a pronated or semi-pronated grip to put biceps at a mechanical disadvantage to increase stress on the brachialis and brachioradialis." The brachioradialis is a forearm muscle and the brachialis is an assistant muscle to the biceps.
Step 2
Turn your palms over to point toward the floor, and grab the bar at about shoulder-width apart to do a semi-pronated reverse curl. Hold your palms diagonally inward.
Step 3
Stand up straight and do the same movement as in a bicep curl, just with the different hand position. Exhale and bend your elbows to curl the bar toward your shoulders. Do not touch your forearms to your biceps.
Step 4
Inhale and straighten your arms again. Control your movement and do not use momentum to throw the bar upward.
Tricep Curls
Step 1
Lie face up on a flat exercise bench and hold the E-Z curl bar with your palms facing toward the ceiling when your elbows are bent. Hold the bar closer than shoulder-width apart. Touch your forearms to your biceps with the bar in front of your head. Point your elbows toward the ceiling.
Step 2
Exhale and extend your arms straight so that the bar is above your chest and shoulders. Inhale and bend your arms back to the starting position. Keep the motion fluid and controlled.
Step 3
Press your lower back into the bench at all times, and use a lighter weight if your back starts to arch or you are having difficulty keeping the bar level. Bend your knees and place your feet on the bench if it is difficult for you to keep your back down before even attempting the exercise.
Tips and Warnings
- Try variations to work your biceps and forearms in different ways. Preacher curls, spider curls, and wide- and close-grip curls are some the exercises you can try that use the same basic movements as the bicep curl and reverse curl. Lie on an incline or decline bench to hit the triceps differently with a tricep curl exercise. These are also known as incline and decline tricep extensions or skull crushers.
References
- EZ Curl Video and Instructions
- NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training; National Academy of Sports Medicine; 2008
- Building Bigger Stronger Forearms
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