Barbells come in two primary shapes: curled and straight. The curled barbell is also known as an EZ curl bar. The possible grip positions on either barbell affect the way your muscles are worked during exercise. Barbells support standard- and Olympic-style weights. The major difference between the two lies in the diameter of the hole through which the barbell is threaded.
Straight
The straight barbell comes in various lengths. Shorter barbells can be used for a variety of push or pull exercises, such as biceps curls, bent-over rows, palms-up and palms-down wrist curls, lunges and shoulder presses. Longer barbells are made for, but not limited to, mass-building exercises with large motion ranges, such as squats, bench presses and deadlifts. These barbells can accommodate significant weight and are usually stored on barbell racks for safety. Most newer long barbells are designed to hold Olympic-style weights that feature a 2-inch diameter hole, while many shorter straight barbells are made for the 1-inch diameter hole on standard-style weights.
Curled
Curled, or EZ, barbells generally come in only one length. The barbell is designed, as its name suggests, primarily for curling exercises, but the barbell is versatile and can be used for various other types of push or pull exercises. Examples include upright rows, overhead triceps extensions, narrow-grip chest presses and shoulder shrugs. Nearly all curled barbells accommodate only Olympic-style weights with their 2-inch diameter holes.
Curled Grips
What separates the straight barbell from the curled barbell is the shape of the bar's grip portion. The uneven variations of the curled barbell grips allow you to change your grip angle, which affects how your muscles are worked. For instance, during biceps curls, your palms are angled toward each other, compared to a straight barbell grip, where your palms face straight up. This change in grip angle engages the outside of the bicep muscles more intensely than with a straight barbell. The curled barbell also enables you to grasp the bar with both hands only a few inches apart while angling your hands. This creates a more concentrated close-grip curl.
Weight Stacks
Many gyms feature full-weight stacks of barbells that have affixed plated weights. Generally, a gym provides both straight and curled barbell weight stacks. Weight amounts can differ, but a typical weight stack can range in barbells weighing 10 to 100 pounds. These weight stacks make it easy to quickly change weight amounts without having to remove clamps and adding or removing plated weights. If you use barbell weights from a weight stack, return the weight to its proper slot, as the stacks are typically ordered by weight amount.
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