EZ Bar Curl

Equipment

Gym Equipment Needed

Muscle Group

Bicep

Setup

Select an EZ curl bar and load a weight you can lift with strict form. The angled grips reduce wrist strain for many people, making this a great biceps builder. Stand on a flat surface and use collars if needed.

Starting Position

Stand tall with feet hip-width apart. Grip the EZ bar on the angled handles with an underhand grip. Let your arms hang fully extended with the bar in front of your thighs. Brace your core, keep chest up, shoulders down and back, and elbows close to your sides. Keep wrists neutral and stacked over your forearms.

Execution

Inhale and brace. Curl the bar upward by bending at the elbows, keeping your upper arms mostly still. Lift until you reach a strong biceps contraction near the top (around upper-ab/chest height). Pause briefly and squeeze. Exhale as you lift or at the top. Lower the bar slowly back to full extension under control, maintaining tension. Repeat for the desired reps with smooth tempo.

Tips on doing this exercise

Keep elbows pinned to your sides—only the forearms move.

Control the lowering phase (2–3 seconds) for better biceps loading.

Stop 1–2 reps before you start swinging—clean reps beat heavy cheating.

Use the grip angle that feels best on your wrists and keep wrists neutral.

Progress by adding reps first, then small weight increases while maintaining form.

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Common Mistakes

Swinging the torso or using hips to move the weight

Letting elbows drift forward, reducing biceps tension

Bending wrists back or letting the bar roll into the fingers

Cutting range short or dropping too fast on the way down

Shrugging shoulders up as fatigue sets in

Using too much weight and losing strict form

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Recommended Ranges

Strength focus: 3–5 sets of 4–6 reps (heavier, strict)

Hypertrophy focus: 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps (moderate, full range)

Pump/finisher: 2–4 sets of 12–15 reps (lighter, constant tension)
Rest 60–90 seconds between sets.

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