Strength Training · Bodybuilding
EZ-Bar Curl
The EZ-bar curl trains your biceps by bending your elbows to lift an angled bar. Its slanted grips let you use a less fully palms-up position than a straight bar.
- Beginner
- Isolation
- Low injury risk
- Rest 1 min
How to do it
- Grasp matching angled sections of the bar with an underhand grip, roughly shoulder-width apart.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding the bar in front of your thighs.
- Position your upper arms beside your torso.
- Bend your elbows to curl the bar toward your shoulders as far as you can without moving your upper arms forward.
- Lower the bar until your elbows are comfortably straight.
Form cues
- Keep your wrists aligned with your forearms.
- Keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
- Exhale as you lift.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the bar upReduce the weight until you can lift without driving through your legs or rocking your torso.
- Shrugging toward the topKeep your shoulders relaxed rather than lifting them toward your ears.
- Dropping the bar on the descentTake about two seconds to lower each rep instead of letting gravity pull the bar down.
Safety
Excessive weight or jerking can strain your wrists, elbows, or biceps tendons. Loose plates can slide off if the bar tilts.
- Secure loaded plates with collars.
- Start with a light warm-up set before adding working weight.
- Stop the set if you feel sharp pain or cannot control the bar.
If you have ongoing wrist or elbow pain, choose a pain-free grip or lighter curl variation and seek guidance from a physiotherapist if symptoms persist.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Barbell Collar (optional)
- EZ-Curl Barbell
- Weight Plate (optional)
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–3
- Target
- 8–12 reps
- Rest
- 1 min
Choose a weight that leaves you able to perform about two more clean reps at the end of each set.