How to do the EZ Barbell Curl
BicepsEZ-BarIntermediate
The EZ barbell curl takes pressure off your wrists and forearms by using the angled grip, letting you focus almost entirely on loading the biceps through a full, clean range of motion. Master this movement and you will build the kind of arm thickness that straight-bar work alone rarely delivers.
Add this to my personalized plan →Muscles worked
Primary
Biceps
Secondary
BrachialisForearms
Step-by-step
- Stand tall with the EZ-bar held at hip height using an underhand grip on the angled outer sections, shoulder-width apart.
- Pin your elbows firmly to your sides and curl the bar in a smooth arc toward your upper chest without letting the elbows drift forward.
- Squeeze the biceps hard at the top for a full count before beginning the descent.
- Lower the bar under complete control back to full arm extension, resisting gravity the entire way down.
Common mistakes
- Swinging the torso to generate momentum — brace your core and keep your back straight so the biceps do all the work, not your lower back.
- Letting the elbows slide forward at the top — keep them anchored at your sides throughout the rep to maintain tension on the biceps rather than shifting load to the front delts.
- Cutting the range of motion short at the bottom — fully extend the arms on every rep to maximize the stretch and time under tension that drives growth.
Pro tip — At the very top of the curl, actively supinate your grip slightly inward against the bar's angle to intensify the biceps peak contraction before you begin lowering — most lifters skip this and leave significant muscle activation on the table.
Sets & reps by goal
Build muscle3–4 sets × 10–15 reps
Get stronger3–4 sets × 6–8 reps
Lose fat / tone3 sets × 12–20 reps
Rest: 60–90 sec between sets.
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