EZ-Bar Curl
Rep Range
8–12
Rest Time
1m 30s
Increment
2.5 lb
Muscles Worked
How to Perform
- 1
Stand holding a barbell with an underhand shoulder-width grip, arms fully extended.
- 2
Curl the bar up by flexing your elbows only. Your upper arms stay pinned to your sides.
- 3
Squeeze at the top, then lower the bar under a controlled 2-3 second eccentric to full arm extension.
- 4
Keep your torso still throughout. If you are swaying, the weight is too heavy.
Common Mistakes
Swinging the body to generate momentum. Pin your elbows to your sides and use only your biceps.
Not fully extending the arm at the bottom, which reduces the stretch and shortchanges the range of motion.
Going too heavy and compensating with front delt activation. Isolation exercises work best with strict form and moderate loads.
Pro Tips
Supinate your wrist (turn your pinky toward the ceiling) at the top of the curl. The biceps are powerful supinators, and this squeeze maximizes contraction.
Use a 3-second eccentric (lowering) on every rep. The biceps grow exceptionally well from slow eccentrics.
Related Exercises
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