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Straight or EZ bar: Which one is best for building your biceps?
Although the EZ bar (a shorter bar found in many gyms with “bends” where you grip it) is often used when people train their biceps, researchers from Oklahoma State University have shown that a straight bar actually produces greater muscle activity in the biceps. Although one of the main roles of the biceps is to flex the elbow joint, it also rotates the palm. In other words, if you hold your palm face down, then twist it so that it faces up, the biceps is doing some of the work.
With a straight bar, the palm is already facing up. With the EZ bar, your palms are angled in slightly so they face each other. The researchers think this is one reason why the EZ bar curl reduces muscle activity in the biceps compared to using a straight bar.
Of course, the EZ bar does work other muscles well, such as the forearms and side of the upper arm. However, if you want to get maximum growth of the biceps, make sure that the straight barbell curl is used. Dumbbell curls with the palms facing up for the whole movement are also be highly effective for this purpose.
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What I’ve found in the past with the straight bar, is that it tends to ‘twist’ my forearms, thus preventing me lifting heavier weights. The EZ bar does not do this.
Is the reason behind this twist a need to loosen up the forearm muscles or do I need some sort of exercise to loosen the wrist or simple massage. I do tend not to have the same flexible motion as when I was younger.
I have tried using a straight bar for curling but found that the pain in my wrists is unbearable. This was at a light weight, about 27kgs. Different things for different people.
I trained for years with a straight bar getting really good results from hard strict curling (60kg my heaviest set), then my gym decided to replace all barbells with the e-z type (really stupid I know) and first week curling with this, BANG! my elbow goes. As far as I’m concerned E-Z bars have no place for serious trainers, let’s face it, anything with ‘easy’ in the title is going to be too good to be true!