How much does an EZ bar weigh? What are the advantages of using it instead of a straight bar in some weights exercises? We will answer these questions and a few others to give you a better appreciation of that shiny but crooked-looking barbell you can find in almost all well-equipped bodybuilding gyms.
Why is it called an EZ Bar?
Actually, it was originally referred to as Dymeck curling bar, after its inventor and intended purpose. Its specific contours were ergonomically designed by Lewis Dymeck not only to aid in achieving the proper form in doing bicep curls, but also in reducing the pain, stress, and risks of injury on the wrists and elbows while performing the exercise.
Today, it is most popularly known as an “EZ Curl Bar”. EZ, of course, is a modern slang for the word “easy”, as said simple yet clever innovation on the customary straight barbell bar made some exercise movements more relatively comfortable and pain-free.
Although many might contend that feeling a little pain is part of muscle building, as you needed to cause micro-tearing on your muscle fibers for new strands of myofibrils to develop.
While the previous statement is true, it doesn’t mean that you need to cause unnecessary damages to your joints, tendons, and ligaments as well. With the less supinated and more normal grip that the EZ curl bar has to offer, it significantly lessens your risks to various painful and debilitating arm injuries such as wrist sprain and medial epicondylitis, more commonly known as golfer’s elbow.
How much does an EZ Bar weigh?
To answer this question fittingly, we should tell you first that there are at least 3 known categories for this gym equipment:
- Standard EZ Curl Bar: – it is also marketed as a “beginner curl bar”, and weighs about 15 to 17.5 pounds and about 47” (120cm) long. It is usually made of 1” diameter tubular stainless or chrome-plated steel from the body to the end collars where weight plates are attached and held in place by either butterfly clamps or rotatable cuffs.
- Olympic EZ Curl Bar – it is also referred to as an “intermediate curl bar”, and weighs about 20 to 25 pounds and about 52” (132cm) long. While it has a similar body as the standard EZ curl bar, its end collars, where weight plates are placed, are sleeved with metal tubes with bearings inside. This feature does not only provide the extra weight but also enables the plates to freely spin while being loaded and kept in place with butterfly clamps.
- Super EZ Curl Bar – it is also touted as an “advanced level curl bar, and it weighs from 35 to 37.5 pounds. While it is quite similar in appearance, length and functionality as the Olympic EZ Bar, it has a slightly more complex handle design that gives the user an option to train with parallel grip as well, which contracts the biceps more. As the first two types, it bore several grip markings for working out specific arm muscles.
What are the exercises where an EZ bar is best used?
- Bicep Curls – It is called an EZ curl bar for a reason. Contrary to using a straight bar where your palms are completely facing up, an EZ bar puts your wrists and forearms at a better angle, thereby relieving some of the strains on the arm joints and ligaments.
- Preacher’s Curl – The specifically placed bent and grip markings in an EZ curl bar make it ideal for this exercise. It doesn’t only make finding the same grab spots easier in between sets, but they also help maintain the right distance between your arms during the whole sequence.
- Lying Triceps Extensions – Using an EZ bar instead of a straight barbell in this exercise enables you to maintain better a proper arms position. This, in turn, keeps the emphasis on your triceps in both the extension and contraction sequence of the exercise.
- Upright Rows – With the EZ bar’s bends and curves, you will not have trouble finding the centermost part of the barbell as required in this exercise. This will support the whole purpose of this movement, which not only aims to build and strengthen your upper arms but also your back and shoulders as well.
Final Words
Knowing how much does an EZ bar weigh maybe useful if you are planning on buying one for your home gym or for customizing your resistance training program. However, that is just one aspect to be considered for the aforementioned purposes.
For one thing, the debate on which works better, the straight bar or the EZ bar still rages on, as the latter is viewed by some as less effective. It is because they deemed that the some of the weights carried are transferred to the brachioradialis muscles and away from the main biceps.
At the end of the day, it is up to you if you put more premiums on safety and ergonomics or on quick though quite risky gains. But then again, you can always find a way to take advantage of what both have to offer.
