EZ bar exercises

What else besides curls?

The same movements you would do with a straight bar, only with a friendlier grip. The overhead triceps extension is the best example: a straight bar behind your head forces a hand position that bothers plenty of people at even moderate weight, while the angle of the EZ bar lets you turn your hands slightly inward and think about your elbows instead of the discomfort.

The upright row is the second such case, and probably the one where the difference is biggest. On a straight bar your wrists end up clearly bent at the top, because your hands cannot rotate to follow your elbows. The wave takes part of that twist away, though it does not excuse you from leading with the elbows.

Past that, a handful of entries are here simply because the bar happened to be within reach: front raises, a close-grip overhead press, wrist curls. The principle behind that is worth remembering. This piece of equipment does not add exercises, it removes the reason to avoid them.

How much does an EZ bar weigh?

There is no standard, and that is a more practical problem than it sounds. An EZ bar usually weighs less than an Olympic bar, and depending on the model that is anywhere from a few kilos to the mid-teens. Two bars in the same gym can differ by several kilos, and nothing tells you except a scale.

The consequence is simple: the bar itself is not a reference point you can compare across gyms. A log entry reading "bar plus two 10 kg plates" means something only for the bar you train on. If the same load suddenly feels different after you switch gyms, check what the bar weighs before you start looking for the cause in your form.

The plates, on the other hand, are the same ones you load on a barbell, so you get the same small jumps in weight you get there.