Close Grip EZ Bar Curl Overview
The close grip ez bar curl is a biceps move. Your biceps are the muscles on the front of your upper arms. Your forearms help too. You hold an ez bar with your hands close together. Then you curl it up toward your shoulders. The close grip works the outer part of your biceps more. The angled bar is easy on your wrists. You need an ez bar. The close grip ez bar curl builds bigger, stronger arms. The bent bar keeps your wrists comfy. The close grip gives your biceps a new angle to grow. It is a good move for beginners. Do it on arm day or after back training. It fits well in the middle or end of your workout.
What Is The Point of the Close Grip EZ Bar Curl?
The close grip ez bar curl builds bigger, stronger biceps with less wrist strain. The close grip hits your biceps from a different angle than regular curls.
How To Do The Close Grip EZ Bar Curl
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold an EZ bar with your hands close together on the inner curves of the bar. The angled grip keeps your wrists comfortable while the narrow hands bias the outer biceps.
- Keep your elbows tucked at your sides and your shoulders back. Brace your core lightly so your torso stays still and does not swing.
- Let the bar hang at arm's length in front of your thighs. Squeeze the bar and set your wrists in a firm, stacked position.
- Take a breath and curl the bar up by squeezing your biceps. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides so only your forearms move.
- Curl the bar in a smooth, controlled path until your biceps are fully contracted near the top. Do not let your elbows drift forward to help.
- Pause briefly at the top and squeeze your biceps hard. This peak contraction builds the strength and shape of the muscle.
- Lower the bar back to the start slowly, taking about two to three seconds and resisting the weight. Do not let the bar drop fast.
- Reach a full stretch at the bottom with your arms nearly straight, keeping constant tension on the biceps. Then start the next rep with no swinging.
- Keep every rep controlled and your body still throughout. The close grip EZ bar curl works well in the 10 to 15 rep range for 3 to 4 sets.
Close Grip EZ Bar Curl Form Tips
- Keep your elbows tucked at your sides. Pin them in place.
- Hold the bar on the inner bends. This is easy on your wrists.
- Keep your upper arms still. Only your forearms move.
- Curl until your biceps are fully squeezed. Hold for a moment.
- Lower the bar slow. Feel the stretch at the bottom.
- Keep a small bend in your elbows at the bottom. Keep tension on the muscle.
- Stand tall with your back straight. Do not sway.
- Keep your wrists straight and firm. Let your biceps do the work.
- Breathe out as you curl. Breathe in as you lower.
Common Mistakes to Avoid for the Close Grip EZ Bar Curl
- Swinging your torso to heave the bar up. Rocking back and forth uses momentum instead of your biceps and can strain your lower back. Stand tall and still and let your biceps do the lifting.
- Letting your elbows drift forward as you curl. When your elbows travel up, your front delts take over and the biceps lose their isolation. Pin your elbows at your sides so only your forearms move.
- Using too heavy a load. A weight you cannot curl strictly forces you to swing and cut the range short. Drop the weight so you can curl cleanly through a full range with fixed elbows.
- Not lowering under control. Dropping the bar fast wastes the eccentric, which drives arm growth, and can strain the elbow. Lower for two to three seconds and resist the weight the whole way.
- Cutting the bottom stretch short. Stopping partway down keeps tension off the lengthened biceps. Lower until your arms are nearly straight for a full stretch on each rep.
- Not squeezing at the top. Blasting through the top without a real contraction wastes the peak. Pause and crush your biceps for a beat at the top of every rep.
- Bending your wrists under the bar. A rolling wrist leaks tension into the forearms and can strain the joint, even with the EZ bar angle. Keep your wrists stacked and firm.
- Flaring your elbows out. Letting your elbows wing outward defeats the close grip and shifts work off the biceps. Keep them tucked tight to your ribs throughout.
- Using the shrug or shoulders to finish the rep. Rolling your shoulders forward at the top brings the traps into it and cheats the curl. Keep your shoulders back and let the biceps finish the movement.
- Gripping wider than the inner curves. Spreading your hands out defeats the purpose of the close grip variation. Keep your hands on the inner part of the bar to bias the outer biceps.
- Holding your breath through the set. Grinding reps without breathing spikes your blood pressure and makes you dizzy. Exhale as you curl up and inhale as you lower.
Close Grip EZ Bar Curl Workout Tips
- Warm up your elbows and biceps with a light set first. A quick primer keeps the joints happy and helps you feel the muscle from the first rep.
- Use the EZ bar angle to keep your wrists comfortable. The close grip on a straight bar can strain the wrists, so the EZ bar lets you train hard pain-free.
- The close grip biases the outer, long head of the biceps. Use it to build the biceps peak and add variety to your curl work.
- Chase the mind-muscle connection by squeezing your biceps to curl. Feeling the muscle drive the bar rather than just moving it is what builds the arm.
- Use a slow two to three second lowering phase. That controlled eccentric keeps tension on the biceps and grows them more than dropping the bar.
- Pause and squeeze hard at the top of each rep. A one second hold in the contracted position teaches you to fully use the muscle.
- Keep your elbows pinned at your sides throughout. Fixed elbows separate a strict curl from a sloppy swinging one.
- Aim for 10 to 15 reps for 3 to 4 sets. The moderate to higher rep range suits the biceps well when chasing a strong contraction.
- Add weight in small steps over time. Tiny, controlled jumps you can still curl strictly drive progressive overload without inviting swinging.
- Lower to a full stretch every rep. Reaching a straight-arm bottom loads the biceps in the lengthened position where a lot of growth happens.
- Program it as a biceps builder or variation on arm day. The close grip complements wider curls by shifting the emphasis on the muscle.
- Keep your wrists neutral and firm. A stable wrist keeps the tension on the biceps instead of leaking it into your forearms.
- Do not train to failure with swinging on every set. When your form breaks, end the set rather than grinding cheat reps.
- Film a set from the front to check your elbows stay put. It is easy to let them drift forward or flare without noticing.
- Superset it with a wide grip curl for full biceps coverage. The close grip hits the long head while a wide grip biases the short head.
- Keep your reps smooth and rhythmic. A steady tempo keeps constant tension and makes each rep count toward growth.
- Be patient and consistent. Arms grow slowly, so steady, strict curls over months are what finally add real size and peak.
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