ez barbell seated curls: technique and muscles worked

Animated demonstration of ez barbell seated curls

How to do this exercise

Step:1 Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight.
Step:2 Hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up, and your hands shoulder-width apart.
Step:3 Rest your upper arms on your thighs, allowing the ez barbell to hang down in front of you.
Step:4 Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the ez barbell upwards towards your shoulders.
Step:5 Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
Step:6 Inhale and slowly lower the ez barbell back to the starting position.
Step:7 Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Equipment: EZ bar
Body part: Arms
Target muscle: Biceps
Secondary muscle: Forearms

Hypertrophy grade

Good7 / 10

Nemeo’s take

Using the EZ bar is an excellent point because its wavy shape allows the wrists to be placed at a more natural angle (semi-supination), which drastically reduces the forearm pain often felt with a straight bar. In a seated position, the amplitude is mechanically reduced since the bar hits your thighs at the bottom of the movement. This creates constant tension on the biceps because you never fully relax the muscle, but it also deprives the biceps of the maximum stretch in the bottom position, which is a key driver of growth.

This catalog score reflects Nemeo’s assessment of the exercise’s muscle-building potential. It is not a standardized scientific rating or a personalized recommendation.

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ez barbell seated curls

How to do this exercise

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