EZ Curl Bar

D

Drex

0
Question on EZ curl bars. This is probably a dumb question, but...

Initially I thought the point of these was just to get you a more comfortable grip. So, I bought one of these in January 2006 and used the inside grip for probably about 6-8 months doing my preacher curls. I had noticed that the inside of my bicep was getting a lot bigger and not much on the outside of the bicep, but I didn't think about it too much.

Sometime along the way I was talking to someone that lifted a lot as they played college football. He mentioned working the inside and outside of the bicep. That is when it hit me that I should probably be using the outside grip as well as the inside grip to get even growth. The outside grip was definately a little more akward. I tried that for a while, but it doubled my bicep curls and eventually I just switched to dumbell curls to try to get a more balanced bicep.

So, I guess I am trying to get confirmation in case I want to start using this again in the future. When using the ezcurl bar, both grips should be used and that is how it is intended? Seems like the point of this is to widen the bicep. Yet references to the ezcurl bar seem to point to the use as more ergonomic.
 
The bi-ceps has 2 heads or parts. It is very difficult for most people to isolate one head, although some exercises may effect one more than the other. However, if you want to build biceps size and strength you should be doing pullups, chinups, rows, power cleans, etc.
 
Coincidentally, I was just reading the below article on T-Nation the other day. Click here to view the full thing, since this excerpt really isn't the point of the piece.

"Shaping a Muscle

You can't change the shape of a muscle.

It will grow, shrink or stay the same. You could do curls with your elbows tucked to your sides and a wide hand position until the cows come home and it won't do jack **** for the inner head of your biceps.

The reason? Because you can't fire the inner head without the outer head. Furthermore, show me one bodybuilder who got visible results with such unorthodox curls. In other words, targeting certain areas of your biceps looks great on paper, but it never pans out in the real world.

I do get a kick out of hearing the proponents of the curling variations with different arm and hand positions, though. Usually it goes something like this, "Most people perform curls with poor form (flared elbows) and their inner head gets neglected." Therefore they recommend targeting that lagging inner head by curling with your elbows in and hands wide.

Here's an idea: why don't you just start curling with better form?

Can you reshape a muscle? No. Can you train key muscles in a group to grow? No, unless it's the quadriceps. Since the quads are such a massive muscle group with four primary heads, and since each head is favored at certain knee angles, a little tweaking is possible."
 
Inside being, if you stand with your hands at your side, palms forward, the half of the bicep closest to your body.

I am not familiar with the "bicep heads", but I know that my bicep was lopsided when looking at it with more musle built on the inside than outside. That was almost a year ago and since them I have switched to standing dumbbell curls and it has evened out.

If you think of an arch, with the highest point being in the middle, then pushing one side so the highest point is to the side rather than centered.
 
Here's an idea: why don't you just start curling with better form?
Click to expand...

I don't think my form was bad, but if it was bad form and that caused the lopsided bicep, wouldn't that negate everything you wrote?

I guess I peronally saw the change, and it was neither intended nor a result I wanted. I guess I will just stay away from the ezcurl bar.

Usually it goes something like this, "Most people perform curls with poor form (flared elbows) and their inner head gets neglected." Therefore they recommend targeting that lagging inner head by curling with your elbows in and hands wide.
Click to expand...

On this it was preacher curls, with elbows near the edge of the preacher pad (about shoulder width). Grip was the inside grip of the ezcurl bar.
 
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dswithers said:
However, if you want to build biceps size and strength you should be doing pullups, chinups, rows, power cleans, etc.
Click to expand...

I tihnk this is the best advice you can get. You'll work biceps much more doing pullups and rows than just doing curls, and it should be more "even" as well. If you must do curls, just tag on one set at the end of your workout.
 
Yeah, I understand on the other exercises being more effective. I am currently doing either chin-ups or pull-ups in each workout. I do curls later in the workout in addition though.

dswithers post exlpains it pretty well, thank you.
 
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