EZ Bar Weight: 4 Types, Sizes, & Capacities

An EZ curl bar is a very popular piece of gym equipment found in home gyms or commercial gyms. It is a versatile bar used for many different exercises to train all parts of the body.

What is the standard EZ bar weight? The standard EZ curl bar in most gyms weighs 10.5 lbs. But standard EZ curl bars can vary from 10 to 15 lbs (4.5 to 6.8kg). Other types like the Olympic and Super EZ curl bars can weigh between 15 – 35 lbs. Fixed EZ curl bars can go up to 110 lbs.

Knowing the amount of weight you’re lifting is important, so you can accurately track your lifts and how you’re progressing over time. When you first start lifting, you need to know the starting weight of your equipment to build off. A difference of only a few pounds can make all the difference in your lift.

In this article, you will learn the ins and outs of the EZ curl bar, including:

• What an EZ curl bar is
• What EZ curl bars are made of
• Different types of EZ curl bars
• Detailed breakdown comparing the weights of nine popular EZ curl bar models
• Four main benefits of training with an EZ curl bar

What Is an EZ Curl Bar?

An EZ curl bar is a unique barbell with a curved, zig-zag shaft. The curved shaft makes this bar more comfortable to use on your wrists compared to a straight bar. The shaft also allows for a wider or more narrow grip. These grips can target different muscles like your chest, triceps, and shoulders.

The primary exercise with this bar is bicep curl variations. You can do other exercises like overhead tricep extensions, close grip presses, and shoulder front raises.

Related Article: Is It Okay To Do Bicep Curls Every Day? (Yes, Here’s How)

What Is an EZ Curl Bar Made Of?

All EZ curl bars are made of high-grade solid steel. On the curves of the bar shaft, there are knurling textures to make the grip easier.

Most EZ Curl bars have sleeves with bearings, allowing for the sleeves to spin.

The type of finishing on the bar varies per manufacturer, but it helps protect the bar from damage. Common types of finishing include bare stainless steel, chrome, zinc, and Cerakote.

Different Types of EZ Curl Bars

The four most common types of EZ Curl Bars are a standard EZ curl bar, Olympic EZ curl bar, super EZ Curl Bar, and fixed EZ curl bar.

Standard EZ Curl Bar

This is what you will find at most home gyms. These bars will only allow for 1” weight plates to be added. They are 45-48” long.

How heavy is the EZ bar? The weight of a standard EZ bar is between 10-15 lbs.

Standard EZ curl bars will have a threaded or smooth sleeve, depending on the model. Adjustable collars lock the weight plates on the threaded sleeve to prevent the weights from falling off. Smooth sleeves require a 1” spring-loaded clip to lock the weight plates in place.

Olympic EZ Curl Bar

You will find this bar at commercial gyms because they are compatible with 2” Olympic-sized plates. It ranges from 47-75” in length. The Olympic EZ bar weight is between 16-35 lbs.

Some Olympic EZ curl bars are rackable, meaning they can fit across a squat rack. These specific bars are 71-75” in length, while non-rackable bars are 47-57” in length. They are built with higher quality steel and have rotating sleeves.

Super EZ Curl Bar

These have a much more exaggerated bend and curve to the shaft. That makes for more of a neutral grip while using this bar. These bars are usually all 47” long and weigh between 17 – 20 lbs.

You can find some super EZ curl bars that support 1” weight plates, but most are designed for 2” Olympic-sized plates.

Fixed EZ Curl Bars

These can be found at a home or commercial gym. They have fixed rubber discs on the ends. These bars are very convenient, as you don’t have to change the weight at all. The typical length of a fixed EZ curl bar is 41-49”.

The fixed EZ bar weight is between 10-110 lb, with 10 lb increments.

What Is the Ez Bar Weight by Type?

Above, I provided the average weights for different types of EZ curl bars. However, factors like material used, thickness, length, and diameter will determine how heavy the bar is.

The chart below shows the weights of EZ curl bars from some of the most popular fitness brands.

Benefits of Using an EZ Curl Bar

There are many benefits to using an EZ Curl Bar. You can get more muscle activation with this bar, and it is more comfortable than a straight bar. There are tons of exercise variations you can do. You will also have improved balance compared to other bars.

Muscle Activation

A common question is whether dumbbells, straight bars, or EZ curl bars are best to build your biceps.

The researchers of one study looked at the differences in muscle activation between the three pieces of equpiment. Electromyographic (EMG) activity was measured in the biceps brachii and brachioradialis muscles during a dumbbell curl, straight bar curl, and EZ Bar curl.

Which method got the most muscle activation during both the concentric and eccentric movements? The EZ curl bar. During the concentric phase when the muscle is shortened and the eccentric lengthening of the biceps, the EZ Curl Bar was the best option.

Related Article: 9 Best Preacher Curl Alternatives (With Pictures)

Comfort

An EZ curl bar is typically more comfortable on your wrists and shoulders compared to a straight bar. The zig-zag angles of the bar put your hands in more of a semi-supinated position (meaning your palms only face up a little bit) compared to a straight bar.

This position helps for people who have limited wrist mobility. It also requires less shoulder external rotation. This leads to more comfort for many people who have shoulder pains.

Furthermore, the EZ curl bar will put your upper body in a better ergonomic position to help limit the chance of injury during the exercise.

Exercise Variation

An EZ curl bar is not limited to bicep curls. There are even many different bicep curl variations you can use with this bar. You can do supinated, reverse, and preacher curls with this bar. An EZ Curl bar is great for tricep exercises, like a skull crusher or French press.

Because the bar is lighter than an Olympic barbell, an EZ curl bar could be used as a starting bar for somebody new to a barbell bench press.

Related Article: 7 Different Types of Bench Press Bars & Their Uses

Improved Balance

This bar is much shorter in length compared to an Olympic barbell. If you use a longer bar, you will have to focus more on stabilizing the bar and less on form doing a bicep curl.

A smaller EZ curl bar has the weights closer to your center of gravity. That way, you can focus more on maximizing the bicep curl and less on having to stabilize the weights on a long bar.

Different Grips You Can Use With an EZ Curl Bar

EZ curl bars allow for many different grips for bicep curl variations. You can use a supinated, pronated, or neutral grip with an EZ curl bar.

Supinated Grip

This is also known as an underhand grip when the palms face upward. This grip puts the most focus on the biceps during a curl.

You can do either a narrow or wide-grip supinated curl with an EZ curl bar.

A narrow grip will target the long head of your biceps, which makes up the peak. A wider grip will target the short head of the biceps, and you can usually use more weight with this grip.

Pronated Grip

Also called an overhand grip, it describes the orientation of the palms facing downward.

A pronated bicep curl is also known as a reverse curl. This grip will target your biceps, forearms, and outer arms.

A pronated grip is also used in exercises such as skull crushers, barbell bent-over rows, and front raises.

Neutral Grip

refers to the orientation of the palms facing each other. This grip can really only be used with a super EZ curl bar because of how exaggerated the angle of the shaft is. It will work your biceps and one specific forearm muscle, the brachioradialis.

Final Thoughts

So, what is the EZ bar weight and how heavy can they get?

Every brand has different factors that cause their bars to weigh differently, but a safe bet is to assume the bar you are using weighs between 10-35 lbs. You can then add weight plates to the bar appropriately when you know the baseline weight.

About the Author

Jake Woodruff has an MS in Sports Medicine from the University of Pittsburgh. His research area explored how an exercise intervention affected runners with knee pain measured by a movement screening. He is currently a strength and conditioning sports performance coach at a private Pittsburgh facility. He is a former college athlete and currently plays semi-pro soccer.