Swiss Olympic EZ Bar

At Complete Gyms, we are proud to offer you this Olympic EZ Bar from Swiss.

Weight of 10kg
1.2m bar length
Weight capacity 200kg
Made from Stainless Steel

Load this bar up with Olympic Plates

Check out this video – Video

WHAT IS AN EZ CURL BAR?

An EZ bar is a short variation of a barbell with an angled, undulating handle.

EZ bars come in different sizes (both in length and diameter) and the angles of the handles vary among manufacturers and sellers. There are no set size and weight standards for EZ bars (as they are not used in any official sport capacity).

Generally speaking, there are two main types of EZ curl bars – Standard and Olympic. Standard EZ curl bars have 1 inch diameter sleeves and Olympic EZ curl bars have 2 inch diameter sleeves (just like an Olympic barbell, so it can be loaded with Olympic weight plates, which are the same plates that you find in gyms).

Since Olympic EZ bars are the most common (and best), and can handle the most weight, let’s discuss sizes for those…

EZ Bar Sizes:

Total Length: 4-4.5 feet
Handle: ~31.5 inches in length, 28-30mm in diameter
Sleeve (aka Collars): 7-10.5 inch in length, 2 inches in diameter
Weight: Average is around 22lbs, but they range from 15-30lbs

Any good EZ curl bar will have knurling on the handle at various points where you should hold it for better grip AND smoothly rotating sleeves (which reduces torque created by the plates and stress on your wrist and elbows). Standard EZ bars will not have a rotating sleeve as the sleeve is just the handle separated by a stopper.

We recommend that you buy an Olympic EZ bar, especially if you already have an Olympic barbell and 2” plates. The only time it makes sense to get a standard EZ bar is if you own a range of 1” plates.

Note: Some EZ bars have fixed weights. These are the ones you will see at gyms. However, for home gyms, adjustable EZ bars are, of course, ideal.

HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN AN EZ BAR HOLD?

Olympic EZ bars can generally hold up to 300lbs without bending, whereas a standard EZ bar, which is considerably lighter in weight, can hold around 100-200lbs.

As such, for most exercises that you’d do with an EZ bar, weight load is not an issue.

WHY IS IT CALLED AN EZ BAR?

EZ stands for “easy” and it is named that because it is easier on the wrists and it’s shorter nature is better for certain exercises (like curls, tricep extensions, upright rows, pullovers) than a barbell.

The name can include “curl” (EZ curl bar) and this is because it is most often used for curls…even though it is very common to use it for exercises like rows and tricep extensions as well.

Just because its called an EZ bar doesn’t mean the exercises are easy! EZ bar exercises like the ones we have for you below can be very challenging when using an appropriate weight load.

WHAT IS AN EZ BAR USED FOR?

The main function of the EZ bar is to provide users with different wrist positions. The angled handle allows for a more neutral, semi-supinated grip, which is much more comfortable and safer on the wrists than a straight barbell.

This is exactly why the EZ bar was created. A gentleman by the name of Lewis G. Dymeck invented the EZ curl bar back in the late 1940s as he injured his wrists and using a straight bar was too painful afterward.

Not only does the EZ bar allow those with wrist issues a safer option, it can help people prevent any wrist injury or pain associated with straight barbells in the first place.

Overall, the EZ bar puts your wrists in the strongest and safest position possible.

IS AN EZ CURL BAR EFFECTIVE?

One thing is for sure, an EZ bar is effective at keeping your wrists safe as it puts them in a more natural position than a straight bar. As for effectiveness of the muscle activation, EZ bars generally provide similar muscle activation as straight bars for their intended exercises (like curls, extensions, rows).

In regards to curls, specifically, people make claim that while EZ bars are safer for the wrists than straight bars, they are less effective than straight barbells for muscle activation because they somewhat limit range of motion. You can get a greater range of motion in your biceps when your hands are fully supinated (as one of the bicep’s function is supination of the forearm).

That said, studies like this one from PeerJ show muscle activation between straight barbell curls and EZ bar curls are relatively equal. Essentially, the choice between the two is subjective and an EZ curl bar makes sense simply for comfort reasons.

Is a curl bar better than dumbbells?

The aforementioned study also compared the overall muscle activation of the biceps brachii and brachialis with dumbbell curls and Swiss EZ bar curls and the results proved the Swiss EZ bar to be more effective of the two.

BENEFITS OF EZ CURL BAR

Besides wrist comfort, the Swiss EZ bar provides other benefits as well…

Size: For certain exercises, especially upper body exercises, Swiss EZ bars are much more practical than a 7ft barbell. Think about doing pullovers or overhead extensions with a 7ft barbell. It’s possible, but it just doesn’t make as much sense. Swiss EZ bars are also much better when working out in a confined space.

Targeted: The angled bar provides more variety to your exercises, allowing you to hone in on specific muscles for both size and strength. Changing angles/hand positioning can completely change the way your muscles are stressed. It is an important training variable. This is why experienced lifters love using Swiss EZ bars to target certain muscle groups.

Versatile:  Swiss EZ bars can be used in pretty much any capacity. Besides the common EZ bar exercises like curls and extensions, you can use them for bent over rows, chest presses, squats, stiff-leg deadlifts, and the list goes on. Moreover, for beginners, it’s a lot easier to learn how to do these exercises with a Swiss EZ bar than it is with a 7 foot Olympic bar. If all you had was an Swiss EZ bar, you could still get in a fantastically effective workout, no matter what fitness level you are, as you are about to see with the best Swiss EZ bar exercises below.

Finally, Swiss EZ bars are generally more affordable than other barbells AND they are considerably more affordable than a range of fixed dumbbells. So, if you’re interested in buying one make sure to check out our post that covers the Best Curl Bars on the market.

WHAT EXERCISES CAN YOU DO WITH A EZ BAR?

You can pretty much do any exercise with an EZ bar that you can with an Olympic barbell. However, certain exercises are much better with an Olympic barbell than an EZ bar and vice versa.

For example, you can do squats, deadlifts, bench press with an EZ bar, but they are better done with a 7 foot straight barbell.

Let’s look at each one of these exercises to explain why….

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