Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl

What it is

This isolation movement, performed with an E-Z Curl Bar, directly targets your biceps for growth and strength. Your forearms will also receive secondary engagement during the pull. It's a foundational beginner-level exercise, focusing on building definition and strength in your upper arms.

Technique tips

• Keep your upper arms stationary throughout the entire movement.
• Tuck your elbows close to your sides for optimal biceps isolation.
• Exhale as you curl the bar up, contracting your biceps strongly.
• Squeeze your biceps at the top for a moment, then release.
• Control the descent of the bar slowly as you inhale.
• Avoid swinging; let only your forearms initiate the curl.

How to track your progress

Log the weight and reps of each set. Straddly turns every set into an estimated one-rep max, so a heavier single and a strong set of eight both count as progress, and it flags a personal record the moment you beat your best.