Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl

A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a barbell.

Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl — Starting position Starting position
Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl — End position End position
Difficulty Beginner
Type Strength
Equipment Barbell
Primary Muscle Biceps
AI Rep Counting Log manually

How to Do Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl

  1. Stand up with your torso upright while holding an E-Z Curl Bar at the closer inner handle. The palm of your hands should be facing forward and they should be slightly tilted inwards due to the shape of the bar. The elbows should be close to the torso. This will be your starting position.
  2. While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Tip: Only the forearms should move.
  3. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard.
  4. Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
  5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Muscles Worked

Front
Back

Primary

Where Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl does most of its work.

Secondary

Assisting and stabilising muscles.

Alternatives to Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl

10 movements that train the same primary muscle, closest substitutes first — same kind of training, then variations of the movement itself, then a similar difficulty.

  1. 1 Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with Band

    Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with Band

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using an E-Z curl bar.

    beginner E-Z Curl Bar
  2. 2 EZ-Bar Curl

    EZ-Bar Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using an E-Z curl bar.

    beginner E-Z Curl Bar
  3. 3 Lying Close-Grip Bar Curl On High Pulley

    Lying Close-Grip Bar Curl On High Pulley

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  4. 4 Alternate Hammer Curl

    Alternate Hammer Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  5. 5 Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl

    Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  6. 6 Cable Preacher Curl

    Cable Preacher Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine
  7. 7 Cross Body Hammer Curl

    Cross Body Hammer Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  8. 8 Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl

    Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  9. 9 Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl

    Preacher Hammer Dumbbell Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using dumbbells.

    beginner Dumbbells
  10. 10 Reverse Cable Curl

    Reverse Cable Curl

    A beginner isolation strength exercise that works the biceps, using a cable machine.

    beginner Cable Machine

Frequently Asked Questions

What muscles do close-grip ez bar curl work?

Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl primarily works the biceps. The forearms assist as secondary muscles.

What equipment do I need for close-grip ez bar curl?

Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl uses barbell.

Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl: is it suitable for beginners?

Yes. Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl is rated beginner. Movements you can learn in a session, with a low skill floor and a forgiving failure mode.

What can I do instead of close-grip ez bar curl?

Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with Band, EZ-Bar Curl, Lying Close-Grip Bar Curl On High Pulley train the same primary muscles and are listed with 7 more alternatives above.

Can Fitnit count my close-grip ez bar curl reps automatically?

Not automatically yet. Fitnit's AI rep counting covers push-ups, squats, dumbbell curls, crunches and pull-ups today; close-grip ez bar curl can be logged manually in the app, and tracked movements are added over time.

Photographs and step-by-step instructions from free-exercise-db, a public-domain exercise dataset. Muscle mapping and alternatives by Fitnit.

Track Your Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl with AI

Fitnit automatically tracks push-ups, crunches, squats, pull-ups, and curls with advanced body tracking technology — and you can manually input any other workout too. Start free — Pro is $8.99/month.