Deadlifts are traditionally performed with an Olympic barbell — a 7-foot-long straight bar. The design of the Olympic bar allows you to deadlift using a narrow or wide stance and a variety of different grips. If you don’t have access to a regular barbell though, you can use an EZ bar.
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Can you use EZ bar for Bent over rows?
EZ-Bar Reverse Grip Bent-Over Row Tips Keep your elbows tucked in at your sides. Keep your back straight. For maximum results, do the exercise slowly and control the weight. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement.
What muscles do EZ bar rows work?

Are bent over barbell rows worth it?
The bent-over barbell row, specifically with a barbell, is one of the best strength- and muscle-building movements. It allows the lifter to use more weight relative to other rowing movements. It also recruits the forearm and biceps muscles, which leads to a stronger grip.
Why EZ bar is better?
The EZ bar puts less pressure on your wrists and forearms. The straight bar is better for activating your biceps because it puts your forearms in full supination. You can typically lift a bit heavier on barbell curls. EZ bar curls work the brachialis and brachioradialis more than the straight bar version.
How heavy is an EZ bar?
Olympic EZ bar weight ranges between 18 and 25 pounds. A standard curl bar is much lighter, between 11 and 13 pounds.
How heavy should bent-over rows be?
- 175โ185 pounds as their 1-rep max.
- 160 pounds for 5 reps.
- 150 pounds for 8 reps.
- 140 pounds for 10 reps.
Are bent-over rows necessary?
Should You Be Doing Bent-Over Barbell Rows? Most lifters need to be doing horizontal pulls. These help ameliorate the affects of daily slumping and sitting. But the bent-over row isn’t your best bet.
Do bent-over rows work the whole back?
The barbell bent-over row works the whole back. But the main muscles activated will be the latissimus dorsi (lats), the traps (both middle and lower), and the rear deltoids. If you execute the bent-over barbell row with proper form, you should mainly feel these areas of your back working as you pull the weight.
Is EZ bar good for squats?
You can use an EZ curl bar for squats safely as long as you perform the proper exercise variations. You should not use the EZ curl bar to perform standard squats with the barbell resting across your shoulders behind your head.
Can I use an EZ curl bar for bench press?
The bar is curved in the middle, allowing your hands to be angled toward or away from each other, depending on how you grip the bar. Even if the bar wasn’t developed with your chest in mind, you can do any barbell exercise with a curling bar, including a pectoral activity such as the bench press.
Can you front squat with an EZ bar?
Every gym has an EZ-curl bar, and it’s not just for arm day. It’s actually a great tool for lower-body training. Due to the unique shape of the bar, two positions work well: the front rack or front squat position, and the Zercher.
Which grip is better for bent-over row?
When performing bent-over rows you can either have your hands in a pronated (palms facing down) or supinated (palms facing up) position. A supinated grip will incorporate more of your biceps into the movement, meaning you can hold the bar at a narrower angle โ and lift slightly heavier.
Should bent-over rows be overhand or underhand?
Underhand rows target the lower lats near the center of the back as well as the biceps more directly than overhand rows. Overhand rows target the upper lats, traps, and rhomboids more directly. Both are effective, but you need to be careful when performing underhand rows because of the increased strain on the biceps.
Which grip is best for rows?
- Supinated grip (underhand) bent-over rows require significant work from the biceps and allow higher direct loading than any biceps isolation exercise.
- The underhand grip makes you as much as one-third stronger due to increased activation of the biceps.
Why is it called EZ bar?
EZ curl bars Originally known as a Dymeck curling bar after its inventor Lewis G. Dymeck, the EZ (“easy”) curl bar is a variant of the barbell that is often used for biceps curls, upright rows, and lying triceps extensions.
Does the EZ bar work?
The angled grip of an EZ curl bar reduces the pressure some people feel on their wrists, elbows โ and even shoulders. And this in turn, helps them to continue training without any unnecessary discomfort. Size โ for some barbell lifts, EZ curl bars are much more practical than using a 7ft barbell.
Do I need an EZ bar?
The EZ curl bar is designed to isolate your triceps and biceps and allow more focused work on those muscles. The various angled grips on the bar protect your elbows and wrists from the joint damage that can come from heavy arm workouts. An EZ bar is a must for anyone looking to concentrate on arm development.
How much weight can an EZ bar hold?
Key Features. This Elevens super EZ curl bar is 47 inches long, weighs 18 pounds, and has a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds.
How do you hold an EZ Bar?
With your elbows tucked in, hold on to the bar using an underhand grip, so palms facing away from you. Keeping your chest out and shoulders back, curl the bar towards you using a slow and controlled movement, making sure your elbows remain tucked in throughout and then return back to the starting position.
How much should I be able to curl?
According to Weis, men up to 120 pounds should be able to curl 70 pounds; men 121 to 135 pounds should be able to lift 85 pounds; men 136 to 155 pounds should ideally lift 105; men 156 to 170 pounds should lift 120 pounds; men 171 to 185 pounds should lift 135 pounds; men 186 to 205 pounds should lift 155; men 206 to …
Are bent-over rows good for mass?
One of the most popular exercises for the back is the bent over row. It’s an old-school, iron-pumping exercise guaranteed to add mass to your back and give you the strength to pull more than you have before.
How far should I bend over for bent-over rows?
Your body should be bent forward no more than 45 degrees. Bending over more than this can strain the back, especially if you are lifting heavier weights.
Are rows better than pull-ups?
Rows work your latissimus dorsi more than pull-ups. Out of all of the row variations, the inverted row works your latissimus dorsi the most.
Why are bent-over rows so hard?
1 no-no for the Barbell Bent-Over Row and it’s probably the most common mistake. It’s typically the result of using a weight that’s too heavy, forcing you to bounce up and down to generate enough momentum to move the load. This is cheating, plain and simple. The Fix: Use a lighter weight.