The curl bar is a piece of gym equipment that is used to train your arms and other upper body muscles such as the back and shoulders. Curl bar, unlike a straight bar, is zig zag and allows for wide and narrow grips. People with wrist injuries and other forearm problems do curl bar workouts instead of doing standard straight bar exercises. Curl bar workouts are one of the most popular exercises because of their unique benefits for people with weak wrists. Also, curl bars aren’t only used for curls, they can be used for exercises that engage your triceps, biceps, and shoulders.
Main Benefits Of Curl Bar Workouts
For a lot of people, straight bars are naturally comfortable, while others can struggle a bit. This is where curl bars come in. They possess an ergonomic grip which makes it easy for you to grip the handle. The curls on the bar ensure lesser strain on your wrist and pulling the bar towards your body becomes easier.
- Curl bar workouts are easy on your elbows. They are perfect for people struggling with shoulder pain and prevent the lifters from experiencing stiffness and pain that comes with using straight bars. Curl bars also lower the risk of injury during exercises.
- Besides lower levels of risk, curl bar workouts are great for when you want to keep the weights balanced so you can focus on your muscles. Usually, with straight bars, all your energy is used up in balancing your muscles. That is not the case with curl bars because the plates are placed closer to the center of gravity.
- Curl bars are typically light making them excellent for beginners wanting to train their upper body. You can also order one for your home gym or workout space because they don’t take much space
- Curl bar workouts are great for muscle isolation since the angled curl allows you to target certain parts of your triceps and biceps making them ideal for upper body gains.
Curl Bar VS. Straight Bar
The curl bar and straight bar are both commonly used gym equipment. You can use them both interchangeably for a variety of upper-body workouts. However, there are some differences between the two, and depending on the type of exercise and the level of your fitness you can choose between the two considering the following factors:
During weightlifting, you must know the exact number of weights your body can handle in order to prevent the risk of injury or strain. This is usually determined by the number of plates added to your barbell. When it comes to curl bar workouts, you can add a lot of plates to your curl bar without straining your wrist. The reason is that a straight bar applies too much pressure on your wrist and the movement causes your wrist and arms to stretch out.
4 Curl Bar Workouts
1. Standard Bicep Curl
A standard bicep curl is one of the most effective curl bar workouts out there. While performing this work out your biceps are doing all the work and feeling the burn. Your hands and wrists are at a steady and natural grip lowering the risk of possible injury.
Step By Step
- Stand in a neutral position with your knees bent and hold the bar with your hands aligned with your shoulder
- Grab the bar with an underhand grip
- Bring the bar up by curling your elbows and squeeze your biceps
- Bring it up all the way to your chest and then lower it back to the starting position
- Do 10 t 12 reps
2. Preacher Curl
This is one of, if not the most effective curl bar workouts that target your brachioradialis muscle also known as the main bicep muscle. The preacher bench pad makes it possible for you to do proper preacher curls leading to faster muscle growth compared to standard curl exercise.
Step By Step
- Set the preacher curl bench so it is right under your armpits
- Lean over and then hold the curl bar with your palms up and your arms extended downward
- The grip should be standard-width and your back must be straight
- Bring the bar up toward your upper chest so that your hands are in front of your shoulders
- Lower the bar to the starting position
- Do 10 to 12 reps
3. Close Grip Curl
Close grip curl makes you work harder for those gains. It puts more strain on your arms helping you build muscles faster.
Step By Step
- Stand at the starting position with the bar and use the underhand grip keeping your hands close together
- As you bring the bar up to your chest squeeze your biceps and hold it to your chest for a few seconds
- Lower it back to the starting position and repeat
- Do 10 to 12 reps
4. Incline Front Raise
Incline front raise is an excellent variation of standard curl bar workouts because it targets your traps and lats, and you can use a different number of plates to increase or decrease the intensity of the exercise.
Step By Step
- Set the bench at an inclined angle which is nearly 45 degrees
- Lay your chest on it and make sure your feet touch the ground and your upper torso must be above the bench
- Keep your back straight and core engaged
- Hold the curl bar with an overhand grip and extend your arms
- Lift the curl bar up so it is aligned with your shoulders
- Lower the bar back up to the starting position
- Do 10 to 12 reps
Key Takeaway
Curl bar workouts are great for those who want to grow their muscle effectively. A study was conducted that compared three different variations of upper body workouts using different gym equipment such as straight bar, curl bar, and dumbbells. The winner was a curl bar as it had the highest level of bicep activation compared to the other two.
That’s why next you hit the gym try giving the four curl bar workouts a try for an easy ticket to a muscle show.
Continue Reading
