Close-Grip EZ Bar Curl
The close-grip EZ bar curl is a biceps curl done on the angled EZ bar with your hands set closer than shoulder width. The angled grips let your wrists sit at a more natural angle than a straight bar while the narrow hand position shifts a bit more emphasis onto the long head of the biceps. It's a beginner-friendly isolation move that suits anyone building arm strength who wants a wrist-friendlier grip than a straight barbell curl.
Why it works
The biceps has two heads, and hand position changes how evenly they share the work. Bringing your grip in closer than shoulder width stretches the long head of the biceps a bit more at the bottom of the curl, which is part of why lifters use a close grip to target the outer sweep of the arm. The EZ bar's zigzag shape lets your wrists tilt slightly inward through the curl instead of staying locked straight, which takes pressure off the wrist joint compared to a straight bar without changing what the biceps and forearms are doing.
Set up
- Grip the EZ bar on the inner angled section, hands close together but not touching.
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, knees soft, holding the bar with your arms extended down in front of your thighs.
- Pin your elbows lightly against your sides and keep them there for the whole set.
- Set your shoulders back and down so your torso stays upright, not leaned back.
How to do it
- Curl the bar up by bending only at the elbow, keeping your upper arms still.
- Squeeze the biceps hard at the top without letting your elbows drift forward.
- Lower the bar slowly, taking about twice as long as the lift.
- Stop just short of fully locking out your elbows at the bottom to keep tension on the muscle.
- Repeat without swinging your torso to help the bar up.
Form cues
- Elbows stay pinned to your sides the whole set.
- Only the forearm moves, the upper arm stays still.
- Squeeze at the top for a full second.
- Lower slower than you lift.
Breathing: Exhale as you curl the bar up, inhale as you lower it back down.
Common mistakes
Swinging the torso and hips to help heave the bar up.
Fix: Drop the weight until you can curl it with your back against a wall; momentum from the body defeats the point of an isolation curl.
Letting the elbows drift forward and up as the set gets tiring.
Fix: Keep a light touch of your elbows against your sides throughout; if they start floating forward, that's your cue to end the set.
Gripping so narrow the wrists cross the centerline of the body.
Fix: Keep your hands on the angled grips of the EZ bar, roughly fist-width apart, not jammed together in the middle.
How to program it
- As an isolation move for a single muscle group, two to three sessions a week works well, spaced with at least a day of rest between arm-focused sessions.
- Sets of 10 to 15 reps let you feel the stretch and squeeze without needing to load up heavily.
- Pair it with a pressing movement in the same session so your arms get balanced pulling and pushing volume.
- Save it for after your bigger back or pulling exercises, since fatigued biceps make rows and pull-ups harder to do well.
Safety notes
- Stop if you feel a sharp pinch at the front of the elbow rather than muscle fatigue in the biceps.
- Keep the weight light enough that your lower back stays neutral instead of arching to help the lift.
Exercise profile
- Force
- Pull
- Mechanics
- Isolation
- Category
- Strength
Frequently asked questions
How many reps and sets for close-grip EZ bar curl?
Two to three sets of 10 to 15 reps, two to three times a week, is a solid starting point for building arm size and strength.
What can I use instead of an EZ bar for this curl?
A straight barbell with the same narrow grip works as a substitute, though the EZ bar's angle is easier on the wrists.
Close-grip EZ bar curl versus regular EZ bar curl: what changes?
A regular EZ bar curl uses the outer, wider grips. Moving your hands to the inner, narrower grips shifts a bit more of the work onto the long head of the biceps.
Why does my wrist hurt during EZ bar curls?
Check that you're on the angled inner grips, not the flat center of the bar. If pain continues, your grip may be too narrow, forcing an unnatural wrist angle.
Should I curl with a close grip every arm session?
No, rotate it with a wider grip or a different curl variation across the week. Sticking to one hand position every session trains the same narrow range of the biceps and skips the rest.