Review: Barbell Bars and How Much They Weigh. Curved bar: when is it best to use it? Video: Training with a straight standard bar

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Genus. 1984 Trained since 1999 Trained since 2007. CMS in powerlifting. Champion of Russia and South Russia according to AWPC. Champion Krasnodar region according to IPF. 1st category weightlifting. 2-time winner of the Krasnodar Territory championship in t/a. Author of more than 700 articles on fitness and amateur athletics. Author and co-author of 5 books.

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Date: 2016-03-13 Views: 21 784 Grade: 5.0 Hello everyone, if anyone is unfamiliar with what a curved neck is, then look at the picture. Although, I think that everyone has seen such a neck and it is in every hall. It is also sometimes called the EZ bar. But not everyone understands why, what and when it is needed, and when it is better to take a direct one. How did such a vulture even appear? History is silent about this, but I think that many athletes of the beginning or middle of the last century began to notice that doing arm curls and French presses with a straight bar was not always convenient for everyone. And to understand why, let’s turn to biomechanics and physiology. So, the fact is that the position of the joints during flexion and extension of the arms with a straight bar is not entirely physiological. Our skeleton is designed in such a way that it is much more convenient when the hands are facing each other, or there is some kind of angle between them. But when they are fully deployed, not that it causes discomfort for everyone, but it is not the optimal position of the joints. This applies to the hands, elbows, and shoulders. It turns out that people noticed this and made a bar where the palms are not completely turned out, but are at an angle to each other. This allows you to better load your biceps and triceps and allows you to avoid problems with your arm joints in the future. In general, you need to understand that some exercises or some types of exercises are not physiological for our structure. And you should try to avoid such exercises. Since such a discrepancy with our joints can result in chronic problems in the future. The most striking example is. But let's return to the topic of the article. Below I will give exercises where it is better to use a curved bar.

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale (the total load is summed up)

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale (the total load is summed up)

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale (the total load is summed up)

The load is indicated on a 10-point scale (the total load is summed up)

In all other exercises, using a curved bar will give you nothing but inconvenience. By the way, by analogy with the bar, it is also better on the horizontal bar, which has a similar bend. And it’s also better to do it with a similar curved handle. In general, you should understand the essence, which is that it is more convenient for our body to do all the bending and extension of the arms when the hands are slightly turned towards each other or completely facing each other.

Conclusions

1. Try to do all French presses only with a curved bar. If it is not there, then it is better not to do these exercises at all. 2. It is also advisable to do arm curls (biceps) with such a bar. However, if it is not there, then a straight line will do. 3. As an experiment, you can try stretching and swinging forward with a curved neck. 4. For all other exercises, a curved bar is either inconvenient, or at least will not give you any advantages. 5. The curvature of the necks varies. From weak to very strong curvature (so-called W-shaped bars). Therefore, I advise you to use bars with a medium or weak degree of curvature. Good luck!

By the way, you can order yourself from Timko Ilya - the author of this article and this site.

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This bar confuses some people, begging the question – is it bent? But this is just a feature of the barbell, which allows you to change the type of load. When you come to the gym for the first time, you can see a lot of “hardware” that is unfamiliar and arouses interest. It would seem that there may be something incomprehensible about barbells, but they are not as simple as they might seem at first.

For example, a barbell with a curved bar, which is found in any even the slightest self-respecting sports club. Barbell with EZ bar, or curved bar, is a fairly popular tool among those who like to pump up their biceps and triceps. The shape of the bar allows you to reduce the load on the hand, preventing injuries.

Which bar is better, straight or curved?

Exercises with a curved bar allow you to give maximum load to the biceps and at the same time reduce the load on the back when lifting maximum weight. But still, which bar is better, straight or curved? This position of the hand makes it possible to carry out exercises with maximum amplitude.

Due to the uneven shape of the bar, the projectile is safer during training than a barbell with a straight, traditional bar. The short length of the bar allows you to more accurately determine right place girth, and evenly distribute the load on the biceps.

However, during training you should not give preference to any one apparatus; sometimes it is still worth alternating not only the apparatus, but also the training program.

As a rule, in training, preference is given to a barbell with a straight bar, but do not forget about the alternative, which has a number of advantages:

A curved bar, unlike a traditional one, is much more comfortable to hold in your hands, which makes exercises much easier. This makes it possible to “weight” the barbell and take on more weight.

The shape of the bar makes it possible to change the type of load, which in turn allows you to achieve what you want much faster.

Barbell exercises

The weight of a curved bar is different from a straight bar. Due to its shorter length, it is slightly lighter. And this is what allows you to perform exercises with a curved bar, increasing the weight lifted. But this is not what is decisive. It is the shape that provides the “best grip”.

At home, a curved bar is often used in biceps exercises. Depending on the distance of the hands, the barbell is raised:

• shoulder width;
• narrow grip;
• wide grip.

These exercises allow you to focus on the entire surface, on the inside and external head biceps Variable use of “grips” allows you to achieve maximum effect and better quality indicators. But regardless of the location of the training, the maximum effect can be achieved only correctly by performing the exercises, avoiding swaying, sharp tossing of the projectile and swinging, and at the top point of the lift it is necessary to squeeze the biceps for a few seconds. If you have your own equipment, you can easily perform exercises with a curved barbell at home.

Anyone who hasn't wondered about choosing a bar hasn't been to the gym. Straight, EZ-shaped, W-shaped - any self-respecting fitness center has a full arsenal of torture tools muscle fibers. All that remains is to find out which one will give you the maximum advantage when performing classical exercises. As always, there is no clear answer to this question. Which barbell to choose is a matter of physiology and personal preference.

Straight barbell curl

Usually the question of choosing a bar comes up when you train your biceps. As you probably know, one of the basic exercises on him - . As a rule, many athletes prefer to take a straight bar for this purpose, and there is a completely reasonable explanation for this from the point of view of biomechanics.

• While working with a straight bar, your
  The palms are in a supinated position and facing strictly towards the ceiling. Due to this, the main load falls exactly on the biceps, which is reduced to the maximum. Compared to an EZ bar, the load is this muscle there will be more, which speaks in favor of a straight bar.
• However, straight barbell lifts also have their downsides. Injury hazard. The hands are in a somewhat unnatural position, which increases the load on the wrists and the risk of injury. More than one athlete has injured their wrists in this particular exercise, so if this is your weak point, you should think about safety nets in the form of special belts or still opt for an EZ bar.

Biceps curl with EZ bar

When working with an EZ bar, the mechanics of movements change.

• The palms are in a semi-supinated position, which is together with the biceps activates brachialis. As a result, the load on the biceps becomes slightly less, which reduces the degree of its contraction.
• At the same time, the semi-supination position is much more natural for the body - in life, our palms are in this position much more often than when they are turned strictly to the ceiling. Therefore, it’s easy to do the exercise with this grip more convenient, and moreover the risk of injury is significantly reduced. So for those who have weak wrists, the answer to the question of which barbell to choose is quite clear.
• Finally, but not least, there is another advantage of the EZ-shaped bar. As a rule, it is short enough that facilitates the task of stabilizing the weight of the barbell and reduces the risk of falling on one side.

Dotting the i's

Which bar is best for biceps? It's up to you. If we compare the risk of injury with the risk of not working out the biceps enough, in our opinion The scales are tipping in favor of the EZ bar.. The fact is that the difference in the degree of activation of the biceps can hardly be called dramatic, while the risk of injury to the wrists is quite tangible, especially since not everyone does strengthening exercises for the wrist muscle group.

Bodybuilding uses many machines and equipment. Most of the workouts are performed using dumbbells or barbells. Usually they use equipment with a straight bar, but some exercises are easier to do with a curved one. It is also called an EZ-neck, and it is found in every well-equipped gym. A barbell with a curved bar is most often used for triceps and biceps exercises. This projectile helps reduce the load on the hands and minimize the risk of injury.

In biceps curls performed on a Scott bench and standing, as well as French press which is done lying, standing or sitting, using a curved bar. No confirmed information about greater efficiency, and, therefore, load and effectiveness in terms of growth muscle mass there is no such projectile, but it certainly has its positive qualities that must be taken into account.

The choice in favor of this projectile is due to several advantages:

1. Ease of use. Many athletes simply feel much more comfortable working with an EZ bar, which allows them to lift much more. heavy weights.
2. Shift in emphasis. A curved bar puts a slightly different load on the muscles, therefore, alternating it with a regular straight bar, you can achieve uniform and comprehensive development of muscle tissue.
3. Safety. The curved bar design reduces the stress placed on the wrists, which greatly reduces the likelihood of injury even with large amplitudes and weights.
4. Reliable grip. Most bodybuilders note the fact that holding an EZ bar is much more comfortable, and therefore safer, which allows you to perform complex exercises with minimal risk of injury.

Some athletes who work with a curved bar believe that it helps improve the definition of the biceps, but there is no confirmation or refutation of this fact. In any case, working with such a projectile, you can diversify your training program.

There is no fundamental difference between these two equipment regarding the amount of weight that an athlete can lift. The difference between the vultures lies in the structure. The curved design allows for a more secure grip with reduced wrist strain. Shorter bar allows for greater balance when lifting heavy weight, since it is much easier to “grope” the center of gravity. The latter helps to load the arms evenly and do the exercise technically correctly.

A curved bar is of greatest value to athletes with hand injuries. This apparatus is great for athletes who want to lift heavy weights, as it is much safer and less traumatic. Manufacturers sports equipment release vultures strongly and weakly curved. You need to choose according to your own feelings, that is, the projectile that is more convenient to work with.

What's best for muscle growth?

It is impossible to say for sure which of the projectiles pumps up the muscles more. But, given the fact that muscles grow better when they are worked out comprehensively, it is better to train by alternating bars, changing grip, arm width, position, using a variety of exercise machines. This will allow you to load each individual muscle area. Otherwise, a stop in progress becomes inevitable, that is, a plateau state occurs when the muscles stop growing.

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Unlike a straight bar, a curved bar creates more stress on the inner head of the biceps, so this exercise is well suited for building arm mass. Another advantage of such a bar is that it reduces the stress on the wrists, which reduces the risk of injury in the future if the athlete lifts more weight.

Correct technique

1. Before performing the exercise, you need to stand up straight, holding a barbell with a curved bar with a wide grip. The palms face forward, and the elbow joints are pressed tightly to the body. It will be starting position for bending the arms.
2. After exhaling, smoothly bend the arm in elbow joint. The part of the arm from the elbow to the shoulder must remain motionless, since only the forearms are involved in the work.
3. The movement is performed until the biceps are fully contracted and the bar is level with the shoulders. At the top point of the amplitude, a short pause is maintained and the muscles are further tensed.
4. As you inhale, the bar smoothly lowers down to its original position.
5. 15-20 repetitions are performed. Beginner women are recommended to work with 12 kg, and beginner men with 20 kg.

This exercise can be performed in a block simulator from the lower block. A special EZ-handle is used for this. With its help, you can clearly feel the middle part of the biceps at the end point of the amplitude.

Safety

Bent bar curl refers to simple exercises, but this does not mean that you can neglect safety precautions. Advanced athletes must work at racks, as their arms can get tired at any time under the influence of heavy weight. You can also use the help of a belaying companion. He should stand behind him, since only in this position can he catch the barbell.

Beginners are recommended to work with an empty bar. As a rule, its weight reaches only 10 kg, but at first this is quite enough. Once you feel that the exercise has become too easy, you can start using larger weights.

In this exercise It is important to hold your wrists tightly. There is no need to “break” them too much, as this leads to rapid fatigue of the joint. When working with heavy weight, such a movement can injure the joint.

Common mistakes

Body rocking. In some cases, you can observe how athletes try to bend their arms holding a curved bar by swinging their torso. This does not need to be done, since the load will not be applied to the biceps normally. It is better to perform fewer repetitions, but without losing quality.

Raising your elbows to the side. This mistake occurs especially often among beginners, since they do not know the technology. this exercise. Raising the elbows leads to a decrease in the amplitude of flexion, so the biceps contract poorly. It is very important to keep your elbows pressed to your body, they should not swing or move.

Bouncing the barbell off your hips. This technique is often used by weightlifters to simplify the exercise. However, beginners who work with light barbells do not need to use this technique, as it will prevent them from using their arms properly.

Equipment

To perform the exercise you will need a curved bar and barbell discs. A curved bar differs from a straight bar in that it allows for greater load on the biceps, and this has a positive effect on their development. Additional equipment may require gloves. They strengthen your grip and also create good grip for your hands on the surface of the bar.

1. The load on the biceps directly depends on the degree of curvature of the bar: the more the bar is curved, the higher the load.
2. You don't need to throw your arms too high up. In other words, the bar should not rise to shoulder level, since towards the top point of the amplitude the load will begin to decrease, which will negatively affect the efficiency of the entire exercise. In this case, the hands at the top of the movement are always in front of the elbows.
3. There is no need to move your elbows back when lifting the weight and forward when lowering. It is enough to move your elbows 5 cm while lifting the barbell, and then return them to their original position.
4. There is no need to swing your whole body, since the bar rises not by inertia, but by muscle strength.
5. At the bottom, the arms are fully extended so that the biceps can fully stretch under the load. This movement greatly improves the amplitude and efficiency of the exercise.
6. It is important to keep your shoulders and back straight. The chest is straightened and the shoulders are slightly pulled back so that the posture always remains level.