EZ vs. Straight bar

[BISONE]

try and curl your wrists in towards you. make them curl first then lift, then straighten it up as you get to the top...never had any troubles with wrists on a straight bar up to about 135lbs..but i do feel a much better contraction of my bis with a straight bar...ez like everyone says works the in between...

[paradroid]

Originally Posted by feofletch

Before I forget again... thanks Lion for the explaination.

Here's a question I always wonder about... I switch back and forth between 2 and 3 exercises for the bi's and for the tri's. And then 8 reps minimum for the bi's and 12 reps minimum for the tri's.

What do you guys do?

For bis I use straight bar curls or dumbell curls either seated or standing, i try to alternate between workouts. With these i used to go high reps, but i've been going heavy 5-6 reps and getting better results. Then i do the EZ bar curls high reps close/wide/med grip for a total of 30 reps, then another set for 20-ish.

For tris i use EZ bar lying presses, recently been doing them on decline bench after advice from the bros here, and it really makes a difference, easier on the elbows and better feeling in the triceps. I go heavy with 6-8 reps to failure, then straight into close grip presses for another 5-8 reps. I'll do 3 sets of these if i can but usually stop at 2. Then i do tricep pushdowns rep range is 10-15. I've tried going heavy on these but can't feel the muscle working like i do going slow and light. Dips at the end if i've got the energy.

So essentially it's heavy with a mass building excercise first, then lighter isolation move afterwards. I never feel the need to do many sets as i train chest/delts/tris together and back/bis together.

Can i ask, why the high reps for tris, and do you train bis and tris together in an arm workout?

[weeman]

i used to have the same problem with straight bars with my wrists, if you curl your wrists in while doing straight bar curls , you will reduce the pressure put on your wrists, shortening your arms effectivley and allowing for an increase in weight used, iv been doin this for a while now and it works sweet as , no more pain in wrists give it a try guys

[feofletch]

Originally Posted by paradroid

For bis I use straight bar curls or dumbell curls either seated or standing, i try to alternate between workouts. With these i used to go high reps, but i've been going heavy 5-6 reps and getting better results. Then i do the EZ bar curls high reps close/wide/med grip for a total of 30 reps, then another set for 20-ish.

For tris i use EZ bar lying presses, recently been doing them on decline bench after advice from the bros here, and it really makes a difference, easier on the elbows and better feeling in the triceps. I go heavy with 6-8 reps to failure, then straight into close grip presses for another 5-8 reps. I'll do 3 sets of these if i can but usually stop at 2. Then i do tricep pushdowns rep range is 10-15. I've tried going heavy on these but can't feel the muscle working like i do going slow and light. Dips at the end if i've got the energy.

So essentially it's heavy with a mass building excercise first, then lighter isolation move afterwards. I never feel the need to do many sets as i train chest/delts/tris together and back/bis together.

Can i ask, why the high reps for tris, and do you train bis and tris together in an arm workout?

Thanks for your routine.... I've been doing bi's-tri's for ever. I don't like doing either part of my arm after they have been already exhausted from a chest or back workout. Also, with that being said it's like my arms get trained twice a week instead of once.

I had read on another site where tri's grow better at higher reps. I've been doing 6 to 8 reps for many many years... and when I bumped it up to 12 reps (bearly getting the 12th rep) I have seen and felt a big difference in my tri's. Maybe it's because of many years of doing the same routine of low reps and the changing to high reps that made a difference.

I need larger bi's but right now it's kinda hard to go heavy cause something is up with my left tendon and it's taking for ever to heal... so I'm forced to go light.

[Dave]

i prefer standing straight bar over standing ez-curl bar but i do like using the ezbar for preach curls.

one thing i focus on when doing standing straight bar curls is to use good form. that means going lighter then i could "put up" but i am not ego training so the focus is on the bicep.

[feofletch]

Originally Posted by Dave

is to use good form. that means going lighter then i could "put up" but i am not ego training so the focus is on the bicep.

Good point that many forget to do or don't know about OR need to do it because of their EGo as you said.

[Lion]

Originally Posted by feofletch

I need larger bi's but right now it's kinda hard to go heavy cause something is up with my left tendon and it's taking for ever to heal... so I'm forced to go light.

Try supplementing some Cissus.

[RIPT]

The thing with my gym too is that they have pre-loaded bars; so depending on what kind of weight I want to use I might go with one over the other........

[feofletch]

Originally Posted by Lion

Try supplementing some Cissus.

just seen this... i'm googlin it cause i don't know what it is

[Shwing79]

Do any of you guys get wrist pain with EZ bar? If I use straight bar, no problems.

[Shwing79]

Nevermind, just saw Bisone's post. Oops.

[Nathan Jones]

Yeah I get pain from barbell curls but not EZ-bar

NJ

[feofletch]

Originally Posted by Shwing79

Nevermind, just saw Bisone's post. Oops.

damn Shwing... could you please start putting up ugly pics instead of those HOT ones. You gotta be making all the guys crazy... cause you're making me crazy. I just sit and stare at your avatar instead of reading the thread.

Appreciate it.

[feofletch]

Tried straight bar the other day cause of this thread. I haven't used a straight bar in years... didn't bother my wrists at all this time. Things must'a healed

[Shwing79]

Originally Posted by feofletch

damn Shwing... could you please start putting up ugly pics instead of those HOT ones. You gotta be making all the guys crazy... cause you're making me crazy. I just sit and stare at your avatar instead of reading the thread.

Appreciate it.

LOL...that wouldn't be any fun.

[RIPT]

I don't mind....