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Barbell Good Barbell for Curls?

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watchnerd

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I have to admit, I've never really seriously tried training with curls in a sustained, progressive manner. The most curling I've ever really done is once or twice a month or so randomly curling with a barbell, KB, or even a resistance band, out of just sheer whim or amusement on a light day.

Well, now I'm going to Hawaii in about 6 weeks and if ever there was an excuse to take my curl training seriously, a beach vacation would be it.

So I'd rather not use my main weightlifting barbell for curls because I keep it loaded with squat and deadlift amounts of weights. It would be much easier to bang out random sets of barbell curls if I had a second barbell.

And, instead of dumbell curls, I feel like if I'm going to "waste time" doing curls, I might as well doing it standing with a barbell to get a little bit of core / full body out of it.

So what kind of barbell is a good barbell, or good enough, for curls?
 
I do curls with my straight oly bar but virtually any regular bar will do. A short (5'/6') straight bar would probably be easier to work with than a full-size olympic bar and would be cheaper too.

I used to use a resistance band tied to a broom handle for curls; the increased resistance at the top of the curl really gives the biceps something to think about.

Really, pretty much anything you can grip and add sufficient weight/resistance to would do the trick. I'd say just use your regular bar and think of loading/unloading your bar for the heavier lifts as your 'warm-up'.
 
Well, now I'm going to Hawaii in about 6 weeks and if ever there was an excuse to take my curl training seriously, a beach vacation would be it.
Different strokes and all that but to my mind, HI vacation would be cause to seriously train cardiorespiratory endurance and also muscle endurance esp in lats, rhomboids, posterior delts, etc i.e. think swimming in big surf and going fast enough at final sprint to catch the wave ;) Also maybe some short tanning sessions to get a reasonable base since many sunscreens kill da coral!
 
Different strokes and all that but to my mind, HI vacation would be cause to seriously train cardiorespiratory endurance and also muscle endurance esp in lats, rhomboids, posterior delts, etc i.e. think swimming in big surf and going fast enough at final sprint to catch the wave ;) Also maybe some short tanning sessions to get a reasonable base since many sunscreens kill da coral!

Oh, I was joking on that part. I am going to HI and I am interesting in trying some serious curls, but I'll be spending most of my time scuba diving.
 
I do curls with my straight oly bar but virtually any regular bar will do. A short (5'/6') straight bar would probably be easier to work with than a full-size olympic bar and would be cheaper too.

I used to use a resistance band tied to a broom handle for curls; the increased resistance at the top of the curl really gives the biceps something to think about.

Really, pretty much anything you can grip and add sufficient weight/resistance to would do the trick. I'd say just use your regular bar and think of loading/unloading your bar for the heavier lifts as your 'warm-up'.

Size is the other reason -- as you point out, the full size Olympic bar can be unwieldly, and it's easy to bang into stuff.

I assume the subtleties of the spin, bearing vs bushing, don't matter with curls?
 
Oh, I was joking on that part. I am going to HI and I am interesting in trying some serious curls, but I'll be spending most of my time scuba diving.
HAH! Well then, meditation... ;) I would love to play w/ free diving but just too dangerous I think, or at least too dangerous for someone of my personality. I did a little very short bits when on Big Island some years ago, chasing dolphins, huge turtles, pretty big ahi one morning. Love the stealth mode, get so close...
 
HAH! Well then, meditation... ;) I would love to play w/ free diving but just too dangerous I think, or at least too dangerous for someone of my personality. I did a little very short bits when on Big Island some years ago, chasing dolphins, huge turtles, pretty big ahi one morning. Love the stealth mode, get so close...

Free diving for depth is incredibly risky -- a fair number have died chasing world records.

I'll be snorkeling, too.
 
You know around here, doing curls is like riding a moped. It's fun to do, but you don't want want your friends to knowing you're doing it. ( that was a joke, please no hate mail from the moped riders)

Every self-respecting bro out there has a EZ bar they hide under the bed when their friends are over. EZ bar will be easier on the wrist than the straight bar. Plus you'll be less apt to getting golfer's elbow (tendonitus).

Welcome to the Bro Club!
 
You know around here, doing curls is like riding a moped. It's fun to do, but you don't want want your friends to knowing you're doing it. ( that was a joke, please no hate mail from the moped riders)

Every self-respecting bro out there has a EZ bar they hide under the bed when their friends are over. EZ bar will be easier on the wrist than the straight bar. Plus you'll be less apt to getting golfer's elbow (tendonitus).

Welcome to the Bro Club!

Which is why I've never trained curls before....why add a kilogram to my biceps when it won't help my snatch or clean and might bump me up to the next weight class?

Because it was on sale, I just now bought an Eleiko Power Lock bar. It's total overkill, and probably not as good for curls as an EZ Curl bar, but at least I don't have to hide it under the bed.
 
I assume the subtleties of the spin, bearing vs bushing, don't matter with curls?

You're right; they don't matter.

Because it was on sale, I just now bought an Eleiko Power Lock bar. It's total overkill, and probably not as good for curls as an EZ Curl bar, but at least I don't have to hide it under the bed.

That's an awesome bar! While I don't mind doing curls with my cheap(ish) York bar, I'd actually feel kind of a ashamed doing curls with an Eleiko bar: It's sort of like 'doing donuts' in a Bugatti.
 
You're right; they don't matter.

That's an awesome bar! While I don't mind doing curls with my cheap(ish) York bar, I'd actually feel kind of a ashamed doing curls with an Eleiko bar: It's sort of like 'doing donuts' in a Bugatti.

I think I'll use the Eleiko as my 'floor' bar (DLs, pulls, cleans, snatches) and switch my Rogue WL to be my 'rack' bar (squats, rack / hang pulls...and curls).

Oh, and:

 
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The Eleiko Power Lock bar is still in shipping transit, but in the mean time, I got this:

IMG_2330.JPG IMG_2333.JPG

6' rackable EZ curl bar with bronze bushings and capable of taking Olympic size plates. Empty bar is 15 kg / 33 lbs.

Does it get any more Bro Club than the 'Convict' branding?
 
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I've never seen a rackable ez-curl bar before. I guess you could do close, curl-grip bench presses. Not sure what else you could use it for but it'd be fun to find out.
 
I love it! Definitely Bro Club APPROVED!!!(y)


I don't understand why the uppity Bro's get so mad when you curl in the squat rack. Every Bro knows the best way to make up for skipping leg day is to curl in the squat rack. Let your Bro Flag Fly!

Well, luckily my squat rack (stands, actually) is my personal one and the uppity Bro I have to deal with is me.

So it will be an internal argument between my inner weightlifter and Bro
 
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