Seated EZ Bar Curl

Directions:

Preperation/body position

1. Load EZ bar with correct weight. Put on safety collars.
2. Grasp bar with an underhand, shoulder width grip, where the bar is curved.
3. Sit on bench, with thighs in front of you. Rest EZ bar on thighs.
4. Keep torso erect and back straight, with upper arms and elbows stationary at your sides.

Excution/Movement

1. Just using flexion of the elbow, contract the bicep brachii and other elbow flexors to curl the bar up. Keep elbows stationary throughout exercise.
2. After peak contraction, slowly lower the bar to the just shy of your thighs, maintaining good body posture and stationary elbows.
3. Repeat for desired number of repetitions.

Comments

This variation of the EZ bar curl allows for continuous tension on the muscle, by decreasing the range of motion.

By sitting down and not allowing the bar to pass the level of the thighs, we are not allowing the muscle to rest at the bottom of the exercise. Tension can be lost off the arm flexor muscles when we extend the arms when performing standing curls. By only working through the upper portion of the lift, we are cutting the lower portion out, thus continuous tension.

Remember not to allow your elbows or shoulders to move during the execution of the movement, as we do not want to take stress away from the target muscles. If you can not perform the exercise with perfect form, for the desired number of reps, then simply lighten the weight.

For hypertrophy 8-15 reps will likely yield the best results, providing optimal time under tension. As we are only working through a smaller range of motion, we must remember time under tension will be not as great per rep when compared to that of full range of motion, on standing curls for example. 8-15 reps will likely provide adequate stimulation for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy, and acute response to anabolic hormone concentrations, compared to that of lower rep ranges.