10 Best Ez-bar Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster) Alternatives for Home Gyms
If you can't do the Ez-bar Biceps Curl with an arm blaster, try dumbbell curls, hammer curls, cable curls, preacher curls, or chin-ups. Use strict form: keep elbows pinned to your sides and control the eccentric to maximize biceps brachii activation. Adjust grip (supinated vs neutral) to shift muscle emphasis.
Original Exercise: Ez-bar Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster)
How to Perform Ez-bar Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster)
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
- Place your upper arms against the arm blaster, keeping them stationary throughout the exercise.
- Keeping your elbows close to your body, exhale and curl the barbell up towards your shoulders.
- Pause for a moment at the top, squeezing your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position, fully extending your arms.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Ez-bar Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster) Alternatives
1. Ez Barbell Curl
99.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the ez barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
- Keep your elbows close to your torso and your upper arms stationary throughout the movement.
- Exhale as you curl the barbell up towards your shoulders, contracting your biceps.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then inhale as you slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
2. Dumbbell Biceps Curl
99.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward and arms fully extended.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
3. Dumbbell Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster)
99.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Keep your elbows close to your torso and your upper arms stationary.
- Exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
4. Barbell Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster)
99.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
- Place your upper arms against the arm blaster, keeping your elbows close to your torso.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the barbell until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
5. Dumbbell High Curl
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Keep your upper arms stationary and curl the dumbbells as high as possible while contracting your biceps.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
6. Dumbbell Standing Biceps Curl
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward and arms fully extended.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps.
- Continue to raise the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level.
- Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
7. EZ-Bar Curl
99.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight while holding an EZ curl bar at the wide outer handle. The palms of your hands should be facing forward and slightly tilted inward due to the shape of the bar. Keep your elbows close to your torso. This will be your starting position.
- Now, while keeping your upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps. Focus on only moving your forearms.
- Continue to raise the weight until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the top contracted position for a moment and squeeze the biceps.
- Then inhale and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
8. Dumbbell Bicep Curl
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward. This will be your starting position.
- Now, keeping the upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
- Then, inhale and slowly begin to lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
9. Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl With Band
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Attach a band to each end of the bar. Take the bar, placing a foot on the middle of the band. Stand upright with a narrow, supinated grip on the EZ bar. The elbows should be close to the torso. This will be your starting position.
- While keeping the upper arms in place, flex the elbows to execute the curl. Exhale as the weight is lifted.
- Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second and squeeze the biceps hard.
- Slowly begin to bring the bar back to starting position as your breathe in.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
10. Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl
99.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Hold a barbell with both hands, palms up and a few inches apart.
- Stand with your torso straight and your head up. Your feet should be about shoulder width and your elbows close to your torso. This will be your starting position. Tip: You will keep your upper arms and elbows stationary throughout the movement.
- Curl the bar up in a semicircular motion until the forearms touch your biceps. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and contract your biceps hard for a second at the top. Tip: Avoid bending the back or using swinging motions as you lift the weight. Only the forearms should move.
- Slowly go back down to the starting position as you inhale.
- Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Why You Might Need a Ez-bar Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster) Alternative
You may substitute the Ez-bar curl because of wrist pain from the straight bar angle, elbow tendinopathy aggravated by load, lack of an EZ-bar or arm blaster, or a need for variety to break plateaus. Choose movements that replicate elbow flexion without shoulder compensation; for example, hammer curls load the brachialis and brachioradialis while limiting supination stress. Use cues like “keep forearms vertical and avoid swinging” to preserve mechanical tension on the biceps. Substitutes let you maintain progressive overload and better manage joint comfort while targeting similar muscle fibers and movement patterns.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Pick a substitute based on available equipment, pain profile, and the specific biceps head you want to emphasize. If you lack an EZ-bar, use dumbbells and cue a full supination at the top to increase long-head activation. If wrist or elbow pain limits supination, choose neutral-grip hammer curls to bias the brachialis and reduce torque at the joint. For strict tension and constant load, select cable curls and inhale on the eccentric to control stretch. Prioritize exercises that let you maintain elbow positioning and progressive loading without compensatory shoulder movement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Ez-bar Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster) work?
The Ez-bar curl primarily loads the biceps brachii (short and long heads) through elbow flexion and forearm supination, with the arm blaster forcing elbow fixation to reduce shoulder involvement. It also recruits the brachialis and brachioradialis to a lesser degree. Cue: keep elbows fixed and squeeze at the top for peak biceps activation.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Ez-bar Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster)?
Underhand (supinated) chin-ups are the top bodyweight alternative because they combine elbow flexion with scapular retraction to drive biceps engagement. Cue: initiate the rep by pulling the elbows down and back, pause at full elbow flexion, and control the lowering phase to maximize time under tension.
Can I build muscle without doing Ez-bar Biceps Curl (with Arm Blaster)?
Yes. You can build biceps mass with a variety of exercises that maintain progressive overload and tension on elbow flexion—dumbbell curls, preacher curls, cable curls, and hammer curls all work. Cue: emphasize slow eccentrics (2–4 seconds) and full-range reps while keeping elbows stationary to replicate the biomechanics of the Ez-bar curl.
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