If you’re looking for a compact, versatile piece of equipment that can deliver a full-body workout, the EZ curl bar might be your new best friend. While it’s often associated with bicep curls, this ergonomic barbell is capable of far more. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the best full body EZ bar workouts that target every major muscle group, help build functional strength, and save space and time in your fitness routine.
The EZ bar is a shorter, curved version of the traditional straight barbell. The bends in the bar allow for a more natural hand position, which reduces wrist strain during exercises like curls and triceps extensions. However, these ergonomic benefits also make the EZ bar ideal for pressing, pulling, and compound movements.
Before jumping into a full-body workout, it’s crucial to prepare your muscles and joints. A quick dynamic warm-up will elevate your heart rate and improve mobility:
This EZ bar workout routine is designed to hit your entire body using compound and isolation movements. Perform the following as a circuit or in supersets, depending on your fitness level.
How to Do It:
Hold the EZ bar with an overhand grip. Hinge at the hips, keeping your back flat, and pull the bar to your lower chest. Squeeze your shoulder blades, then lower.
Reps: 10–12
Muscles Worked: Lats, rhomboids, biceps, rear delts
How to Do It:
Stand tall and press the EZ bar overhead. Lock out your arms and slowly bring it back down to shoulder level.
Reps: 8–10
Muscles Worked: Deltoids, triceps, upper chest
How to Do It:
Lie on a bench and hold the EZ bar with a narrow grip. Lower the bar slowly toward your chest, then push it back up.
Reps: 8–10
Muscles Worked: Chest, triceps, front delts
How to Do It:
Hold the bar with palms facing up. Curl the bar toward your shoulders and lower under control.
Reps: 12–15
Muscles Worked: Biceps brachii, brachialis, forearms
How to Do It:
Hold the EZ bar in front of your shoulders, elbows up. Lower into a squat and drive back up.
Reps: 10–12
Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core
How to Do It:
Hold the bar with a shoulder-width grip. Keeping your legs slightly bent, hinge at the hips and lower the bar down your legs, then return to standing.
Reps: 10–12
Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, glutes, lower back
How to Do It:
Place the EZ bar across your upper back. Step forward into a lunge, then push back to standing. Alternate legs.
Reps: 8–10 each leg
Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core
How to Do It:
Sit on the ground holding the EZ bar horizontally. Lean back slightly and twist from side to side, tapping the bar near your hips.
Reps: 20 twists (10 each side)
Muscles Worked: Obliques, rectus abdominis
How to Do It:
Lie on your back, holding the EZ bar overhead. Engage your core and perform a sit-up while keeping the bar extended.
Reps: 12–15
Muscles Worked: Abs, shoulders, hip flexors
How to Do It:
Hold the bar at shoulder level, squat down, then explode up into an overhead press.
Reps: 8–10
Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, shoulders, triceps, core
Here’s how to structure your training with the EZ bar for a complete week.
Because of its unique design, the EZ bar can shift wrist and grip angles. Always start with a lighter weight and ensure your posture and mechanics are sound before going heavier.
To maximize time and calorie burn, combine two exercises back to back. For example, pair a squat with an overhead press or a bicep curl with a row.
Gradually increase the weight or number of reps each week to keep building strength and muscle. Track your workouts to monitor progress.
Even when training upper or lower body, your core should remain active and engaged to stabilize your spine and improve overall strength.
Absolutely. With the right programming and progressive overload, the EZ bar can stimulate all major muscle groups. It’s especially effective for home workouts and limited equipment setups.
Start with a weight you can lift for 8–12 reps with good form. For strength gains, increase the weight and reduce reps. For endurance and conditioning, use lighter weights with higher reps or circuits.
Each tool has its benefits. The EZ bar is ideal for reducing wrist strain and offers a compact solution for full-body training. However, a well-rounded fitness routine can include dumbbells, barbells, and bodyweight training for best results.
The EZ bar is far more than a biceps tool—it’s a compact powerhouse for full-body strength training. From squats and lunges to presses and curls, you can target every major muscle group efficiently with just this one piece of equipment.
Whether you’re training at home or enhancing your gym routine, full-body EZ bar workouts offer joint-friendly, space-saving, and highly effective results. Stick with the program, stay consistent, and you’ll see gains in muscle, endurance, and functional fitness.
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