Many new gym enthusiasts might not have heard of Ez bar drag curls, but they’re a variation of Ez curl bar exercises worth considering. Drag curl is one of the best variations of bicep curls.
Drag curls might not be as common as Ez bar bicep curl or Ez bar preacher curl, but they are effective and help your bicep grow in many ways.
Drag curl can be done with many exercise equipment such as barbells, cables, and dumbbells.
Most people like to use these equiments for Ez bar drag curl, but in this article, we are going to discuss EZ curl bar drag curls.
Muscles Worked for the Ez Bar Drag Curl
Using the EZ bar gives you efficient movement during the drag curl, which allows your muscles to activate more effectively.
During the lifting phase, your biceps brachii get most of the tension.
Biceps brachii are two heads (long and short) that ultimately form your biceps.
The long head is more on the outer side, and the short head is more on the inner side.
Both of the heads are really important for your biceps definition and get activated during most of the biceps exercise.
Other muscles that also work during the drag curl are your brachialis, brachioradialis, and shoulders.
Since they are secondary muscle activators, they are not activated as much as your biceps, but still enough to put some definition in your arm.
Can You Do Drag Curls With an Ez Bar?
In many cases, people don’t really use the EZ curl bar for Ez bar drag curl, but the EZ car is effective and has many benefits for performing drag curl.
The EZ bar grip makes it perfect for doing not just Ez bar drag curl but many other popular biceps exercises.
What is the Difference Between Hammer Curl and Drag Curl?
Talking about the difference between hammer curl and drag curl can take a long time, but don’t worry, we’re going to focus on the main differences.
Hammer Curl
- Hammer curls focus on the long part of your bicep. It also works the upper arm muscles and forearm muscles.
- Dumbbells are usually recommended for hammer curls.
- Hammer curl is like curling in an L-shape at a 90-degree angle.
Drag Curl
- You can use the EZ bar or barbell for Ez bar drag curl.
- Just like hammer curl, drag curl is done at a 90-degree angle, but you don’t lift it in an L-shape; you lift it in a smooth and straight line close to your body.
How to Do Ez Bar Drag Curl
Equipment: Ez bar
Grip: Supinated Grip
Primary Muscle Work: Biceps Brachii
How to Do
- Stand up straight and grab an EZ bar. Grab the EZ bar just outside of shoulder-width.
- Now curl the EZ bar and make sure you keep it as close as possible to your body. Remember to bring the EZ bar over your chest into the bottom of your neck.
- Squzze your EZ bar and biceps as hard as you can throughout the full motion.
- Pause for a second or two at the top, then slowly return to the starting position and go again.
Pro Tips
- If you want to make drag curls work better, make sure you fully extend your arms all the way down after each rep.
- Keep your hand relaxed to keep all the tension in your biceps.
- If you have trouble standing up straight, you can lean against something to help you.
Ez Bar Drag Curl Benefits
Benefits you should be aware of for EZ bar drag curl.
Improved Muscle Definition
The EZ bar offers several advantages for targeting your muscles due to its grip position, which facilitates enhanced muscle activation and improved overall definition.
Experimenting with different hand positions on the bar can effectively target various muscle groups.
Additionally, adding weights to the bar can help increase muscle development and strength over time.
Less Chance of Wrist and Elbow Strain
As you drag the weights instead of curling them, your wrist and elbow don’t really feel negative pressure, which reduces the chances of them getting strains or any injuries.
This could also work in your favor, as you can perform more reps than usual because there won’t be any discomfort.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Drag curls are a bit complicated, and you have to do them perfectly to work your biceps the best. It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re doing this exercise.
Using a Lot of Movement
The drag curl is designed to target your muscles with precision and minimal movement.
While the movement during the exercise is normal, excessive movement should be avoided.
It’s common for lifters to use slight movements to lift the weights.
But keep in mind that the more movement you use, the less effective the exercise will become because the muscle tension will change each time.
To keep your muscles active throughout the entire exercise, you should focus more on your movement.
Using lighter weights could also help you control the bar without using too much movement.
Not Breathing Properly
The role of breathing in any exercise is often overlooked.
Proper breathing is crucial because it ensures an optimal oxygen supply to your muscles, which is essential for energy production and muscle performance.
The more energy you have during your training, the more likely you are to enjoy the exercise and stay focused, enhancing your overall effectiveness.
Variations
As people keep doing their favorite exercises, they like to add some twists to make them more fun.
Just like with other exercises, drag curl also has different ways you can do them.
As I mentioned earlier, the Ez bar is not really used for Ez bar drag curl these days, but let’s see what some variations are for Ez bar drag curl.
- Seated EZ Bar Drag Curl
- Spider EZ Bar Drag Curl
- Reverse EZ Bar Drag Curl
Seated EZ Bar Drag Curl: Sit down and use a medium-sized EZ bar to do Ez bar drag curl. It’s like giving your arms a different kind of workout.
Spider EZ Bar Drag Curl: Unlike Ez bar spider curl the spider drag curl might seem a bit tricky, but you can try it for a different and fun experience.
Reverse EZ Bar Drag Curl: Now, this one is just like Ez bar reverse curl but with different movements. Hold the EZ bar the other way around and perform reverse Ez bar drag curl.
Alternatives
We went through the variations, and as for the alternatives to the drag curl, there are plenty of options available.
- EZ Bar Bicep Curl
- Hammer Curl
- Concentration Curl
EZ Bar Bicep Curl: The classic and simple exercise movement is the standing biceps curl. Its straightforward motion provides an excellent workout for your biceps, helping to increase their size effectively.
Hammer Curl: The hammer curl is usually performed with dumbbells for optimal muscle engagement, but you can also try it with an EZ bar. It’s an excellent exercise for targeting both your biceps and forearm muscles effectively.
Concentration Curl: The concentration URL is performed while you are seated, so you don’t need much effort except your hand movement, which is great for focusing more on muscle contraction.
Final Thoughts
Ez bar drag curls might be different from your other curls, but that does not mean they are ineffective.
Covering two biceps heads at the same time is not only perfect but surpassing some popular bicep exercises is like hitting the jackpot.
But even though drag curls cover two bicep muscles at once, there are things that might work against you when doing drag curls.
You could end up hurting yourself or accidentally targeting the wrong muscles. But if you follow everything we mention in this article, you will have a perfect drag curl experience with some amazing results.
Featured image by Ryan Humiston/Youtube edited by SA
