So ive just about maxed my standard dumbells out with my supply of plates. But I have a lot of olympic plates, would getting a oly EZ bar be usefull? I have some elbow issues so it would take the strain off my elbows, are there any advantages or disadvantages to using an EZ bar, over a straight oly bar/standard dumbells?
Have you considered a swiss bar or football bar? I bought a football bar and my shoulders are much happier using it for bench pressing than the straight bar.
I thought about this, but I have limited room (i.e. no room for squat stands even) so a swiss bar would be too long, which is why I bench with dumbells, and oly dumbells are just unwieldy. When I move a garage and a powercage are on the wish list! Edit for clarity - as well as lifts with an oly bar, I do qiite a bit of arm work for injury prevention, Im close to maxing my standard db in the 6- 12 rep range, so I was thinking 30kg of new weights will be the same price as an ez bar which can use my oly plates.
I actually plan on building a power cage by February 2015 similar to this https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct...9Eyfzdwh-c7ydnfrzPjcRgEQ&ust=1419204905896717 i actually prefer to do bench presses with dumbbells I so want a football bar! in my experience the ez bars only make the lifts feel lighter due to grip placement.. Maybe lighter is the wrong term , but it is defiantly easier for me due to comfort.
FWIW, I find the EZ bar easier on the elbows. I normally wouldn't particularly recommend them, but you have a good reason. 'Tis certainly better to use the EZ bar than nothing at all!
I too have elbow (tendinitis) issues and LOVE using EZ curl bars. When I use straight bars, and I do, my tendinitis flairs up.
I have an easy bar and use to use it more then my straight bar. Loved it for triceps and biceps work outs. I would do by curls and a close grip press followed by a lying tricep curl in a super set. I found that due to the shape of the bar I was able to target certain muscle groups better then the straight bar. I really like my ezbar.
it's worth noting that many really strong people recommend 100-rep curls with an unloaded bar for injury prevention and to help mitigate bicipital tendinitis (google "poundstone curls" for more info; paul carter in particular is a fanatic adherent, as is derek poundstone, after whom carter nicknamed them)
Definitely, I use this one and have done for the past 2 years. https://www.boxfituk.com/adidas-bicep-curl-bar.ir Some are cheaper but the quality is fantastic.
The only time I've ever seen it as a "well, this is bad" was on a bodybuilding forum where some of the folks were arguing that people with large arms but poor definition often tend to be inclined to favour EZ curl bars because a standard barbell puts a different type of strain on the arm/wrist/general muscles and what-not. I'm one of those folks that finds a straight barbell hard on the wrists though so I prefer to do curls with the EZ bar. But yeah, it should be easier on your elbows too. Go for it .
So 3 months in, the bar has injury proofed my arms, and helped me with my shoulders too, Ive mostly used them for vertical presses, horizontal rows and bicep curls. The only awkward thing is the hex nut needs tightening and its a funny size.
