Your wrists hurt during barbell curls, but you push through because you think that's part of getting stronger. It's not. That pain often means the setup doesn't agree with your wrists.

The solution might be as simple as switching from a straight bar to an EZ bar, that wavy handled barbell you've probably ignored.

This is why your wrists hurt. A straight bar fixes your hands close to full supination, which for some lifters also forces uncomfortable wrist angles under load. This position can put excessive stress on the wrist joints and forearm tendons.

The EZ bar's angled handles place your hands in a position between full supination and neutral, often with less wrist deviation. That change in angle can take pressure off your wrists. Research shows wrist posture affects internal wrist pressures in other tasks, suggesting position matters, even though this hasn't been directly tested during curls.

What the Research Shows

The main question: does using the EZ bar mean you're getting a worse workout?

No. Two laboratory studies measured muscle activity during curls with both bars. A 2018 study by Marcolin and colleagues found the EZ bar showed the highest average activation in that study's setup, with significantly higher activation than dumbbells and slightly higher than the straight bar. A 2023 study by Coratella and colleagues found the straight bar activated biceps around 5 percent more in some conditions. Both differences were small.

Here's what matters: there's no proof that these tiny differences in muscle activity lead to different results over time. Your ability to train consistently without pain is likely more important than a 5 percent difference measured in a lab.

When to Use the EZ Bar

Biceps curls: If straight bar curls hurt your wrists or forearms, switch to the EZ bar. You'll get comparable muscle work with less joint discomfort.

Skull crushers: This is where the EZ bar really helps. When you lower a straight bar toward your forehead, it can force your wrists into uncomfortable extension that strains your joints. Many experienced lifters prefer the EZ bar for this exercise.

Overhead triceps extensions and preacher curls: The same wrist-comfort benefit applies. The angled handles often feel better when your arms are overhead or locked against a pad.

When to Use the Straight Bar

When your joints feel fine: If you can use a straight bar comfortably, research suggests it might activate your biceps slightly more in some situations. The difference is small and may not matter for most people.

For variety: Some people find that switching bars every few weeks gives their joints a break from the same repetitive stress.

Smart Training Tips

Try different hand positions. The EZ bar has multiple places to grip. For biceps curls, the middle or outer positions often feel better for many people, but your body will tell you what works. For triceps work with a close grip, the inner position often increases triceps involvement.

Keep your wrists straight. Don't let your wrists bend backward or forward. Your hand and forearm should stay in line with each other throughout the movement.

Lower the weight slowly. Take two to three seconds to lower the bar rather than letting gravity drop it. Research shows your muscles work hard during the lowering phase, and controlling the weight may help reduce elbow irritation.

Don't let comfort become an excuse to cheat. Some people find they can lift heavier with an EZ bar, then start swinging their hips to muscle the weight up. If you're lifting more but your form falls apart, you're not getting stronger. You're just practicing bad habits.

Both bars build muscle. The EZ bar may reduce wrist stress, making it a good choice for most arm-isolation exercises, especially skull crushers and any movement that bothers your wrists. Research shows mixed results on which bar activates muscles more, with small differences that probably don't affect your long-term results.

Choose the bar that lets you train hard without pain. That's the one that will work.

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Reference Links:

Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl

Giuseppe Marcolin​, Fausto Antonio Panizzolo, Nicola Petrone, Tatiana Moro, Davide Grigoletto, Davide Piccolo, Antonio Paoli
PeerJ, Published July 13, 2018

Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5165

 

Bilateral Biceps Curl Shows Distinct Biceps Brachii and Anterior Deltoid Excitation Comparing Straight vs. EZ Barbell Coupled with Arms Flexion/No-Flexion

Giuseppe Coratella, Gianpaolo Tornatore, Stefano Longo, Fabio Esposito, and Emiliano Cè
Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, Published 19 January 2023

Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk8010013

 

Effects of finger posture on carpal tunnel pressure during wrist motion

Peter J. Keir, Joel M. Bach, David M. Rempel
The Journal of Hand Surgery, Published Volume 23, Issue 6 p1004-1009 November 1998

Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.1016/s0363-5023(98)80007-5

 

Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl

Giuseppe Marcolin​, Fausto Antonio Panizzolo, Nicola Petrone, Tatiana Moro, Davide Grigoletto, Davide Piccolo, Antonio Paoli
PeerJ, Published July 13, 2018

Click Here for the Study: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5165

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1/21/2026