# Use the EZ curl bar the wrong way - larry scott



## samurai691436114498 (Jan 6, 2005)

I'm so excited about this, I can't stand it. Last week I was working biceps on the preacher bench, and I was going heavy- real heavy-with 100-pound dumbbells. I'd already done a set with 50s to warm up; then I did a set with 80s to see how my strength was holding up. I rolled the 10Os over to the preacher bench. I cleaned one, got it into position on the bench and had some­one hand me the other one.

I wasn't intending to use strict form. I was mainly interested in working in the fear zone. I just wanted to get a few reps with the 10Os. The first rep went all right, but halfway through the second one-pow!- my left shoulder blew out.

<OI dropped the dumbbell and quickly ran over to the dumbbell rack to find a pain-free shoulder movement that would start the healing. I wasn't terrified by the injury because I've learned a special method of healing injuries, but I knew my preacher curls were going to be on the shelf for a few weeks<O

A week later I decided to give the spider bench a try to see if I felt anything in my shoulder. It was almost healed, but I could still feel it. So I looked around for something I could do that might be safe. I didn't want to go too heavy because my shoulder was still tender.<O

Somebody had left an EZ-curl bar lying across a flat bench with 25-pound plates on it. I said, "Well, what the heck, EZ curls for biceps are lousy, but maybe I'll just pump out a few reps to see how it feels." Sure enough, there was almost no biceps recruitment-mostly brachio-radialis-but then again no shoulder pain<O

Then I thought, Wait a minute. The problem with this darn EZ-curl bar is that the curve in the bar turns the thumb higher than the little finger. That's why it's no good for biceps<O

Everyone should know that the little finger should be higher than the thumb if you're trying to build biceps, and the thumb should be higher than the little finger if you want to build brachioradialis

All of a sudden I got this stroke of inspiration. What would happen if I used the other angled curve on the EZ-curl bar-the angle that forces my little fingers higher than my thumbs? I reached down, forced my left hand to grab the bar on the next curve out from the one I'd just used. The grip automatically forced my elbow in-when I stood up, my elbows were resting on my hip bones. I couldn't even stand up straight. It felt really uncomfortable and not very promising. cranked out a few reps anyway

Boy, was I sur­prised! It was an incredible feeling. I'd struck pure gold. Here I was, doing a standing barbell curl, which most of the time works more lower back and front delts than biceps. Furthermore, I was using an EZ-curl bar, which is a pure joke for biceps-but this do exercise wasn't a 11 joke. It was terrific. All I s the stress was placed exactly on my lower biceps, and it felt Is good. Hardly any lower back-it was all biceps!

<OFunny, I wouldn't have found this unique exercise if I hadn't gotten injured and been forced to look for something fresh. I threw some 10s next to the 25s on each end and did a few more reps. My shoulder wasn't complaining one bit. I threw on a couple more 10s and ground out a few more reps. My lower biceps were standing up and cheering. They knew they'd just made a new friend.

<OI ran over to my old training partner Derek Peterson. "Come over here, Derek. I want you to try something." I took off the 10s and left the 25s on the bar. I said, "Do a few curls with the bar." I didn't say anything else. I let him pick up the bar the way he normally would-the way it feels comfortable but works lousy. He did a few reps. Then I said, "All right, set the bar down and grab it like this," and I showed him the new grip. "Wow, that feels funny," he said. "I know, I know. Close your eyes and do a few reps. Do you feel anything different

"Yeah, I sure do. That works a lot better! That's good." "See, Derek, I take care of you. You get all this stuff free. You don't even have to wait for the magazine to come out to get all this good stuff."If you're looking for a great exercise for building bicepsand you don't have a good preacher bench, try this funny way of using the EZ-curl bar. I can't believe I missed it for all those years. I guarantee you're going to feel it a lot more

than plain old barbell curls.

*-Larry Scott*


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## SA12 (Jun 2, 2004)

I will give this a try this evening and see how it goes


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## Lauren (Jan 20, 2005)

Deffo will try this next time Im training biceps - thanks for that Samurai, good read!


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## samurai691436114498 (Jan 6, 2005)

I tried it and it definately works once you get the technique right


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## dirtride (Jan 19, 2005)

thx samurai... I myself will give it a try too

Shawn


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## Ironball (Sep 22, 2004)

Damn. That Larry Scott is a genius:rolleyes:


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## samurai691436114498 (Jan 6, 2005)

Got neg repped for this post!!! why??????


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## Lauren (Jan 20, 2005)

How rude - was not moi!


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## RAIKEY (Jun 30, 2005)

Hey samuri, is this the passage i read in "loaded guns" the old larry Scott book ?..if it is, did you find any other gems in there cos i,ve just managed to get a copy from a guy at work and not had much chance to try much of it yet. oh and the neg rep was,nt from me either!!


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## samurai691436114498 (Jan 6, 2005)

RAIKEY said:


> Hey samuri, is this the passage i read in "loaded guns" the old larry Scott book ?..if it is, did you find any other gems in there cos i,ve just managed to get a copy from a guy at work and not had much chance to try much of it yet. oh and the neg rep was,nt from me either!!


It was from a magazine article i read ages ago, then found again whilst i was packing, I would definately read any Larry Scott material though and his web site is good as well


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## Cookie (Sep 14, 2009)

TUT TUT TUT guys...lol.....

That was a rouge article by Larry he used to use a different method to hit his arms in exactly the same way(inner bicep).........


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## samurai691436114498 (Jan 6, 2005)

ONE SMART COOKIE said:


> Larry used to use a different method to hit his arms in exactly the same way(inner bicep).........


Can you explain further


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## Carnivore (Apr 7, 2004)

samurai69 said:


> Can you explain further


he always does this, alludes to something amazing then disapears, making us wait for his bread crumbs of knowledge, he then decides when & how much to throw at us little ppl


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## SA12 (Jun 2, 2004)

I tried them and they seemed to do the trick once I got the grip right.

OSC has got us all in suspense again now though.


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## Cookie (Sep 14, 2009)

> Can you explain further


I can & will



> he always does this, alludes to something amazing then disapears, making us wait for his bread crumbs of knowledge, he then decides when & how much to throw at us little ppl


Cheeky sod..some of us have lives outside of the internet and have to get up at 3.30am each day for work...hence I dont post late at night...and anyway if I told you everything I knew you wouldnt use most of it because you couldnt take it all in...little person/mere minion



> OSC has got us all in suspense again now though.


How dull would life be without a little suspense.......


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## Cookie (Sep 14, 2009)

Ok here you go.......

Right dont start going on about it looking/being different...."think outside of the box" and how the movement effects the biceps.....

With the ez variation the arms?elbows are forced inwards to create a cramping effect(if done right) in the inner bicep area...with these you get the same effect but "You position your elbows inwards" before you start the lift......

Try and see......


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## samurai691436114498 (Jan 6, 2005)

Not too dissimilar then,

I like the scott curl on the preacher bench, shame our bench doesnt turn round so you could do them properly

cheers for the pic cookie


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## Cookie (Sep 14, 2009)

samurai69 said:


> Not too dissimilar then,
> 
> I like the scott curl on the preacher bench, shame our bench doesnt turn round so you could do them properly
> 
> cheers for the pic cookie


I have done these with the elbows even closer than he has in the pic..its all down to how flexable the individual is...

I take it you want a more rounded preacher face....if so try rolling up some foam padding or towels to get the angle needed..


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## SA12 (Jun 2, 2004)

ONE SMART COOKIE said:


> How dull would life be without a little suspense.......


True


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## Ironball (Sep 22, 2004)

I tried this ages ago and all I did was tweak my elbow and wrist.

I don't agree with the whole little finger higher than the thumb thing. I find hammer curls on a hammer bar blast my biceps more than anything else.


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## samurai691436114498 (Jan 6, 2005)

Ironball said:


> I tried this ages ago and all I did was tweak my elbow and wrist.
> 
> I don't agree with the whole little finger higher than the thumb thing. I find hammer curls on a hammer bar blast my biceps more than anything else.


Horses for courses there i think, I personally like the feel of the elbows in pinkie high thing.........But i also do , and like, dumbell hammer curls


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