Can beginners do EZ Bar Drag Curls?

Yes, but it’s best learned after mastering standard curls first.

What grip should I use on the EZ bar?

Hold the outer bends of the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your palms turned slightly inward. If that still bothers your wrists or elbows, try the inner bends for a narrower grip.

How much weight should I use compared with a regular curl?

Less than you would curl. The top of the drag curl is the hardest point, so pick a weight you can drag to the lower chest without leaning back or shrugging.

Does the drag curl target the long head of the biceps?

Not in any proven way. It is often taught as a long-head curl, but coaches disagree on which head it favors, because pulling the elbows back lengthens the biceps at the shoulder while it shortens at the elbow. Use it to change where the curl feels hardest, and keep a standard curl in your program.

Can I do this seated or on a bench?

Standing works best, because the bar starts against your thighs with your arms straight and slides up your body from there. Seated, your thighs block the bottom of the movement, so each rep becomes a partial curl.

EZ Bar Drag Curl

What Is the EZ Bar Drag Curl?

EZ Bar Drag Curl is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the biceps, with the brachialis and brachioradialis assisting and the front of the shoulder working to control the arm. It is an intermediate-level movement, because the elbows travel back during the lift instead of staying pinned at the sides, and that path takes practice to keep strict.

Unlike a standard EZ Bar Curl, where the elbows stay near the sides and the bar swings out in an arc, the drag curl keeps the bar in light contact with the body as it slides up the thighs and abdomen toward the lower chest. To make that possible, the elbows travel back behind the torso as the arms bend. Because the elbows end up behind the bar, the load keeps working the biceps at the top of the lift, the part of a standard curl that usually feels easiest, while the bottom of the lift feels lighter.

Using the EZ bar instead of a straight bar allows for a more natural hand position, which can reduce wrist strain. This makes the exercise more comfortable, especially for lifters with wrist or elbow sensitivity, without sacrificing effectiveness.

The drag curl works best as an accessory after a main curl, done with a lighter load than a standard curl and a controlled tempo so the top position does the work. It suits lifters who already curl without swinging. Anyone still rocking the weight up should build a strict EZ Bar Curl or Dumbbell Curl first.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Biceps Brachii: Primary
Brachialis: High
Brachioradialis: Medium
Deltoid: Medium
Flexor Carpi Radialis: Low
Flexor Carpi Ulnaris: Low

Instructions

Stand upright holding an EZ bar with an underhand grip on the outer bends, hands at shoulder width.
Keep your chest up, back straight, and arms fully extended down in front of you.
Begin the lift by pulling your elbows back behind your torso and dragging the EZ bar up your body.
Keep the bar close to your body as you lift it to upper abdominal or lower chest height.
Pause and squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement, keeping your shoulders down.
Slowly lower the bar back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Common Mistakes

Using momentum to lift the bar
Swinging the weight or using the hips takes tension off the biceps and risks injury.
Turning it into a regular curl
Letting the bar move away from the torso changes the exercise and activates more shoulders.
Shrugging at the top
Engaging the traps to help lift the bar reduces biceps isolation and encourages poor posture.
Letting elbows flare out
This compromises the form and reduces biceps engagement while increasing joint stress.
Dropping the bar on the way down
Letting the bar fall back to the thighs skips the lowering phase and jolts the elbows and biceps tendons.

Injuries

EZ Bar Drag Curl is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The load is light compared with most barbell work and the bar stays close to the body, so the lower back sees little stress as long as the torso stays still.

The front of the shoulder and the elbow take most of the strain. Pulling the elbows behind the torso extends the shoulder, and the long head of the biceps tendon runs over the front of the shoulder, so lifters with existing front-of-shoulder pain, especially pain when reaching behind the body, may find the top position irritating. At the elbow, jerking a heavy bar off the thighs or letting it drop into the bottom loads the biceps tendon suddenly.

To prevent injuries, maintain a strict form, avoid swinging, and use a weight that allows full control. Lower the bar along the same path you lifted it, and keep the shoulders down rather than shrugging. If the wrists complain, switch between the inner and outer bends of the bar. If the elbows-back path still bothers the shoulder, regress to a standard EZ Bar Curl or the supported EZ Bar Preacher Curl; to progress, slow the lowering phase or pause at the top before adding weight.

Stop the set if you feel sharp pain at the front of the shoulder or the front of the elbow, a pop, or sudden weakness in the arm, and have persistent pain checked by a clinician.

Overview

Primary Focus: Biceps
Equipment: Ez bar
Modality: Strength
Difficulty: Intermediate

Alternative Exercises

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can beginners do EZ Bar Drag Curls?: Yes, but it’s best learned after mastering standard curls first.
Q: What grip should I use on the EZ bar?: Hold the outer bends of the bar with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your palms turned slightly inward. If that still bothers your wrists or elbows, try the inner bends for a narrower grip.
Q: How much weight should I use compared with a regular curl?: Less than you would curl. The top of the drag curl is the hardest point, so pick a weight you can drag to the lower chest without leaning back or shrugging.
Q: Does the drag curl target the long head of the biceps?: Not in any proven way. It is often taught as a long-head curl, but coaches disagree on which head it favors, because pulling the elbows back lengthens the biceps at the shoulder while it shortens at the elbow. Use it to change where the curl feels hardest, and keep a standard curl in your program.
Q: Can I do this seated or on a bench?: Standing works best, because the bar starts against your thighs with your arms straight and slides up your body from there. Seated, your thighs block the bottom of the movement, so each rep becomes a partial curl.