If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the Best Curl Bar For Home Gym Strength Workouts are, then I’d recommend the XMark XM-3675 Olympic EZ Curl Bar as the best one.
During the Golden Age of bodybuilding, there was a very popular saying. It summarized most of the reasons that people wanted to build their bodies.
“Arms and chest are always the best!”
Aesthetics and strength, classically, have always been enhanced with spectacular biceps, triceps, and pecs.
Fortunately, all of these body areas are built using the same pieces of lifting equipment. The arms will especially respond well to training with a good barbell.
If you are looking for the best curl bar for home gym spaces, you should keep a few things in mind.
Here are the top curl bars we’ll be reviewing:
- CAP Barbell Olympic Super Curl Bar
- Marcy Olympic Solid Steel Weight Bar
- Body-Solid 47” EZ Curl Olympic Bar
- XMark XM-3675 Olympic EZ Curl Bar
- XMark XM-3670 Olympic EZ Curl Bar
The Evolution of the Curl Bar
The earliest barbell weights specifically designed for exercises involving the arms developed in the late 1800s.
They were solid pieces of iron that had a thick bar and fixed ends. The ends of the bars were shaped like cannonballs and bricks.
Most of the time, these bars were used in strength exhibitions. Their weights were roughly measured, and they were difficult to handle.
These bars were used during a time when something like a home gym was virtually unheard of.
In the middle of the 1900s, bodybuilding and weight training became more popular. Athletic gyms opened everywhere, and the notion of “proper training” was born.
This gave rise to more and more people wanting training equipment that was specifically designed for their own goals.
Not surprisingly, barbell standardization was a problem.
In the 1970s, bodybuilding and strength training exploded in popularity. The notion of home training gained mass appeal.
As a result, the curl bar became known as an absolutely necessary piece of home gym equipment.
It facilitated tandem (arms working together) movements, and it helped people discover endless new ways to workout.
Modern curl bars have excellent ergonomic designs. They are made from tough materials, and they fit the most used types of weight plates.
When someone decides to incorporate a curl bar into their home gym, they should shop with their training goals as the determining factors.
Is your curl bar only going to be used for arm workouts, or will you use it to train other body parts?
Is your home gym in a controlled environment where moisture and dust do not present problems?
Do you have special physical concerns that make some bars more comfortable?
All of these questions will be considered in this look at five of the most popular curl bars for home gyms.
Curl Bar Versatility
There is one common word in all of the curl bark names listed above.
That word is “Olympic.”
This refers to a specific type of weight plate that is used in most gym environments.
Olympic weight plates vary in style, but they all have a wide-bore center.
Most curl bars that have small-bore centers are fixed.
This means, you will have to purchase an entire set of them to have weight variety.
Olympic bars allow for weight plate stacking and collaring. In short, only one good curl bar and several different weight plates are needed to have a great progressive workout.
The biggest issue among lifters about curl bars is their grip angles. Until the 1980s, almost every curl bar featured a straight gripping surface.
Then, the EZ Curl bar was innovated. Why? This has to do with “arm science.”
Curling is one of the simplest actions a person can do to build muscles and strength.
If you hold a weight with your hands and bend your elbows, your arms will hoist a weight against gravity. Simple, right?
Sports science has discovered however, that angles are also important to developing the arms.
The EZ design allows a person to hoist the weight to target specific muscle parts by changing the angle of the wrist.
In essence, the EZ Curl design adapts a standard barbell to the natural way that a person’s hand and arms are shaped.
Combined with the versatility of loading and unloading Olympic weight plates, the EZ Curl bar is obviously a correct choice for a home gym.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with straight curl bars. Many of the greatest bodybuilders in history have had success with them.
The average person however, should consider their body type when choosing home gym equipment.
Some people have problems with torsion in their wrists.
This means that they can experience pain when working out with a curl bar that doesn’t fit their joints. In most cases, EZ Curl bars provide a hand position that is comfortable.
Why a Good Curl Bar is Needed in a Home Gym
If your strength gains are positive, you could quickly outgrow dumbbells. Most people will not have the room and budget for a very large set of fixed dumbbells.
A curl bar allows a person to lift much heavier weights by simply attaching more Olympic weight plates.
Curl bars are also great for exercises that target other parts. These include:
- Skull-crushers for the triceps.
- Military presses for the shoulders.
- Walking lunges and squats for the legs.
- Good mornings for the hamstrings and glutes.
Features of the Best Curl Bar for Home Gym Setups
The curl bar that you choose should always adapt well with any other quality home gym equipment that you own.
It should have ends that match your weight plate centers, and it should store easily.
Commercial gyms have ways to care for special pieces of lifting equipment. These include cleaners and tools for making adjustments.
The average home gym owner may not have all of these tools. It is important to choose a curling bar that you can keep in good condition.
If your home gym is in a place that has high humidity, choose a bar that is resistant to rust.
If you are unsure about using tools like wrenches, choose a bar that requires no adjustments.
Five Best Curl Bar For Home Gym Examples
CAP Barbell Olympic Super Curl Bar
The CAP Barbell Olympic Super Curl Bar is designed for people who want to target areas of their arms beyond normal strength training routines.
Veteran lifters know that exercises like hammer curls pinpoint the smaller supporting muscles in the arms. This requires motions with extreme angles in the wrist.
The angles of this bar are more steep than any other EZ Curl bar. They are virtually perpendicular to the weights being lifted.
This means the “hammer style” position is used.
The goal of this bar is targeting inside and outside muscles of the biceps and triceps. Developing these muscles will create a fuller and more dense look to the arms.
Steep angles however, will not always target the larger muscles of the arms.
This is a bar for “arm veterans” who want a bar that will help them boost an already defined set of biceps and triceps.
This bar also requires extra tightening of screws to minimize weight rotation.
It’s a feature that some people find unnecessary when trying to perform traditional arm exercises.
Pros
- Bar and weight mounts are chrome.
- Excellent for secondary arm muscle development.
- Steep angles for select exercises.
Cons
- Steep grip angles might be uncomfortable for casual lifters.
- Extra tighteners are not easy to maintain. They tend to obstruct traditional exercises.
- Bar is shorter than most EZ Curl bars.
Marcy Olympic Solid Steel Weight Bar
The Marcy Olympic Solid Steel Weight Bar is very close to a standard barbell because its grip angles are extremely shallow.
They provide the right grip for someone who is looking for a bar that alleviates wrist torsion, but still targets the arm muscles in an “up and down” motion.
Because of the relaxed angles, this curl bar will seem wider than other EZ Curl bars to experienced lifters.
The width sensation tends to make lifters press and lift unevenly, but this can be cured with extra attention given to each motion.
Since the bar is longer than most EZ Curl bars, it will require a bigger storage space. The main attraction of this bar is the accompanying weight plate clips.
These clips are wonderful for making sure plates stay secure, but they are made of composite plastic, and they could loosen over time.
The clips also take up about two inches of the space on the bar meant for stacking weight plates.
Pros
- Very comfortable grip angles.
- Solid body chrome plating.
- Secure weight plate clips come with the bar.
Cons
- Bar is very long.
- Plastic clips can wear easily.
- Very little room on the ends to stack multiple weight plates.
Body-Solid 47” EZ Curl Olympic Bar
The Body-Solid 47” EZ Curl Olympic Bar is a “happy medium” of length, grip angles, and quality.
It has knurled bar portions for maintaining a good grip throughout a long workout, medium grip angles, and a straight bar section.
The straight section makes this bar perfect for exercises that target other body parts.
The ends of this bar accommodate Olympic weights perfectly, but they have a set screw that minimizes end motion during lifts.
Some people like it when the plates shift, but other lifters find it distracting.
This bar only weighs 18 pounds. This is seven pounds lighter than most standard Olympic curl bars.
The bar’s gauge is slightly thinner than some people are used to. Still, this is a great bar for people wanting to fill their home gyms with quality Olympic equipment.
Pros
- Grip angles are perfect for most lifters.
- Rust and corrosion resistant.
- Highly adaptable to total body workouts.
Cons
- Smaller diameter grip, and less load strength.
- Weight plate clips are sold separately.
XMark XM-3675 Olympic EZ Curl Bar
The XMark XM-3675 Olympic EZ Curl Bar is constructed with the needs of very serious lifters in mind.
It features medium angles on the grips, large ends for multiple heavy plates, brass bushings, and knurled bar portions.
Serious lifters would consider this an “heirloom bar” because it will perform in a stellar way with a bit of attention.
If this bar is left to sit in uncontrolled environments it will rust and corrode.
The inner bar is made from manganese phosphate which indicates extremely strong components. The rest of the bar is coated with chrome.
Oil treatments are needed to keep this bar is great condition, but this is a virtual guarantee that it will last forever. It is strong, and it is comfortable!
Pros
- Extreme load-bearing capability.
- Correct grip angles for total arm workouts.
- Completely standardized weight, bores, and length.
- Very strong ends for use with Olympic weight plates.
Cons
- Requires annual maintenance.
- Manganese composite bar portion looks dull.
XMark XM-3670 Olympic EZ Curl Bar
The XMark XM-3670 Olympic EZ Curl Bar features comfortable grips, but there is no middle straight section for traditional lifting.
A straight bar section is important if you want to perform strict exercises that target the entire arm complex.
If you want a curl bar that is designed only with inner and outer muscle head movements, the XM-3670 is a great choice.
The only straight bar section is where the hands grip the outermost portions of the bar.
There is a striking difference in the coating of this bar between the portions that hold weight plates and the grips.
The Olympic ends are chrome, but the grips are annealed. This means the grips are more rough than the ends. The surfaces of the grips are more subject to rusting and peeling.
All of the angles on this bar provide a good range of exercise variations. There are no necessary extra bar adjustments, but the grip portion will require regular cleaning.
Pros
- Excellent moderate angles.
- Sturdy chrome-plated bushings between grips and weight mounts.
- Knurled grips.
Cons
- Gripping bar is highly susceptible to rust and corrosion.
- No straight section on the grip bar for traditional arm workouts.
And the Winner is…
If you are searching for the best curl bar for home gym setup, it is likely you are very serious about developing your arms the right way.
The XMark XM-3675 Olympic EZ Curl Bar is a no-nonsense choice to include in your home gym equipment.
This bar’s grip angles are great for people who enjoy multiple angle workouts during any exercises that include the arms as primary and secondary movers.
The bar’s integrity is solid, and it can handle extreme and light loads with incredible balance. The ends are smooth, and they are long enough to accommodate multiple plates.
Best of all, the XMark XM-3675 Olympic EZ Curl Bar will likely match any other piece of equipment in your home gym.
This bar however, requires a bit of care (just like the arms you are trying to develop).
Take care of it, and it will take care of you!
Also, be sure to invest in a strong pair of clips for the bar’s ends.
