close grips

[wild willie]

hey folks.....


when performing close grips, do you prefer an ez curl bar or the 45 pound olympic straight bar??

[Meso_z]

hey folks.....


when performing close grips, do you prefer an ez curl bar or the 45 pound olympic straight bar??

I do them always with the Olympid bar on the bench.

not so close to hurt my wrists but close enough to feel my triceps. maybe about 3 thumbs space between.

[pumpster]

E-Z curl is better but more problematic to set up.

Best solution: smith machine. Here's one classic example where the  machine can be better, for several reasons:

-No balance issues and the resistance is different, therefore it's easier to slant the hands in different angles that are more comfortable or even slide a squat pad on the bar under the hands for more give.

-Much easier to go to failure or beyond without hesitation or fear of getting stuck = more intense workouts.

Also great:

-Close-grips while lying under one of the old-school vertical leg presses. Once again a better grip than BB, and in a machine setup again, safer.

[Nasty Nate]

Best solution: smith machine. Here's one classic example where the  machine can be better, for several reasons:

-No balance issues and the resistance is different, therefore it's easier to slant the hands in different angles that are more comfortable or even slide a squat pad on the bar under the hands for more give.

-Much easier to go to failure or beyond without hesitation or fear of getting stuck = more intense workouts.

I do close grips this way too... I never did close grips for a long time because I could never isolate my tri's properly with an olympic bar, but I tried them on the smith and they were so smooth and I got a crazy pump. I'm mostly a freeweight guy, but another good use for the smith machine is overhead presses.

[jpm101]

 Guess you mean a Olympic style EZ bar, which revolves and handle better than the regular exercise EZ bar version.  Personal view is that an Olympic EZ bar can offer a better & surer grip, even when doing reverse curls. Can also offer a better feel to a curling exercise because of less stress on the wrist and forearms of most people. Though, through the years, many huge biceps have been built with a straight bar. Probably six of one and a half a dozen of the other......personal choice really. What works for you is always the best way.

[Montague]

The Smith has its place, and a lot of guys get/have gotten great results using them.
Never cared for them myself, as they always left me with sore wrists, shoulders, etc. afterwards – no matter how I positioned myself under that bar.
Always felt too unnatural and strained.

Again, good for a lot of folks.
I’m not one of them.

[mass 04]

I really like incline close grips in a Smith Machine.

[WOOO]

i have to side with the other 3 posters suggesting the smith... i like setting up the bar locks for the last set or for a set of partials (top range)... the safety is nice but it's the controlled ROM and the easy racking that i find most comfortable on my old elbows

[Meso_z]

I am definately going to try close grip on a smith, sounds good.

[jpm101]

Only personal view.....that's all:   Would only suggest serious Smith Machine work for partial or short range movements. There is a flaw in the full ROM on the Smith because it does not allow a natural muscle strength curve (usually 3 phase). Which may weaken the overall muscle. Middle range curls should work very well on the biceps. As would partials starting from the bottom, raising 6-8 inches, for example.

Guy's who have done  bench work on the Smith may have a problem when going back to serious bench work, using a regular free form weights. But overhead lockouts, on the Smith, can work very well. As can starting off the chest for a few inches. Can get an excellent pump with any version of partial reps. Not against the Smith (or even a BowFlex for that matter), but it may have it's limits and dangers for some trainee's. Good Luck.

[splinterhands]

hey folks.....


when performing close grips, do you prefer an ez curl bar or the 45 pound olympic straight bar??

I do them with a straight bar.  I don't go any closer than probably 12 inches between thumbs because any closer and it starts feeling a little wierd on the shoulders.  If you do them heavy, tuck the elbows in to your body at the bottom and that'll help take the pressure off your wrists as well.

[NoCalBbEr]

EZ ber is a piece of shit. its all about the straight olympic bar

[11venthhour]

no smith machine here! i will have to agree about the natural motion poster.

i do not go as close as i used to do to wrist pain, i have never used the E-Z bar to do this unless i am repping out after some skull crusher action.

[Montague]

no smith machine here! i will have to agree about the natural motion poster.

i do not go as close as i used to do to wrist pain, i have never used the E-Z bar to do this unless i am repping out after some skull crusher action.

I’ve concluded that elbow positioning is – for me – more important than how close together the hands are when doing CG.

[tonymctones]

I use a regular olympic bar, I agree with many on here about the smith but I think it can be unecissarily rough on your shoulders if your trying to go heavy as opposed to free weights. I actually do feel a get a better pump on smiths for the most part but like i said for me personally it rough on my shoulders.

[mass 04]

I think one of the main problems is, most guys take "close grip" literally and put their hands way too close together putting stress on the wrists.

[dyslexic]

Straight bar with a false grip. Space hands shoulder width.


I like the Smith too, especially because I can alternate hands with heavy negatives (if I'm in the mood)


I do the same thing with seated leg curls. I prefer standing leg curls or face down, but if the gym only has a seated machine, and I don't have a training partner, I will pull the weight down with two legs and let up slowly with only one.


Same concept with the Smith on close grip presses. You can actually just train with one arm at a time if you feel like it. Could be a little tricky to push the weight up with the concentric portion of the rep if you loaded the bar for two arms... (obviously)

[Mesomorph79]

Def olympic bar.  I keep my wrists about 12 inches apart and make sure to keep the wrist flexed in a straight position the entire motion so there is less stress on the wrists...

[mesmorph78]

the smithe never worked for me.. so my use on it its minimal....
i find the olympic bar superior... and more natural........

[chaos]

The smith machine I like to use is angled so you actually push the weight slightly over your face if that makes sense.  Works pretty good, but I prefer the straight bar most of the time.

[pumpster]

Anyone favoring a straight bar is IMO emotionally attached and comfortable with something that has worked, even if it isn't as efficient when it comes to ergonomcs and biomechanics. It's not ideal but if it works what the hell.

In this clip you can see them using grips that make more sense all through this, both BB and machines. 358 is a vivid example of exercising the imagination as well as the muscles to come up with something better when they could've just gone with a straight bar because it's "OK". That applies to virtually every exercise they're doing, free weights or machine grips-they're all angled because it makes sense to cater to human ROM rather than strict man-made straight lines.

[allnatural]

For some reason I feel my triceps alot better with ez bar than straigth bar.

[wild willie]

i feel the same way.....love the ez bar for close grips