EZ Bar Weight: How Much Does an EZ Curl Bar Weigh?

An Olympic EZ bar (the type with 2 inch spinning sleeves) weighs about 7kg to 10kg, and 8kg is the single most common figure on UK listings. A standard 1 inch EZ bar is lighter, usually 4.5kg to 5.5kg. If you're in a commercial gym and the EZ bar has the plates welded or bolted on, the number stamped on the end is the total, bar included. Those three facts cover most people searching this, but the spread between brands is wider than you'd guess, so we pulled the published weights for the bars actually on sale in the UK.

EZ bar weight at a glance

Type of EZ bar	Typical weight	Sleeve size	Plates it takes
Olympic EZ bar	7kg to 10kg (commonly 8kg)	2 inch (50mm)	Olympic plates
Standard EZ bar	4.5kg to 5.5kg	1 inch (25mm to 30mm)	Standard plates
Fixed-weight gym EZ bar	Whatever's stamped on it	None	Not loadable
Cable EZ attachment	Ignore it	None	Uses the weight stack

Real UK EZ bars and what they weigh

We only included a weight where the manufacturer publishes it in the product details or where it appears in Amazon's item data for that listing. Where the figure came from Amazon's item weight field rather than a written spec, we've converted it from pounds and said so. That field can include the collars that ship with the bar, so treat it as a close guide rather than a calibrated number.

Bar	Type	Published weight	Source
Bodypower Prestige Olympic EZ Curl Bar	Olympic 2 inch	8kg	Listing spec ("Bar Weight: 8 kg")
Mirafit Olympic Super EZ Curl Bar	Olympic 2 inch, 122cm	8kg	Listing spec
PhysKcal EZ Curl Bar 4ft	Olympic 2 inch	about 9.5kg	Amazon item weight (20.9lb)
GYM MASTER EZ Curl Bar Olympic	Olympic 2 inch	about 9kg	Amazon item weight (19.8lb)
LAVVON Olympic EZ Curl Bar 47"	Olympic 2 inch	about 6.8kg	Amazon item weight (15.0lb)
TEEMOO Olympic EZ Curl Bar 47"	Olympic 2 inch	about 6.7kg	Amazon item weight (14.8lb)
PROIRON Super EZ Curl Bar	Standard 1 inch, 120cm	about 5.2kg	Amazon item weight (11.4lb)
GYM MASTER EZ Curl Bar 1 inch	Standard 1 inch, with spinlocks	about 4.9kg	Amazon item weight (10.8lb)
PROIRON EZ Curl Bar 1 inch	Standard 1 inch, with spinlocks	about 4.7kg	Amazon item weight (10.4lb)

Two things jump out. The two 8kg bars are the ones with a written spec, and they match what most gym owners would tell you an Olympic EZ bar weighs. The cheaper unbranded 47 inch Olympic bars come in nearer 6.7kg, which is a 1.3kg gap. That sounds trivial until you're tracking a curl that moves up 1.25kg at a time.

If you want our picks rather than a weight list, the best EZ bar UK guide ranks these on knurling, sleeve quality and load rating as well.

Olympic vs standard EZ bars

The weight difference comes almost entirely from the sleeves. An Olympic EZ bar has 2 inch (50mm) sleeves that usually spin on bushings, so the bar has a thicker, heavier collar section at each end. A standard bar has 1 inch sleeves, often threaded for spinlock collars, and nothing spins. Shaft length is similar on both, roughly 120cm.

Which one you need depends on your plates, not on the weight. Olympic plates have a 50mm hole and won't sit on a 1 inch bar without slopping about; standard plates won't go onto an Olympic sleeve at all. If you've already got a 20kg Olympic barbell at home, buy the Olympic EZ bar and share the plates. If your plates came in a cheap 1 inch dumbbell and barbell set, the standard bar is the sensible match.

The lighter starting weight of a standard bar is also a genuine advantage for beginners and for smaller isolation lifts. A 5kg bar with a pair of 1.25kg plates makes a 7.5kg skull crusher, which is a reasonable place for plenty of people to start. You can't get that low on an 8kg Olympic bar.

How to count EZ bar curl weight

Count the bar. It's part of the load your arms move, and every serious training log includes it.

1. Find the bar weight. Check the spec, the end cap, or weigh it as above. If you can't find anything, use 8kg for an Olympic EZ bar and 5kg for a standard one.
2. Add the plates on both sides. Two 5kg plates means 10kg of plates, not 5kg.
3. Decide on collars once. Spring clips weigh very little. Spinlock and clamp collars weigh more, so either always include them or never include them.
4. Write the total. An 8kg bar plus two 10kg plates is a 28kg curl. That's the number that goes in your log.

The habit that trips people up is logging only the plates, then switching to a different bar and wondering why they suddenly got stronger or weaker. Counting the total fixes that. It also makes the number comparable with what you'd lift on a straight bar or with dumbbells on a bicep curl.

Why an EZ bar isn't 20kg like a barbell

A men's Olympic barbell weighs 20kg because it's 2.2m long, has a 28mm to 29mm shaft and is built to hold well over 300kg. The EZ bar does a different job. At about 1.2m it's roughly half the length, and the bends in the middle mean less straight steel overall. It's rated for curls, extensions and the odd close-grip row, so manufacturers don't need to build it anywhere near as heavy. The Bodypower bar above, for example, is rated to 100kg.

So the rule of thumb is simple: a full-size Olympic barbell is 20kg, an Olympic EZ bar is about 8kg, and a standard 1 inch EZ bar is about 5kg. Shorter "women's" Olympic bars weigh 15kg and technique bars can be lighter still, which is another reason to check the spec of any bar rather than assume. If you're comparing straight bars, our best barbell UK guide lists the weights for the bars we recommend.

Gym EZ bars: fixed, loadable and cable

Commercial gyms usually have three kinds of EZ bar, and each counts differently.

Fixed-weight EZ bars live on a rack, often in 5kg jumps from 10kg up to 40kg or so. The plates are welded or bolted on and the number on the end cap is the total weight of the whole bar. Don't add anything to it.

Loadable EZ bars are the same as the ones you'd buy for home. If there's no stamp on the bar, ask staff or assume 8kg for an Olympic one. Gym bars take a beating and sometimes get swapped between brands over the years, so two bars on the same rack might not match.

Cable EZ attachments clip onto a low or high pulley. The resistance comes from the weight stack, so the pin number is your load and the attachment itself is irrelevant. Bear in mind that cable stacks vary between makers because of pulley ratios; a 30kg cable curl on one machine won't feel the same as on another, and neither will equal a 30kg free-weight curl. Our cable bicep curl guide covers that in more detail.

What to use an EZ bar for

The bend in the shaft turns your wrists slightly inwards, which most people find more comfortable than a straight bar for arm work. These are the lifts where it earns its place:

• EZ bar curls. The obvious one. Grip the outer bends for more biceps, the inner bends for a narrower, slightly more forearm-heavy curl.
• Skull crushers. Lying triceps extensions are the lift that sells most people on an EZ bar, because a straight bar can be rough on the wrists and elbows here.
• Preacher curls. The angled grip suits the pad well, and a light standard bar lets beginners start low.
• Reverse curls and upright rows. Both feel easier on the wrists with the bend, though go light on upright rows if your shoulders complain.

For most people building arms, 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps on curls and skull crushers twice a week is plenty, and it lines up with the NHS advice to do muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week. Add weight when you hit the top of the rep range on every set, and since the jumps on a curl are small, a pair of 1.25kg plates (2.5kg total) is worth owning.

Common mistakes with EZ bar weight

Ignoring the bar entirely. Logging plates only makes your progress look smaller than it is and makes any bar swap confusing.

Assuming every Olympic EZ bar is 10kg. Plenty are 8kg and some budget ones are under 7kg. Check, or weigh it.

Buying the wrong sleeve size. A heavier Olympic bar is no use if your plates are 1 inch. Match the bar to the plates you already own, then think about weight.

Comparing cable and free-weight numbers. A cable curl number tells you nothing about what you'd lift on a loaded bar, so track them separately.

Loading too fast because the bar is light. Starting at 5kg or 8kg feels easy, and people pile on plates in the first fortnight. Elbows recover more slowly than biceps do, so add weight in small steps.

Recommended reads

• The best EZ bars in the UK
• How to do a bicep curl properly
• Skull crushers: form, muscles and variations
• The best barbells in the UK
• How to do a preacher curl