5 Best Curl Bar Tricep Exercises (Reliable Workout Routines) (2024)

Last updated: December 28, 2023

Curl bars are highly efficient in engaging and growing your triceps when performed correctly. It’s also an excellent tool for relieving wrist strain.

Today I will guide you through the best triceps exercises with curl bars that produced the finest results in my ten years as a personal trainer.

• The best curl bar tricep exercises include close grip bench presses, skull crushers, overhead tricep extensions, and JM presses.
• A triceps workout improves strength, endurance, posture, and physical appearance. It also helps gym-goers prevent injury and pain.
• According to a study by the American Council on Exercise, the close grip bench press is one of the top eight exercises since it activates the muscles by up to 62% degree.
• Based on my years of training, curl bar exercises stand out as the most effective way to sculpt and strengthen the triceps.

By ensuring a balanced and varied workout routine along with adequate rest, you are setting yourself up for success in achieving your fitness goals. I also advise my clients to get one of the protein powders below to maximize results:

• Best Protein Powders for Men
• Best Protein Powders for Women

Based on our firsthand experience, these supplements can speed up muscle repair, ease soreness, and support muscle mass.

Table of Contents

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1. Skull Crushers

Skull crushers, also known as French presses or lying tricep extension, is a push exercise that targets the three heads of the triceps brachii - the long head, medial head, and lateral head.

A biomechanical analysis reveals that this exercise uniquely engages these heads, ensuring balanced development and reducing the risk of muscle imbalances.

How to do the EZ (short for “easy”) bar skull crusher:

1. Grab a good curl bar with an inside grip.
2. Sit on a flat bench and widen your legs so that the bar bend goes on your quad.
3. Kick the weight back so it’s above your forehead with your hands shoulder-width apart.
4. Lower the weight over your head, keeping the elbows tucked in so they’re pointing towards the ceiling.
5. Press the bar up by fully extending your arms.
6. Repeat until your reach the desired number of repetitions.

According to an American Council on Exercise (ACE) study, the close grip bench press is one of the top eight exercises since it activates the muscles to 62% degree [1].

How to do close grip bench presses with curl bars:

1. Hold the curl bar with an inside grip.
2. Widen your legs while sitting on a flat bench so the bar goes on your quad.
3. Kick the weight back so it’s above your chest.
4. Lower the weight above your sternum, keeping the elbows close to your body.
5. Push the curl bar up by fully extending your arms.
6. Repeat until your reach the desired number of reps.

Related Articles:

• How to Perform a Close-Grip Bench Press?
• What Muscles Are Developed By The Bench Press?
• Lat Pulldown With a Close Grip

3. Standing Overhead Triceps Extensions

This overhead triceps extension is an alternative to the previous exercise (skull crushers). While both exercises work the triceps similarly, this version doesn't exert pressure on the wrists.

How to do an overhead tricep extension with a curl bar:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.
2. Grab the curl bar with an inside grip.
3. Lift the bar over your head, keeping your core tight and glutes squeezed to help stabilize your body throughout the movement.
4. Lower the bar behind your head, keeping your biceps close to your ears, and avoid arching your back.
5. Return to the starting position.
6. Repeat until you reach the desired number of repetitions.

“You can do this exercise seated or standing. Believe it or not, this move feels more challenging when you're sitting, and sitting on an exercise ball adds an element of core strength.”

- Paige Waehner, Fitness Editor at Verywellfit.com

How to JM presses with a curl bar:

1. Lay on your back on a flat bench.
2. Grab the curl bar with an overhand grip above your neck.
3. Collapse the elbows straight down while keeping them inwards and allowing the curl bar to lower to your neck area.
4. Press the bar straight up.
5. Repeat until your reach the desired number of repetitions.

5. Push Press

Push presses are excellent for targeting your triceps and gaining upper arm strength and muscle mass. However, it is best to avoid this exercise if you lack shoulder and wrist mobility.

How to perform push presses with a curl bar:

1. Stand up straight with feet hip-width apart.
2. Rest the curl bar on your upper chest, keeping your elbows up.
3. Slightly bend your knees, then push up with your legs to press the bar above your head.
4. Lower the bar back to starting position.
5. Repeat until your complete the desired number of reps.

Yes, training with the curl bar is effective as it allows muscle isolation and better balance while keeping your wrists safe.

The EZ curl bars include two types::

• The Olympic EZ curl bar - A multi-angled design for reduced joint stress. It focuses on your triceps and biceps. The Olympic curl bar’s shortness ensures that the weighted plates are closer to you, which results in more effortless bicep curl movement.
• The EZ curl bar - A piece of equipment designed to primarily target both heads of your bicep brachii. A standard EZ bar has a 100-200 lbs capacity, whereas Olympic bars generally support up to 300 lbs.

“The curl bar is a specialized bar that offers slight variations to common movements, however, if you are not training with proper technique, loading, and training volume, the curl bar is no more effective than other pieces of equipment.”

- Mike Dewar, Founder at J2FIT

See Also

8 Best Tricep Exercises for Women (Video) | Nourish Move Love

Curl bars, unlike dumbbells or resistance bands, provide a unique grip variation and wrist positioning, enhancing tricep development. Their zig-zagged shape offers customizable grips, reducing pain for those with previous injuries.

As a fitness trainer, I've seen clients benefit from this, especially when recovering from wrist or elbow issues.

Beyond typical curls and extensions, EZ bars are versatile for exercises like bent-over rows, chest presses, squats, and deadlifts. This design diversity targets specific muscles, improving strength, tone, and size.

Research by the National Institutes of Health confirms EZ bars as the most effective for targeting biceps brachii and brachioradialis[2].

1. Promotes Stability

Powerful triceps, particularly the long head, promote a range of motion and shoulder stability.

This prevents injury and facilitates moving your upper body in day-to-day activities like carrying groceries or engaging in upper-body sports, such as boxing and swimming.

To promote shoulder stability through triceps strength, you must include exercises targeting all three heads of the muscle.

2. Improves Posture

By incorporating the tricep exercises listed above, you can support your upper body and develop and maintain a strong posture.

Researchers found that it is best to start with triceps exercises to maximize the effectiveness of your workout.

Studies in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine show this approach increases power and energy for heavier lifts and greater triceps tension, leading to enhanced muscle overload[3].

4. Improves Physical Appearance

Regular workouts targeting your triceps will help you achieve your toned look and the highly sought-after horseshoe muscle shape often desired by bodybuilders.

The key lies in the lateral head, found on the outer side of the triceps.

This critical muscle combines with the long head to create this sculpted look.

The triceps, alongside the deltoids, play a key role in stabilizing the shoulder joint and warding off injuries from repetitive stress. Neglecting these muscles can have long-term consequences.

From my experience, maintaining tricep strength is vital, especially as we age.

Harvard Medical School research confirms that strong muscles slow bone loss, reducing osteoporosis-related fracture risks [4].

Furthermore, additionall studies by Havard Medical SChool indicate that strength training alleviates pain, swelling, and stiffness in arthritis patients [5].

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