Bars and plates

How Much Does an EZ Bar Weigh

Updated 1 Nov 2026 · Method: typical bar weights compared across equipment specifications

An EZ curl bar weighs about 10 to 15 lb with 1 inch sleeves and about 15 to 35 lb with 2 inch Olympic sleeves, most often 15 to 25 lb. Enter your bar and plates to get the total you curl or press.

Worked example

Plates on one side: 70.0 lb
Both sides: 70.0 × 2 = 140.0 lb
Add the bar: 140.0 + 25.0 = 165.0 lb

EZ curl bar weights

Bar	Typical weight (lb)	Typical weight (kg)
Standard EZ bar (1 inch sleeves)	about 10 to 15	about 5 to 7
Olympic EZ bar (2 inch sleeves)	about 15 to 35	about 7 to 16
Pro-style fixed EZ bar	the number on the end plate	the number on the end plate

Fixed-weight bars include the plates in the number printed on them.

Plate-loaded EZ bar: total weight by bar and plates

Plates on each side	On a 15 lb bar	On a 20 lb bar	On a 25 lb bar
2.5 lb	20 lb	25 lb	30 lb
5 lb	25 lb	30 lb	35 lb
10 lb	35 lb	40 lb	45 lb
10 + 5 lb	45 lb	50 lb	55 lb
25 lb	65 lb	70 lb	75 lb
25 + 10 lb	85 lb	90 lb	95 lb
45 lb	105 lb	110 lb	115 lb
45 + 25 lb	155 lb	160 lb	165 lb

Bar plus the plates on both sides, collars not counted. Use the weight of your own bar if it differs.

Fixed EZ curl bars: a common rack set

Printed on the bar (lb)	In kilograms
20	9.1
30	13.6
40	18.1
50	22.7
60	27.2
70	31.8
80	36.3
90	40.8
100	45.4
110	49.9

Many gym sets hold ten bars, 20 to 110 lb in 10 lb steps. The printed number is the whole bar, plates included.

Tell the two types apart by the sleeves

The quickest way to guess an EZ bar's weight is to look at the ends. A bar with thin sleeves that take plates with a 1 inch hole is the standard type, and it is the light one. A bar with thick sleeves that fit regular gym plates, which have a 2 inch hole, is the Olympic type.

The Olympic type needs more steel in the sleeves and usually in the shaft too, so it lands higher, about 15 to 35 lb. Within each type, length and finish move the number a few pounds either way.

Plate-loaded EZ bar weight

A plate-loaded EZ bar is the kind with open sleeves: you slide plates on and hold them in place with collars. Empty, it weighs what the ranges above say, about 10 to 15 lb for the standard type and about 15 to 35 lb for the Olympic type. What you lift is the bar plus every plate on both sides.

For example, a 20 lb bar with one 25 lb plate per side totals 70 lb, and the same plates on a 15 lb bar total 65 lb. The second table above gives the totals for 15, 20 and 25 lb bars, so you can read yours off without doing the sum.

Fixed curl bars on a rack

Many gyms keep a rack of short curl bars with the plates welded or bolted on. These are the easy case: the number printed on the end is the full weight, bar included. Do not add anything to it. A common gym set has ten of them, from 20 to 110 lb in 10 lb steps; the table above lists each one in kilograms.

If the jump between two fixed bars is too big for you, a loadable EZ bar lets you add 2.5 lb plates for smaller steps.

Why the bar weight matters more here

Curls, skull crushers and upright rows use much lighter loads than a squat. On a 60 lb curl, a 10 lb error in the bar weight is a large share of the total. If you guess 25 lb when the bar is really 15, your log will show progress you never made, or hide progress you did make.

When the bar has no label, weigh it once. Step on a bathroom scale, note the number, then step on again holding the bar and take the difference.

Why the bends are there

The zigzag in the middle lets your wrists turn partly inward instead of fully palm up. For curls and lying triceps work, that angle can feel easier on the wrists. The bends do not change how you count the weight, only how you grip it.

Because the grip is different, a curl on an EZ bar and a curl on a straight bar are not quite the same lift. Track them on separate lines, and use the same bar each time you compare.

Converting your curl numbers

If your gym mixes pound and kilogram gear, convert before you compare. A 25 lb bar is about 11.3 kg, for example. Our dumbbell weight chart lists common sizes in both units, and the barbell weight page covers the bigger bars in the same gym.

Other specialty bars have their own pages: the trap bar, the safety squat bar and the Swiss bar.

Trap Bar Weight, Smith Machine Bar Weight, How Much Does a Barbell Weigh, Dumbbell Weight Chart

Questions

Is an EZ bar the same weight as an Olympic bar?

No. Even the heaviest common EZ bars, at about 35 lb, are lighter than a 45 lb Olympic bar. Most are 15 to 25 lb.

How heavy is the loaded EZ bar in the example?

It uses a 25 lb Olympic EZ bar with one 45 and one 25 lb plate per side. That is 140 lb of plates and 165 lb in total, more than most people curl, so lower the plates to match your own set.

How much does an EZ bar weigh in kg?

About 5 to 7 kg for the standard type and about 7 to 16 kg for the Olympic type.

What sizes do fixed EZ curl bars come in?

A common rack holds ten bars, from 20 to 110 lb in 10 lb steps. The number on the end is the full weight, bar and plates together.

How we calculate: every formula, with its author and year, is on our method page; data sources and their licenses are on sources.

gymnical.com gives estimates from published formulas and public data. It is not medical advice and not a training prescription. Last reviewed November 2026.