This bar has completely changed my workouts, since the “day my shoulder exploded”. With it I can really get in a good lower chest workout using the decline bench, without the shoulder pain I used to have. First the vital statistics:

• It measures 53 1/2 inches between the collars – which means that you can use it in your standard power rack. For those of your who primarily work out at home – I don’t have to tell you what a bonus this is. None of us wants to be the dork that died with a bar on his neck.
• The angles are not too severe. Unlike a lot of curl bars that look like a letter Z, this one has less radical angles, and they are spaced properly for benching.
• The bar has proper Olympic sleeves and bearings. Your standard plates will slide right on with no problem.
• Black, hardcore finish. It’s just so metal dude.
• It has proper knurling in the grip area. Enough that you can keep hold properly, but not so much that you feel like you’re arm wrestling a file.
• It weighs exactly 35 pounds. Yay. I just count it as a plate. This is a bigger deal than you might think. I some bars that weight 7 or 13 pounds. At my age, you are looking for incremental improvements, and keeping a proper workout log with careful sets, reps and weights is crucial.

I use this bar two ways: as a close grip bench press bar and for curls. Either way it helps with my shoulder, and takes the strain off of my elbow as well.

Here is a typical chest workout where I use this bar in my “finisher”:

After the always recommended warm-up, and a few light sets:

• Dumbbell incline bench presses 4×8 with your 12 rep max
• Rest for 3 minutes
• Dumbbell incline flys 3×8 with your 12 rep max
• Rest for 3 minutes
• Close grip bench presses 3×8 with your 12 rep max – but take the last set to failure. I use the decline bench here to get in a good lower chest workout.

Move though this workout routine quickly, resting only long enough between sets to be sure that you can get the next set. You will find that your rest periods will be a little longer towards the end of the routine – that is OK.

If you have shoulder pain when doing regular bench presses, or are just in the market for a really nice quality EZ curl bar, I recommend that you go with this one. York’s reputation is deserved, and their customer service is outstanding.

Nothing makes you look like you’re not just a weightlifter, but a STRONG weightlifter more than massive pecs. It is important to set up yoru chest exercise routine to develop your chest – but not at the expense of your overall look.

However, you can take it too far. You don’t want to end up looking like the chest version of Greg Valentino. An out of balance, un-proportional physique is not only un-attractive, it looks ridiculous. So what are the proportions we should strive for?

That is a matter of ongoing debate, but over time somewhat of a consensus has emerged, and been accepted in both the bodybuilding community and the general public. Here are the most commonly agreed upon proportions for a body that looks strong and fit, without looking overblown or silly.

Starting from the top:

• Neck – same as biceps and calves
• Shoulders – Chest measurement plus several inches (this on is all over the place – primarily because your shoulder width is highly dependent upon your bone structure. You can add some width to your outer shoulders, but there is only so much mass there. In addition, the overall thickness of your torso will have an affect on this.)
• Chest – Your waist measurement plus 12 inches will give you a start towards a nice V-taper. This may sound like a lot to a beginner, but think about it: If you have a 32 inch waist and a 44 inch chest, you are already there. I don’t think I need to point out that dropping a little stomach fat from around your middle will help….
• Arms – Measured flexed, pre-workout, these should be the same size as your neck and calves.
• Waist – this will drive a lot of what you look like. Suffice it to say that you want this lean and tight. If you need to lose belly fat, there are a lot of resources on the internet to help you do that.
• Hips – Keep this as close to your waist measurement as you can. You want a V-taper, then a straight shot to your ankles, if possible. Now there will be a lot of variation here. Some guys simply have larger, more muscular glutes. (Can you say squats?)
• Quadriceps – This is going to be a function of both your workout program, and your genetics. While you don’t want to look like a modern day Tom Platz, you do want to have legs that are strong and look it as well. What you don’t want is to end up looking like a side of beef on stilts – the classic “bar-body”.
• Calves – These should be the same size as your biceps and neck, or close to it.
• Feet – you’re on your own here, dude

This is important stuff. The entire point of your chest workout out is appearance. Your exercise routine should be constructed to enhance this. Please hold any comments about health and longevity – I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I know why we’re all in the gym.