Nothing beats the simplicity of deadlifting. In addition to being one of the main workouts for building mass, deadlifting is also a rewarding experience. Deadlifting with a barbell, however, isn’t for everybody, especially those with back pain, because you need to bend over to lift the weight which puts a lot of stress on the spine.
One solution to this weighty problem is using a trap bar, also known as a hex bar. A trap bar is a hexagon-shaped barbell that allows you to stand in the middle of the hexagon, instead of behind a straight barbell. (This is probably where the name came from, because you are “trapped” inside the bar.) When you lift with a trap bar, you place less force on your spine compared to a barbell, but still give your lower body a good workout.
Adventure Fitness Athletic Club has state-of-the-art trap bars for our members to use at our gym in Thornton. We invite anyone who would like to learn more about how to use trap bars to ask one of our staff members for help. In this blog, we’ll explore what makes trap bar lifting different from barbell lifting, the advantages of using trap bars, and some trap bar exercises to try.
What Makes Trap Bar Deadlifts Different Than Barbell Deadlifting?
First, let’s clarify what barbell deadlifts and trap bar deadlifts are.
- A barbell deadlift is the traditional style of deadlift. It starts with a barbell that has a set of bumper plates attached at each end. The weight bar is placed on the floor in front of the lifter. The lifter bends down to lift the weight up and back slightly.
- A trap bar deadlift begins with the hexagon-shaped weight bar with bumper plates at each end. The lifter stands inside the hexagon and squats straight down to grab the handles on either side. The lifter then lifts the weight straight up.
Barbell Deadlifts and Trap Bar Deadlifts Work Slightly Different Muscles
While both of these lifts are deadlifts that work your posterior muscles, the slight differences in your position means different muscle sets are worked with each one.
- The barbell deadlift has the bar positioned in front of you, which forces you to counterbalance the weight as you lift. That means you need to lift up and back, which engages and puts stress on your lower back. You will target your posterior chain more with this lift compared to a trap bar deadlift, but it does put more stress on your lumbar spine.
- The trap bar deadlift gives you a squat-style movement. There is less stress on your lower back and more emphasis on your quads. This type of lift also allows you to use more of your muscle power during your lift.
Therefore, the barbell deadlift puts more emphasis on your hamstrings and glutes, while a trap bar puts more emphasis on your quads. That said, the trap bar also gives your hamstrings and glutes a solid workout, but with less risk to your spine.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Trap Bar?
We’ve already discussed a main benefit of using a trap bar for deadlifting — it puts less stress on your lower back. For people without back issues, barbell deadlifting is usually fine. But for others with spinal disc problems, facet joint problems, pinched nerves, and other spinal conditions, trap bar deadlifting is a much less risky way to train the glutes and hamstrings.
Other benefits of using trap bars include:
- They’re easy to learn—While learning the proper form of barbell lifting can take a lot of time and coaching, the trap bar deadlift is much less complicated.
- They’re easy to balance—Barbell deadlifts can be tough to balance because they upset your center of gravity, especially at the top of the lift when the barbell is hip-height. This can cause you to bend backwards to compensate and hyperextend your spine. The trap bar deadlift doesn’t place all the weight in front of your hips, which means there’s no need to counterbalance the weight.
- They put more load on your quads instead of your back —When you get fatigued with barbell deadlifts, your body will shift the weight onto your back muscles when your hips get tired. With trap bar deadlifts, your knees have more range of motion so your quads (instead of your back) take some of the load away from your hips.
- They reduce strain on your wrists and elbows — Gripping a barbell with an overhand, underhand, or mixed grip can be tough if you have issues with your elbows or biceps. The neutral grip on a trap bar, by comparison, reduces strain on your biceps, elbows, forearms, and wrists.
- They come with two pairs of handles — Today’s trap bars come with two pairs of handles. One pair projects upwards in a “D” shape, and when you flip the trap bar over, the other pair is level with the bar. The D handles allow you to lift the trap bar without bending down as far, which helps you if you have reduced range of motion in your hips.
What Trap Bar Lifts Should I Try?
Up to this point, we’ve discussed using trap bars for deadlifting, but they have many other uses to keep your workouts varied and challenging. We’ll start with the classic trap bar deadlift and then move onto three others.
Trap Bar Deadlift
The trap bar deadlift is the fundamental trap bar exercise. First, stand inside the trap bar and center yourself with your feet hip-width apart. Then, bend your hips and knees to reach down and tightly grasp the trap bar’s handles. Squat with your hips back. You should feel tension in your hamstrings. Pull your shoulders back, flatten your spine, and stick your chest up. Focus your eyes in front of you. Take a deep breath, tighten your core, and stand up as you lift the weight, driving through your feet. Keep your core tight, your back flat, and your glutes tightened. Then lower the trap bar to the ground and set up for the next rep.
Trap Bar Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
With a Romanian deadlift (RDL), you start from a standing position and bend down to lift the weight, instead of squat. While this is an effective tool for build strong hamstrings and glutes, it also comes with increased risk for lower-back injury because the weight is front loaded and improper form is common. RDLs with a trap bar provide the same muscle-building benefits while also reducing the shear forces and possible injury to the lower spine.
Stand inside the trap bar with your feet hip-width apart. Bend 90 degrees at the hips and 45-55 degrees at the knees to grasp the trap bar’s handles. Keep your head up, back straight, and butt down as you thrust your hips forward to lift the weight up to your waist. Reverse the movement to lower the weight back down and repeat. Maintain a neutral spine at all times.
Trap Bar Floor Press
A trap bar floor press is a combination of a regular barbell floor press and the neutral-grip dumbbell press. Pressing from the floor instead of a bench limits your range of motion which prevents your shoulders from becoming hyperextended and allows you to lift more weight. Plus, the neutral grip of a trap bar floor press gives you a more stable lift than a barbell because your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are stacked on top of each other.
To complete the trap bar floor press, set up the trap bar on a squat rack with the flat handles down and the D handles up. With your wrists neutral and feet and back flat on the floor, unrack the trap bar. Slowly lower the weight until your upper arm touches the floor and then press the weight back up.
Trap Bar Suitcase Carry
Instead of doing suitcase carries with dumbbells or kettlebells, try them with a trap bar. This exercise is great for building your core and grip, as you’ll walk with the weight in one hand. It’s also a functional exercise because in real life, it’s common for everyone to carry stuff in one hand.
Stand the trap bar on its side and load a plate on to both ends. With a firm grip, grab the center of the top bar and lift the trap bar. Make sure to keep your shoulders level with each other. Walk slowly with an upright posture. When you reach the end of your walk, put the trap bar down, rest it on the side of your leg, hold it with one hand and turn around to swap sides and walk back to the beginning.
Trap Bar Training at Adventure Fitness Athletic Club
Adventure Fitness Athletic Club invites our members to try the trap bars at our gym. Our personal trainers would be happy to show you how trap bar training can be just as beneficial as barbell training while putting less stress on the spine. Our variety of equipment and supportive environment make us the best gym to join in Thornton, CO. Visit us at your convenience for more information, or call Susan at 720-849-0245 or email her at susan@adventurefitness.club.
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