11 Great Trap Bar Deadlift Benefits You Didn’t Know

Trap Bar Deadlift Essentials – Introduction

Before knowing what a trap bar deadlift is, you have to become familiar with the trap bar itself.

This unique piece of strength training equipment is also known as a hex bar.

The trap bar is a weight training device invented by Al Gerard, a competitive powerlifter from North Carolina.

The trap bar is also known as the Gerard Trap Bar as well as a hex bar.

It is also called a hex trap bar because of its hexagonal shape.

Al Gerard created the trap bar because he had a back injury that kept flaring up when doing straight barbell deadlifts.

Gerard patented and invented it to prevent lower back pain deadlift injury.

His device moves your body into the center of gravity of the weight as opposed to behind it.

How Much Does a Trap Bar Weigh?

The “Classic” Gerard trap bar weight is 45 pounds, the same weight as an Olympic Barbell.

Benefits of Deadlifting With a Trap Bar

What are the critical trap bar deadlift benefits for athletes and general fitness enthusiasts?

Here are 11 key advantages of doing trap bar deadlifts vs. standard barbell deadlifts.

1. Reduce stress on your back
2. Eliminate shin scraping
3. More comfortable shoulder shrugs
4. Stop using a mixed grip
5. Increase peak force
6. Excellent straight bar deadlift alternative
7. Romanian deadlift substitute
8. Shoulder shrug alternative
9. Do squats with a trap bar
10. Squat bar jumps
11. Target the same muscles as a conventional barbell deadlift

11 Key Trap Bar Deadlifts Benefits Description

#1. Less stress on your back

In the traditional barbell deadlift, the straight bar is in front of your body.

This position increases the stress on your back and knees.

In contrast, the trap bar eliminates the vulnerability of your lower back and knees when deadlifting.

The reason is that the weight is closer to your axis of rotation.

As a result, the hex bar deadlift puts less stress on your back and knees than the conventional barbell deadlift.

However, you have to bend your knee more when using the hex bar, as opposed to a conventional deadlift.

#2. No more shin scraping

In the barbell deadlift, the straight bar will rub against your shins and knees when you lift with proper deadlift technique.

This constant shin scraping is an excellent reason for you to wear Moxy deadlift socks or deadlift shin guards when doing a straight bar deadlift.

However, the hex bar deadlift eliminates the problem and pain of the bar hitting against your shins and knees.

See 15 Ways How to Protect Your Shins When Deadlifting if you prefer to do traditional barbell deadlifts.

#3. More comfort for shoulder shrugs

Shoulder shrugs and bent-over barbell rows are also going to be more comfortable for the same reason.

Which is that the barbell is no longer in front of your body, increasing stress on your back and knees.

#4. Eliminate the mixed grip deadlift

The hex bar also eliminates the need to use a mixed grip, which is a risk for bicep tear injury in the conventional deadlift.

#5. Greater peak force

According to Chris Beardsley, strength training expert, “studies show that the hex bar deadlift involves greater peak force, bar speed, range of motion, and peak power outputs compared to the conventional straight bar deadlift.”

This greater peak force makes the hex bar deadlift an excellent choice for building strength and athletic performance.

Here is an excellent video tutorial on how to do trap bar deadlifts:

A hex bar deadlift demonstration of proper form and execution by Joe Arko.

You can see more full-length quality fitness videos at Pump Chasers.

#6. Conventional deadlift alternative

Trap bar deadlifts are a great conventional barbell deadlift alternative.

They are easier on your back and can reduce the fear of lower back pain, a common deadlift injury.

Al Gerard discovered that he could still build overall strength and size for his back, legs, and arms training with his new invention.

While the risk of injury is less with the trap bar, you can still build your arms, back, legs, and shoulders with progressive resistance training.

If you do not have a trap bar available, you can use dumbbells as a good deadlift alternative.

That is unless the weights are so massive that there are no dumbbells available at that weight.

In that case, you should get yourself a trap bar or go to a gym that has them.

#7. Trap Bar Romanian Deadlift

The trap bar Romanian deadlift is an excellent substitute for the standard Romanian deadlift.

And in case you are wondering, this is why you should do Romanian deadlifts.

Watch this Alan Thrall video that explains the importance of learning the hip hinge movement pattern, along with a tutorial on how to Romanian deadlift:

 

#8. Straight bar shoulder shrug alternative

Trap bar shrugs are an excellent substitute for straight bar barbell shrugs.

The disadvantage of the straight bar barbell shrug is that the weight is in front of you and not on the side.

As a result, you will be working out your upper trapezius muscle more than your lower trapezius muscle.

The solution is to use either two dumbbells for shoulder shrugs or a trap bar.

The trap bar will win over using dumbells when the weights that you use for the shrug will go up significantly.

It is much more convenient for hundreds of pounds of weight than to find and handle dumbbells at that weight level.

#9. Squat with a trap bar

The trap bar deadlift is an excellent squat alternative if you don’t want to squat with a barbell on your back.

For example, if you do not have access to, own, or have space for a power rack.

A good power or squat rack is an essential piece of equipment to minimize the risk of injury in case you fail at the bottom of the squat.

Using a trap bar to squat will relieve your back and spine from handling excess stress from the weights, as well as eliminate the need for a power rack.

And best yet, trap bar squat muscles worked are similar to traditional back squat muscles worked.

However, you should note that you will not get the same full range of motion with a trap bar squat as a traditional back squat.

#10. Trap bar jumps

Trap bar jumps aka trap bar squat jumps is an excellent exercise to increase your vertical jump.

As with most trap bar exercises, you can also use dumbbells if you do not have access to a trap bar.

#11. Trap Bar Deadlift Muscles Worked

Bret Contreras writes extensively about sports and exercise science.

He selected the trap bar deadlift as the one go-to exercise if he could only do/prescribe one lift.

Here is his rationale:

“The trap bar deadlift muscles used are a mixture between a squat and a deadlift.

It utilizes more quadriceps than a typical deadlift and more hamstrings than a typical squat.

For this reason, renowned strength training author Stuart McRobert mentioned that it should be called a squat-lift.

Simply put, the trap bar deadlift is more hip-dominant and will build the quads, hams, glutes, erectors, lats, traps, and grip musculature and build a ton of functional strength and power.

The only drawback is that it wouldn’t build upper body pushing strength, but as far as one lift is concerned, it’ll do more than any other exercise would for building total body muscle and creating favorable adaptations for increased athletic capacity.”

Many athletes, such as NBA phenom Steph Curry have successfully used the trap par deadlift to increase their overall strength, especially lower body.

The Most Popular Trap Bar Exercises

The most popular trap bar exercises are:

• Deadlifts
• Upright rows
• Shoulder Shrugs
• Overhead presses
• Romanian deadlift

Watch the video below to see an example of the top 5 exercises you can do with a trap bar: