Paused Trap Bar Deadlift 101 Video Tutorial
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Exercise Synopsis
Target Muscle Group
Hamstrings
Secondary Targets
Abs, Adductors, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lats, Lower Back, Quads, Traps, Upper Back
Execution
Compound
Force Type
Hinge (Bilateral)
Required Equipment
Trap Bar
Fitness Level
Intermediate
Variations
None
Alternatives
None
Timer
Hour
Minute
Second
Stopwatch
00:00:00:00
Overview
The Paused Trap Bar Deadlift is an effective compound exercise primarily targeting the hamstrings, while also engaging several secondary muscle groups, including the abs, adductors, calves, forearms, glutes, lats, lower back, quads, traps, and upper back. This exercise is performed using a trap bar, which allows for a more neutral grip and reduces strain on the lower back compared to traditional deadlifts. The key feature of the paused trap bar deadlift is the pause at the bottom of the movement, which helps to eliminate momentum, increase time under tension, and enhance muscle activation, particularly in the hamstrings and glutes. This makes it a great choice for improving strength, stability, and muscle growth.
How to Perform
Begin by positioning yourself inside the trap bar with your feet set at about hip-width apart.
Push your hips back and hinge at the waist, lowering your torso toward the floor until it's almost parallel to the ground.
Reach down and grasp the trap bar handles with a neutral grip, keeping your hands just outside shoulder width.
Take a deep breath in and slightly lift the bar by pulling up on it while letting your hips drop in a seesaw-like motion. This movement is commonly known as "pulling the slack out of the bar."
As you lower your hips and pull up on the bar, engage your lats by imagining squeezing something under your armpits, ensuring your armpits stay directly above the bar.
Push through your entire foot, focusing on driving the floor away, while keeping a solid base.
Pause briefly when the plates lift off the ground, holding for a two-count at the start of the lift.
As you lift, make sure the bar moves in a straight line while extending both your knees and hips simultaneously.
Once your hips are fully extended and the lift is completed, reverse the movement by pushing your hips back and hinging forward.
Lower the bar back to the floor with control, reset your position, and repeat for the prescribed number of reps.
Tips
The length and timing of your pause during the lift should depend on your sticking point and the specific goals you're targeting. Always keep the crease of your armpits directly over the bar, with the midfoot aligned, ensuring the bar moves in a straight line.
Remember, the deadlift is a hinge, not a squat. Setting your hips too low can compromise your position, reducing your ability to lift heavy weights efficiently.
Position your feet at a width similar to your natural jumping stance, ensuring they feel strong and stable. Keep your knees aligned with your feet throughout the movement.
To prevent the bar from moving away from your body, focus on engaging your lats. Think about “squeezing oranges” under your armpits, “sliding your shoulder blades into your back pockets,” or “performing a straight-arm pulldown” to maintain bar proximity.
Your hips should always be lower than your shoulders before pulling, and you should be able to see the logo on your shirt (i.e., “chest up”). Engaging your lats should naturally promote this posture, so this cue may not be necessary if you’re familiar with lat activation.
Ensure your knees are tracking over your feet. If they tend to cave inward, push the floor apart with your feet, as if trying to create space between your heels. This helps activate your glutes and stabilize your knee joints.
Maintain a consistent position where the armpit crease is directly over the bar, and the midfoot is aligned to keep the bar path straight.
Neck position should be adapted to your individual preferences: if you tend to over-extend, keep your chin tucked, while if you naturally lean forward, looking slightly up can encourage better spinal alignment. Test both to find what feels most natural for you.
For the trap bar deadlift, the ankle position will typically be more dorsiflexed at the start, with the shins angled forward. This shifts more of the load to the quads, compared to other deadlift variations.
While experienced lifters may not focus as much on "pulling the slack out of the bar," this is an essential concept to grasp initially to optimize tension and force generation.
Your toe angle should reflect your individual hip structure. Experiment with slight variations (inward, outward, or neutral) to see what feels most natural and efficient.
Avoid retracting your shoulder blades, as this reduces your arm length and can inefficiently shorten your range of motion, making the lift harder.
Always use a full grip around the bar, avoiding a false grip. Squeeze as tightly as possible, imagining you're leaving an imprint of your fingerprints on the bar.
Place your hands in the center of the handles to ensure the bar remains balanced and doesn’t tilt as you begin the lift.
Focus on pushing through the entire foot rather than just the heels. Ensure all three points of contact (big toe, little toe, heel) are actively pressing into the ground for optimal power transfer.
Keep your elbows locked out and avoid any unnecessary tricep flexion. Ensure that your elbow remains straight to avoid stress on the biceps, especially under heavy load.
For single reps, you can drop the bar from lockout (if permitted), as this reduces strain on the spinal erectors. For multiple reps, lower the bar slowly and under control to minimize fatigue in the lower back.
If lockout strength is a weak point, incorporate rack pulls, Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), or resistance band exercises. For struggles off the floor, focus on paused and deficit deadlifts, as well as additional work for your upper back and glutes.
How Not to Perform
Avoid Setting Hips Too Low
Do not squat down into the trap bar deadlift. Keep your hips above knee level to prevent excessive knee flexion and reduce strain on the lower back. Setting your hips too low places unnecessary stress on your knees and reduces the efficiency of the movement.
Don’t Round Your Back
Never let your back round at any point during the lift. Keep your spine neutral by engaging your core and lats. Rounding your back increases the risk of injury, particularly in the lower back, and takes the focus off the hamstrings and glutes.
Don’t Allow the Bar to Drift Away
Avoid letting the trap bar move away from your body. Keep the bar close by actively engaging your lats. If the bar drifts forward, the load shifts to your lower back, increasing the risk of injury and reducing the focus on your target muscles.
Don’t Use Momentum
Never jerk or swing the bar. Focus on controlled movement, especially during the pull and lower phases. Using momentum to lift the bar reduces the effectiveness of the exercise and can lead to unnecessary strain on the body.
Avoid Locking Out Too Early
Do not prematurely lock out your hips before the bar is fully cleared from the floor. Make sure your hips and knees extend at the same time. If you lock out too soon, you miss out on the engagement of the posterior chain muscles, particularly the hamstrings and glutes.
Don’t Let Knees Collapse Inward
Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes. If your knees cave inward during the movement, it places extra stress on the knee joints and reduces the effectiveness of the lift. Focus on pushing the floor apart with your feet to activate the glutes and stabilize the knees.
Don’t Overextend the Neck
Avoid craning your neck by looking too far up or letting your chin jut forward. This can lead to neck strain and poor spinal alignment. Keep your neck neutral by maintaining the same angle as your spine to ensure proper posture throughout the lift.
Don’t Use a False Grip
Always wrap your thumb around the handles of the trap bar. Using a false grip reduces your control over the bar and increases the risk of the bar slipping, especially during heavy lifts. A full grip ensures better control and reduces the likelihood of dropping the bar.
Don’t Let Elbows Flex
Keep your arms fully extended and do not allow your elbows to bend during the lift. Flexing the elbows places unnecessary stress on the biceps and reduces the effectiveness of the movement. Lock your arms out and maintain a strong, straight position.
Avoid Lifting Only from the Heels
Don’t focus solely on pushing through your heels. While heel pressure is important, ensure that you’re pushing through your entire foot—big toe, little toe, and heel—for a more balanced and powerful lift. Focusing only on your heels can limit quad activation and slow you down off the floor.
Don’t Rush the Pause
Don’t skip or rush the pause when the plates lift off the ground. A brief two-second pause helps eliminate momentum and ensures you’re fully engaging your hamstrings, glutes, and lats before continuing the movement. Skipping the pause compromises muscle activation and reduces the lift's effectiveness.
Avoid Overextending the Range of Motion
Do not excessively arch your back or hinge too far forward at the bottom of the movement. Overextending your range of motion can lead to poor posture and put undue stress on the lower back. Stay within a controlled range of motion that targets the hamstrings and glutes.
Don’t Use a Wide Stance
Avoid setting your feet too wide apart. A stance that’s too wide can throw off your balance and force you to rely too much on your inner thighs. Keep your feet about hip-width apart to ensure proper muscle activation and a stable base during the lift.
Don’t Drop the Bar Too Quickly
Avoid dropping the bar too quickly after reaching the top. Instead, lower the weight with control, keeping tension in the muscles, especially the hamstrings and glutes, to maintain a smooth and effective eccentric phase.
Don’t Retract Shoulder Blades
Avoid actively retracting your shoulder blades. This reduces the length of your arms, increases the range of motion, and wastes energy. Instead, keep your lats engaged and your scapula slightly depressed for optimal tension and a more efficient lift.
Variations
Variations of fitness exercises refer to different ways of performing a specific exercise or movement to target various muscle groups, intensities, or goals. These variations aim to challenge the body differently, prevent plateaus, and cater to individuals with varying fitness levels.
Alternatives
Alternative exercises in fitness refer to different movements or activities that target similar muscle groups or serve the same training purpose as the primary exercise. These alternative exercises can be used as substitutes when the original exercise is unavailable or challenging to perform due to various reasons such as equipment limitations, injuries, or personal preferences.
