Trap Bar Deadlift 101 Video Tutorial
0
Exercise Synopsis
Target Muscle Group
Hamstrings
Secondary Targets
Abs, Lats, Hip Adductors, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lower Back, Quads, Traps, Upper Back
Execution
Compound
Force Type
Hinge (Bilateral)
Required Equipment
Trap Bar
Fitness Level
Advanced
Variations
Alternatives
Timer
Hour
Minute
Second
Stopwatch
00:00:00:00
Overview
The Trap Bar Deadlift is a compound exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings while engaging a wide range of muscle groups. Using the trap bar, which allows for a neutral grip, this movement involves lifting the barbell from the ground by extending the hips and knees. In addition to the hamstrings, secondary muscle targets include the abs, adductors, calves, forearms, glutes, lats, lower back, quads, traps, and upper back. The trap bar deadlift is advantageous for its reduced stress on the lower back compared to traditional deadlifts, making it a valuable exercise for overall strength development and muscle engagement across multiple areas of the body.
How to Perform
Begin by standing inside the trap bar with a hip-width stance to establish a stable base.
Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back and hinging forward, ensuring your torso is nearly parallel to the floor.
Reach down and firmly grasp the handles using a neutral grip, positioning your hands just outside shoulder width.
Inhale and pull up slightly on the bar, allowing your hips to drop in a seesaw motion to eliminate any slack in the bar.
Simultaneously drop the hips, pulling up on the bar, and engage your lats by envisioning squeezing oranges in your armpits, ensuring your armpits are directly over the bar.
Drive through the entire foot, concentrating on pushing the floor away as you extend the knees and hips.
Maintain a straight bar path during the ascent, and once the hips are fully locked out, begin the descent by pushing the hips back and hinging forward.
Lower the bar back to the floor with control, reset your position, and repeat the sequence for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
Position your feet in a stance resembling your typical jumping position, ensuring knees align vertically over the feet for stability and power.
To maintain a linear bar path, focus on squeezing your lats; cues like “squeeze oranges in your armpits” or “put your shoulder blades in your back pockets” aid in keeping the bar close.
Achieve a hips-lower-than-shoulders position, emphasizing a "chest up" cue to maintain the correct posture, with lats becoming naturally engaged.
Keep knees tracking over the feet; if this is challenging, promote glute activation by spreading the floor with a push-feet-apart motion during the lift.
Maintain the crease of the armpit over the bar, ensuring a linear bar trajectory, and experiment with individualized neck positions: neutral for extension, slight upward gaze for flexion dominance.
Trap bar deadlift requires a dorsiflexed ankle position initially, with shins angled, displacing more load on the quads compared to other deadlift variations.
Consider individual toe angles based on hip anatomy, experiment with foot positioning (toes slightly in, out, or neutral) to find optimal comfort.
Avoid retracting shoulder blades, as it is mechanically inefficient; instead, focus on a strong grip with thumbs wrapped around the bar and hands centered on the handles.
Drive through the whole foot, maintaining three points of contact: big toe, little toe, and heel, to effectively recruit quads at the lift's beginning.
Ensure elbows stay locked out, preventing bicep tear risks, and maintain control during both eccentric and concentric phases.
Adjust deadlift variations based on weaknesses; use rack pulls, RDLs, or pulls against chains/bands for lockout weakness, and include paused/deficit deadlifts for weakness off the floor.
For single repetitions, dropping the bar is acceptable, but during multiple reps, lower the weight under control to avoid excessive fatigue on spinal erectors.
How Not to Perform
Incorrect Stance Placement: Avoid placing your feet in an awkward or narrow stance. A stance too wide or too close can compromise your balance and hinder the natural biomechanics of the lift.
Neglecting Lats Engagement: Failing to engage your lats properly is a common mistake. If you allow your lats to slack, the bar may drift away from your body, leading to an inefficient lift and potential lower back strain.
Poor Hip Positioning: Incorrect hip positioning, such as starting with hips higher than shoulders, can compromise the lift. This mistake may shift the emphasis away from the hamstrings and into less effective muscle engagement.
Incomplete Range of Motion: Avoid incomplete hip extension at the top of the lift. Not fully extending the hips robs you of the full benefit of the exercise, limiting the activation of key muscle groups, including the hamstrings and glutes.
Overemphasis on Quads: Allowing your weight to shift excessively onto your toes during the lift can overemphasize quad involvement. This not only compromises the targeting of the hamstrings but also puts unnecessary stress on the knees.
Retracting Shoulder Blades: Contrary to common misconceptions, retracting the shoulder blades excessively is inefficient and can alter the mechanics of the lift. Maintain a natural shoulder position to optimize the engagement of target muscles.
Inconsistent Neck Position: A consistent neck position is crucial. Avoid drastic changes in neck posture during the lift, as this can affect the alignment of your spine and hinder overall stability.
Neglecting Grip and Hand Placement: Using an improper grip or placing your hands too close or too far apart on the handles can lead to inefficient force transmission and compromise your ability to lift heavier loads.
Ignoring Foot Placement: Neglecting the correct foot placement, such as allowing the feet to turn outward excessively, can compromise the lift's stability and detract from the targeted muscle engagement.
Neglecting Controlled Descent: Don't allow the bar to drop abruptly after reaching the lockout. A controlled descent not only prevents unnecessary noise and wear on equipment but also contributes to overall muscle engagement and strength development.
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.
