Intermediate

Trap-Bar Deadlift

The trap-bar deadlift lets you stand inside the weight with neutral-grip handles, which keeps the torso taller and splits work more evenly between the legs and hips. It is easier to learn and kinder to the lower back than a straight bar, making it a great entry point to heavy pulling. Excellent for athletes chasing lower-body power.

Equipment
Trap Bar
Body part
Glutes, Hamstring
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Hinge
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus, Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus
Secondary
Vastus Lateralis, Rectus Femoris, Erector Spinae
Tertiary
Trapezius Upper, Latissimus Dorsi

How to do it

  1. 1

    Step into the center of the hex bar with feet hip-width.

  2. 2

    Hinge down and grip the neutral handles at your sides.

  3. 3

    Set your chest tall, brace your core, and take the slack out.

  4. 4

    Drive through mid-foot and stand up, keeping the handles at your sides.

  5. 5

    Lock out tall with a firm glute squeeze.

  6. 6

    Push the hips back and lower the bar under control to the floor.

Tips

  • Let the knees bend more than a straight-bar pull; this is a hybrid hinge-squat.
  • Keep the handles balanced so the bar rises level, not tipped front to back.
  • Reset your brace between every rep rather than bouncing off the floor.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Hips sink almost to squat depth at the setup, which drops the chest and rocks your weight into the heels, so the first inch of the pull is spent shifting forward before anything leaves the floor.
  • The high handles get used because they are already bolted on, even by people whose hips move fine, which cuts several inches off the pull and the leg drive that came with them.
  • Because the weight sits at your sides rather than in front, the bar feels light for the first three reps and heavy on the fifth, and that last rep is where the upper back rounds.
  • Shrugging hard at lockout to finish the rep loads the traps and adds nothing to the pull; stand tall, squeeze the glutes, and leave the shoulders where they are.
  • The chest drops toward the floor as the weight breaks off the ground, which turns a lift built to spare the lower back into a stiff-legged pull.

Frequently asked

How many sets and reps of the trap-bar deadlift should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Three or four sets of 5, once or twice a week, ending each set with two clean reps still in the tank. Because the load sits at your sides and the position is easier to hold than a straight bar, weight climbs quickly here: keep the jumps to about 5 kg (10 lb) a week and repeat a weight rather than forcing it when the last rep slows down. Use the high handles while your hips are still learning the position, then move to the low handles for the longer pull.
What can I use instead of the trap-bar deadlift if my gym has no hex bar?
Two heavy dumbbells or kettlebells held at your sides copy the position almost exactly; the only real limit is what your hands can hold. A conventional or sumo deadlift trains the same pattern with a straight bar and more hip demand, and a goblet squat covers the leg-driven half. Without any bar, a heavy farmer's carry plus dumbbell Romanian deadlifts splits the job between grip and hamstrings.
What is the trap-bar deadlift good for, and when is it the wrong lift?
It builds total-body pulling strength and lower-body power with a taller torso and less strain on the lower back than a straight bar, which makes it a sensible first heavy pull and a favorite with athletes. It is the wrong lift if you compete in powerlifting, where the straight bar is what gets tested, and a weak choice when you want a long hamstring stretch, since the knees bend more and the hips travel less. Heavy pulling still loads the spine, so stop the set when the back starts to round.

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