Trap Bar Deadlifts

[Hubgeezer]

Until 4 years ago, I really only did grip work. Three years ago, I started working on getting my back healed, and purchased one of Simmons' Reverse Hypermachines. Once that started getting better, after 20 years of neglect, I started adding different exercises with barbells.

A little over 2 years ago, I was getting pysched up to do Squats. I had not done them since I was 12. My brother had a very serious, almost crippling, high school football injury that I thought was caused by doing squats, so I stayed away from them, based on what I saw him go through. I purchased Strossen's "Supersquats" book, and started getting mentally prepared. About that time, when Big Brother was visiting out of town one day, he dropped off a "Trap Bar". He said something like, "just in case you back out of doing squats, or in case you don't buy a Power Rack, try doing trap bar deadlifts. They are a cross between a deadlift and a squat, and probably closer to a squat". I read Supersquats, then decided I would "start" with the Trap Bar.

I started with a pair of 45s on the bar, bringing the total to 135 pounds. Pretty pathetic. I realized that I was not ready for squats.

That was two years ago, and I slowly added weight, and ended up doing them with heavy breathing, one set, shooting for 20 reps. When I say slowly, I mean slowly. I am now using 260 pounds total.

A little over a year ago, after the weight was into the 220-230 range, all of my grip stuff started going up. This was after some of my lifts had been stagnant for 3, 4, 5 years. My Rolling Thunder went through the roof. In a year, it went from a best of 181 weight to 209, at over 50 years of age.

It wasn't until I was speaking to Warren Tetting a few months ago that I ever considered that it had something to do with the work with the trap bar. His comment was, "the trap bar is support grip. You are working that when you do those deadlifts. It is no surprise that Rolling Thunder would go up". I had thought it was more focus on other areas, pulls, or the trap bar simulating squats for muscle growth.

I do gotta say, when you get to over 15 reps, and you are standing up with the bar hanging down, trying to draw deeps breaths, it is a pretty strong pull on the arms, shoulders, and fingers. I love the exercise. I also dread it, as it kicks the crap out of me.

I have never heard of anyone else doing that, so I thought I would mention it. And I am one of the few guys who has never closed the #3 but has lifted 300 on the Vertical Bar, so that could be from this exercise as well.

I am sure it is no substitute for the Squat, but for me it is just fine. And now, I guess I have convinced myself(or let Tetting convince me) that it is a direct exercise for working grip.

There is no pressure on the back whatsoever doing this exercise, and if you can't do it, you bail by simply letting go. I think it is one of the safest exercises I have come across.

Hubgeezer

[GoJu]

Very nice, the Trap Bar Deadlift is one of my favorite lifts, especially since I can pull at least 60lbs above my regular deadlifts, really works the legs and back hard, after only a few heavy singles my entire upper back is fried, high reps have a similar effect.

GOOD STUFF!

[lifesnotfair]

Can I see a pic of this lift?

I don't know what it is.

[Hubgeezer]

Can I see a pic of this lift?

I don't know what it is.

Man, you gonna make me work? I said I have never read anything about this puppy in my life? Well, now I have, here you go:

http://sfuk.tripod.com/reviews/trapbar_review.html

Hubgeezer

[Rick Browne]

http://www.fitrex.com/fitness_info/exercise578.html

Click the view vid link

[bunchofbananas]

Nice post hub, i don't like squats but i do like deadlifts, yet i'd like more quad stimulation. I'll give it a whirl, dya reckon two DBs would work?

Edited October 6, 2006 by bunchofbananas

[Mikael Siversson]

....I have never heard of anyone else doing that, so I thought I would mention it. And I am one of the few guys who has never closed the #3 but has lifted 300 on the Vertical Bar, so that could be from this exercise as well....

Hubgeezer

That could be a result of your age as well. Closing hard grippers require speed for most of us. I am 44 and definitely not as explosive closing a gripper as I was just 5 years ago.

[Biggerfoot]

I really like them too.

I have a homemade one made out of a seven-foot Olympic bar. Picture in Gallery

[kyle102887]

I need to get one of these.....looks like fun.

[OldGuy]

I have had one for 7 years, and using one is about the only training I do these days. I like heavy singles up to a max attempt, or 20 rep sets from a 5'' platform to increase the range. My bar is from PDA.

[Chrisx9118]

Trap bar deadlifts are a good alternative to barbell deadlifts. They are a bit easier as most of the time, the handles are much higher then a barbell would be.

[royceman]

I have done the "squats and milk" program and I have done trapbar deads, but never the 'twain have the two met for me.

Very cool man.

[Hubgeezer]

Trap bar deadlifts are a good alternative to barbell deadlifts. They are a bit easier as most of the time, the handles are much higher then a barbell would be.

I see that some of the trapbars have handles that rise 3 or 4 inches above the bar holes for the plates. Mine sit flush with the bar/holes. I think a riser style handle would defeat the effect that I seem to be achieving. Old Guy's comment on standing on a platform to increase the range would move it even closer to a deep squat. His bar, a PDA, is the flush style, not the riser style if I am not mistaken.

hbgzr

[TelegraphKey]

Hub, What "squat"/trap bar routine do you usually do? Do you do the Supersquats routine of 1 set of 20 reps, & how many days per week? And do you do this year-round? Thanks.

[OldGuy]

I am able to lift the same amount with a straight bar as I can with the trap bar. My trapbar does not have raised handles. 20 rep sets with as much weight as you can handle, when done from a raised platform is close to being as demanding as doing 20 rep squats.

[climber511]

The squat depth achieved will vary with the height and lever lengths of the lifter. This will determine how deep one can go and still maintain good form with the trap bar as well as while squating. I can do squats but have never really felt like they work my quads like I wish - I recently made myself a "Lever squat machine" to address similiar issues and find I feel very comfortable using it. While it does not replace squats and or dead lifts in my program, it's a valuable addition. Finding solutions to all our various physical limitations on an individual basis is just something we all have to deal with, especially as age adds onto old injuries etc that all add up over time. I think increasing the range of motion on trap bar DL is only a good idea to the point proper form can be maintained - if you have to "bend over" to do the lift - you may have gone to far.

[Hubgeezer]

Hub, What "squat"/trap bar routine do you usually do? Do you do the Supersquats routine of 1 set of 20 reps, & how many days per week? And do you do this year-round? Thanks.

I told you I add weight SLOWLY. I think my routine is a joke compared to most serious guys here, but here it is...

I work out every 3rd day, so that is 2.33 times per week. I do 12 reps on the trap bar 2 workouts, and the 20 rep set is the 3rd of the 3 workouts. One of these, in addition to the 12 reps on the trap bar, I do 5 reps off of IM's "elephant steps" with 5 more pounds each time. That means I am doing that every 9 days. Another 12-rep day, I do two sets of heavy (90% of max) of Axle DLs, that means that is every 9 days. The other "trap bar day" is when I am trying to do 20 reps (I got to 18 last time), and when I do 20, I move it up 5 pounds, and drop the reps to a little less than 20.

I am doing the "elephant steps" trap bar as my way of trying to develop enough strength to be able to do heavy farmer's walk holds. I think I did 390 last time, so it will go to 395 next time.

I don't think I could handle 20 reps max weight 2.33 times per week, so I came up with this approach. Keep in mind that until 2004, I had never deadlifted (or tried) more than 200 pounds in my life, except when I helped move a piano in 1978. I am only now getting confidence that every time I go down deep to pull more than 300 pounds, my back is not going to explode. I like the trap bar because it really does give the whole body a workout, and as I mentioned, if you think you have crossed the line, you can easily bail by simply dropping the weight. I am age 52, and stopped doing squats at age 12. I did not do any weight training from age 24 to age 44, and did not do deadlifts until age 50. From 44 to 50 I was doing grippers, Rolling Thunder, other IM grip products, and beginning around age 48, high pulls. The only nongrip stuff I now do are jogging, reverse hyperextensions, overhead presses, high pulls, formulator work, pullup bar hangs and the trap bar/axle work mentioned here.

I don't think my routine is anything for a serious strength athlete to emulate, but I wanted to mention that the trap bar has been my favorite tool for the last year. My son, age 25, recently joined a gym, and is now doing bodybuilding style workouts - - lots of curls, lots of incline and bench presses, etc. He has also been doing squats. But he called me yesterday and wants to buy a trap bar and take it to the gym with him, as he misses them.

And, as long as I am slowly increasing the trap bar weight (it is moving at the pace of around 50 lbs per year increase), I am going to continue the approach...

Hubgeezer

[OldGuy]

I use the trapbar twice weekly. First session is starting from the platform 1 x 20 x 225lbs. Increasing weight until 405lbs is reached and then lifting singles from the floor until the weight is too heavy at 500 + lbs.

Second session is 1 set of up to 20 reps from 5'' platform with as much weight as possibe. If I reach over 20 reps I increase the weight nex time. If I make less than 15 I either keep or reduce the weight next time. That is all the training I do these days.

[TelegraphKey]

You guys are doing great. I asked about 20-reps because I think it's incredibly demanding & I just can't see doing 20 reps 3X/week year-round. But I do think 20-reps is fantastic & I thank you for giving examples of how it can be incorporated into workouts on a regular basis.