- EquipmentOther
- PatternHinge
- Reps3 to 10 reps
- Joint loadLower back
Stand inside a trap bar with your feet about hip width apart. Hinge down and grip the handles at their middle.
First cueKeep your arms long and relaxed.
How to do the Trap Bar Deadlift
Set up. Stand inside a trap bar with your feet about hip width apart. Hinge down and grip the handles at their middle.
- Flatten your back and lift your chest.
- Push the floor away with your legs and stand up tall.
- Lower the bar by sitting the hips back and bending the knees together.
Form cues
- Keep your arms long and relaxed.
- Stand straight up between the handles.
- Brace before each rep.
Common mistakes
- Rounding the back at the bottom.
- Leaning back at the top.
Muscles worked
Main target: Upper back. The upper back is the muscle between and around the shoulder blades. It pulls the shoulder blades together and back, which is what every row trains and what holds a posture against a long day at a desk.
On the way: Quads, Glutes and Traps.
Its other side: Chest, Front delts and Triceps, in the horizontal push and pull pattern.
What to pair it with
Movements that round out a workout with the Trap Bar Deadlift, from the same catalog the StatBlockFit app logs.
- Barbell Bench Press Superset partner: it trains the other side of the horizontal push and pull pattern, so the two can alternate.
- Pull-Up Same pull session: it trains the lats.
- Face Pull Same pull session: it trains the rear delts.
A complete workout around it
4 movements, the Trap Bar Deadlift first, at the catalog's rep ranges. Load it into the workout builder to change the sets, reps and weights, then bookmark it or download it.
- Trap Bar Deadlift 3 × 3 to 10 reps
- Barbell Bench Press 3 × 3 to 10 reps
- Pull-Up 3 × 3 to 15 reps
- Face Pull 3 × 12 to 20 reps
Alternatives and swaps
The same main muscle with other equipment: a swap never changes the muscle a workout trains.
Home or dumbbell swap
Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row
Dumbbell
Gym or cable swap
Seated Cable Row
Cable
Less load on the lower back
Seated Cable Row
The Trap Bar Deadlift loads the lower back by the catalog's joint rule, the one the app's workaround mode uses; this one does not.
A swap describes the movement, not your body: if a joint hurts, ask a professional before you train it.
Variations and preparation
A variation of: Deadlift.
Other variations of the Deadlift: Sumo Deadlift, Rack Pull, Deficit Deadlift, Snatch-Grip Deadlift and Kettlebell Deadlift.
Do before it: Cat-Cow (bracing), Broomstick Hip Hinge (same movement, lighter), Glute Bridge (glutes switched on) and Kettlebell Romanian Deadlift (same movement, lighter).
Track it in StatBlockFit
In the StatBlockFit app the Trap Bar Deadlift is logged set by set: the app suggests your next weight after each session, times your rests, keeps your records and shows the 72-hour recovery of every muscle on its training map. The training guide explains how.
Questions
How do you do the Trap Bar Deadlift?
Set up: Stand inside a trap bar with your feet about hip width apart. Hinge down and grip the handles at their middle. Steps: 1. Flatten your back and lift your chest. 2. Push the floor away with your legs and stand up tall. 3. Lower the bar by sitting the hips back and bending the knees together. Form cues: Keep your arms long and relaxed. Stand straight up between the handles. Brace before each rep. Common mistakes: Rounding the back at the bottom. Leaning back at the top.
What muscles does the Trap Bar Deadlift work?
It trains the upper back as its main target and works the quads, glutes and traps on the way.
What can I do instead of the Trap Bar Deadlift?
At home: Chest-Supported Dumbbell Row. In a gym: Seated Cable Row. With less load on the lower back: Seated Cable Row. Each trains the same main muscle.
What should I pair the Trap Bar Deadlift with?
Good partners in the same workout are Barbell Bench Press, Pull-Up and Face Pull.