The trap bar may be one of the best gym tools you’re not using or only using for deadlifts. Its neutral grip D handles and unique positioning make it an exerciser’s best friend. Al Gerard invented it in the late 1980s as an easier way to do trap raises.
Before going any further, let me tell you why I fell in love with the trap bar. After years and years of deadlifting only with a barbell and suffering from bouts of hip and lower back pain, enough became enough.
After years of thinking the trap bar deadlift was cheating, my body demanded a change, and I have been deadlifting virtually pain-free ever since. But the trap bar is for more than deadlifts, and here I’ll get into the benefits of using it and five exercises that are not deadlifts.
Trap Bar Training Benefits
The weight is better centered on your center of gravity, and the neutral D handles on either the trap bar are easier on your back, wrists, elbows, and shoulders. Here are a few other significant benefits of using the trap bar.
There is less shearing force on the back because the axis of rotation (the hips) is almost in line with the stubs on either side, which reduces the amount of shearing force on the spine. What? It means it’s easier on your back,
Learning challenging exercises such as the deadlift and squat is easier without hurting yourself, as the trap bar is forgiving as long as you keep a neutral spine.
The neutral grip is easier on the wrist, forearms, and elbows, and it’s our strongest grip. Therefore, it’s excellent for building incredible grip strength because you can load it heavier than dumbbell farmers carry variations.
5 Trap Bar Exercises
If you have your trap bar or access to one at your local gym, take these five exercises out for a spin.
Trap Bar Suitcase Carry
The suitcase carries smoke your grip, and your love handles while walking with a load in one hand. This offset load has excellent real-life carryover, like when you carry all the groceries in one hand. Using the trap bar makes this more difficult for two reasons. One, more load can be used, and the weight is more off-center than usual carry variations.
How to do it:
Stand the trap bar up on its side, prop it up on the wall, and load plates on either end.
Grip and lift the center of the bar off the ground with a firm grip.
Get your shoulders down, chest up, and shoulders even, and walk slowly.
Once you have finished, prop it on the side of your leg. Swap sides and repeat.
Programming suggestion: One to three sets for 40 to 60 yards on both sides. Pair with an exercise that doesn’t require grip strength, like a shoulder or chest press.
Floor Press
The trap bar floor press is between a barbell floor press and a neutral grip dumbbell floor press. Like all floor press variations, the reduced range of motion is safer on the shoulders. The neutral grip is easier on the wrist, elbows, and shoulder because the joints are all stacked over each other, allowing you to add more load than the dumbbell variation.
How to do it:
Set up the trap bar on the squat rack with flat handles down or pull it over, as shown in the video above.
With a firm grip on the flat handles, unrack from the squat rack with your wrist in neutral and lower until your upper arms touch the floor.
Press until lockout, reset, and repeat for reps.
Programming suggestions: Two to four sets of 8 to 12 reps is a great starting point.
Tall Kneeling Shoulder Press
Like the floor press, the neutral grip is a difference-maker here. Only some people have the chops to barbell or even dumbbell overhead press but enter the tall kneeling shoulder press. The neutral grip is easier on the wrist and elbows, and the tall-kneeling position forces you to lock in your core and glute muscles to stay upright and stable.
How to do it:
Set up the trap bar in the squat rack, with the pins above shoulder height while on your knees.
Get into a tall kneeling position, and grip the high or low bar handles with your wrists in neutral.
Press up until your elbows are locked out; slowly lower down to the pins, reset, and repeat.
Programming suggestions: Same as the trap bar floor press.
Elevated Squats
With the weight in line with your hips, the trap bar squat and deadlift are similar, more like a mix. The biggest thing with trap bar squats is the limited range of motion, which is solved by standing on weight plates and using the low bar handles. This allows more knee bending and will enable you to focus more on your quads as a squat should.
How to do it:
Put a weight plate inside the weighted trap bar and step on it.
Keep your shoulders down and chest up, squat down, and grip the low handles.
With a neutral spine, squat, push your feet through the floor, and squeeze your glutes at lockout.
Slowly lower down, reset, and repeat.
Programming suggestions: Grip strength is a factor here, so when your grip gives out, it’s time to stop. Two to four sets of eight to 15 reps work for most.
Pendlay Row
The Trap bar Pendlay row involves rowing the bar from the ground instead of being in a bent-over row where the bar is hovering above the floor. Being in this modified hinge position strengthens the lower back and hamstrings. Plus, it beefs up your forearms, biceps, and upper back. Due to the wider, neutral grip, you can challenge the forearms, biceps, upper back, and lats with more weight than the barbell variation.
How to do it:
Step inside the trap bar with your shoulders down, chest up, and feet hip-width apart.
Hinge down to the elevated D handles and grip.
Squeeze your armpits together and bring your chest up
Explosively pull it towards your sternum.
Return to the floor, reset, and repeat.
Programming suggestions: The key here is to be explosive with the pull from the floor, so keep the reps low, around six to 10 for two to four sets.
Wrapping Up
Standing your body inside the trap bar and holding it with a neutral grip is a game changer. You can lift without the fear that it may hurt your joints and the ability to go heavier if you want to add size and strength. It’s not a trap; it’s a trap bar. Sorry, not sorry.
Leave a Reply