Trap Bar Deadlift

The trap bar deadlift is a deadlift with a hexagonal bar that you stand inside, so the load sits at your sides instead of in front of your shins. That keeps the torso more upright than a straight-bar deadlift, shares the work between the quads, glutes and back, and makes it the easiest heavy pull to learn safely.

Targets: Gluteus Maximus
Also works: Adductor Magnus, Soleus
Equipment: Trap bar
Level: Advanced
Start with: 4 × 6-8, 90s rest

How to do it

Step into the centre of the trap bar with your feet about hip width apart.
Hinge at the hips and bend the knees to grip the handles in the middle, arms straight.
Flatten your back, lift your chest and brace your midsection hard.
Push the floor away and stand up tall, keeping the bar balanced over the middle of your feet.
Lower the bar back to the floor by pushing the hips back and bending the knees together.

Form cues

Think about pushing the floor away, not pulling the bar up.
Big breath and brace before every rep, not just the first one.
Hips and shoulders rise at the same speed.

Common mistakes

Standing off-centre in the bar, so it tips forward or back as you lift. Line the handles up with the middle of your feet before you grip.
Squatting the bar up with the hips too low and the chest too high. The trap bar is more upright than a deadlift, but it is still a hinge; let the hips sit back.
Dropping the bar from the top instead of lowering it. The way down is part of the rep, and a dropped trap bar bounces unpredictably.

Where this fits in a week

Dietly Fit scores one photo a week out of 100, names the area holding the score back, and builds the week around it — so a movement like this gets programmed when your gluteus maximus is what needs the work, not because it was next on a list.

More quadriceps movements

Demonstration courtesy of Gym Visual. Sets and reps are a starting point, not a prescription. Speak to a qualified professional before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are managing an injury or a health condition.