One of the best tools you're not using is the trap bar. Or, you’re only using it for deadlifts. Trap bars are great for gym rats because of the neutral-grip handles and unique positioning. It can be lifted, rowed, carried, and squatted for pain-free gains. If you have been lifting a barbell regularly for a while, you may find the trap bar to be a refreshing change.
THE ORIGINS OF THE TRAP BAR
We can begin the discussion of the trap bar deadlift vs squats by starting with the trap bar.
The trap bar deadlift is an exercise that uses a trap bar. Trap bars often look like the one pictured on the left.
A man named Al Gerard who was interested in powerlifting created the trap bar in 1985 as a way to keep training despite a reoccurring lower back injury.
Since it was first introduced, the hex bar deadlift has been widely supported by numerous coaches as a back-friendly alternative to both traditional deadlifts with a straight bar and squats.
The trap bar deadlift is a cross between a squat and a deadlift that many people believe is more beneficial than doing either of those exercises separately.
We might find that our bodies perform certain movements more easily and naturally when we first start working out at the gym.
Many people find the squat easier to perform than the deadlift, and vice versa.
The trap bar deadlift has many advantages over the squat when it comes to form, safety, and effectiveness. If you prefer deadlifting, you can perform the exercises with more hip flexion to make it more like a traditional deadlift.
People who squat more naturally may have their torsos at a more upright angle, which is more like a squat.
LET’S COMPARE THE TRAP BAR VS THE SQUAT AS WE FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON THREE AREAS:
- Which Muscle Group Does each exercise target?
- What results does each exercise have on the body?
- What is the overall benefit of each exercise?
WHICH MUSCLE GROUPS DO THE TRAP BAR AND SQUATS TARGET?
Both trap bar deadlift and squats are great for building lower body muscle mass:
Squats are very demanding and challenging exercises.
A squat is an exercise where you remain fully active and engaged throughout the entire exercise, as opposed to a deadlift where you can rest briefly when the weights touch the ground. You must carefully balance a weighted bar on your back while fighting to push out each rep.
. The trap bar deadlift allows you to lift more weight than a traditional deadlift, even though the range of motion is slightly smaller due to the height of the bar.
The amount of weight lifted impacts muscle development, which is known as “mechanical tension.”
Increasing mechanical tension is a great way to improve your ability to build muscle mass.
. It is extremely important to remember this when deciding which exercise has more overall benefits: the trap bar deadlift or the squat.
Trap Bar Bent-Over Row
The trap bar bent over row is a more comfortable exercise for your lower back because the handles are elevated. This allows you to keep your spine more upright, which reduces strain on your lower back. Staying more upright while lifting weights reduces strain on your lower back. With this move, you’ll be using wider, neutral-grip handles.
The weight of this barbell is more than what you would be able to use with a standard barbell, which lets you work out your traps, forearms, biceps, and lats more. Lifters who use a neutral grip are usually stronger than those who don't.
Benefits of the Trap Bar Bent-Over Row
- It takes stress off your lower back, and the neutral grip is easier on your elbows.
- It is also a great accessory exercise for deadlifts, chin-ups, and pull-ups due to the grip demands and hinge position.
- Challenges your rowing muscles from a different angle than standard barbell row.
How to Do the Trap Bar Bent-Over Row
Bend down and grasp the trap bar from both sides. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Pull the trap bar off the ground and row it until the back of the bar is almost touching your glutes. Keep your elbows at around a 45 degree angle while you're doing the movement. Stay in the top position of the row for a beat. Slowly lower the weight back down. Repeat.
Trap Bar Tall-Kneeling Shoulder Press
Not everyone who lifts weights has the ability to do overhead presses with a barbell. Enter the tall-kneeling shoulder press. The grip that is neutral is friendlier to your wrist and elbows, whereas barbells tend to cause wrist hyperextension.
When you are in the tall-kneeling position, you have to use your core muscles to stay upright and stable. You will improve your skills at pressing and develop strong abs. Sounds like a win-win.
Benefits of the Tall-Kneeling Trap Bar Shoulder Press
- If there is any instability with your pressing technique, you will receive instant feedback because the tall-kneeling position will force you out of position.
- The neutral grip makes the lift easier on your upper body joints.
- A tall-kneeling position strengthens core stability and improves hip mobility.
How to Do the Tall-Kneeling Shoulder Press
Set up the trap bar in the squat rack. Get into a strong tall-kneeling position. Set the pins above shoulder height. You should hold the bar with your wrists in a neutral position, gripping it tightly. Press with control until your elbows are locked out. Pause for a second. Slowly lower back down to the pins. Reset and repeat.
Trap Bar Floor Press
This exercise is a combination of the floor press and the dumbbell press using a neutral grip. The floor limits the range of motion, which allows the lifter to move more weight and prevents the shoulders from overexertion.
The neutral grip allows for a more stable pressing environment as your wrists, elbows, and shoulders are all stacked on top of each other creating a strong base.
Benefits of the Trap Bar Floor Press
- This move puts less stress on your upper body joints and gives you the ability to add more resistance than the dumbbell variation.
- If shoulder pain is an issue, this variation allows you to still train the pressing movement in a (possible) pain-free range of motion.
- Because of minimal lower body involvement and reduced ROM, this variation helps improve your lockout strength.
How to Do the Trap Bar Floor Press
Set up the trap bar on the squat rack with flat handles down and the D handles up. Lie on the floor. Grab the flat handles. Unrack the trap bar with your wrists neutral. Slowly lower until your upper arms touch the floor. Press back up until lockout.
Trap Bar Suitcase Carry
Suitcase carries are a great way to build grip and core strength, as you walk with a load in just one hand. It also has real benefits to everyday life. How often do you need to carry a ton of groceries with one hand (because your coffee is in the other)? Use caution when using a trap bar, as the weight distribution is more uneven, making the move itself more difficult.
The trap bar can hold more weight than other types of bars. People can load up a lot of weight when they workout, but they should make sure they can control it first.
Benefits of the Trap Bar Suitcase Carry
- The trap bar allows you to load this move heavier than the dumbbell variation.
- It strengthens your grip and addresses imbalances between sides.
- Improving grip strength has a direct carryover to your deadlift and chin-up performance.
How to Do the Trap Bar Suitcase Carry
Place the trap bar on its side to make it easier to start. Load the plate onto both ends. Grip the center of the bar firmly with your hand. Lift the trap bar. Keep your shoulders down and level with each other. Walk slowly while keeping your upright posture. After you have completed your designated distance or time, lay the trap bar down. Rest it on the side of your leg. Hold with one hand as you turn around. Swap sides and repeat.
Trap Bar Elevated Split Squat
Split squats are a great exercise for isolated leg muscles, as they work one side at a time and force a longer range of motion. You can use a kettlebell, dumbbell, or barbell to load this move.
The trap bar forces the lifter to keep constant tension on their legs as they can’t physically lock their knees out. The resulting muscle tension from constantly being pulled in different directions will lead to an increase in muscle mass over time.
Benefits of the Trap Bar Elevated Split Squat
- It reinforces good technique. A lot of lifters keep an upright torso, which makes the elevated split squat difficult. But if you don’t lean forward, your back thigh will butt into the trap bar way too early.
- The trap bar forces you to maintain constant tension because you’ll find you cannot lock out the movement as the back thigh runs into the trap bar, limiting the range of motion slightly.
How to Do the Trap Bar Elevated Split Squat
Set one foot on a bench with the other foot inside a trap bar with D handles up. Squat down with a forward lean. Grip the D handles. Bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor and the back bar is running into your thighs. Slowly lower down. Stop before the weight plates touch the floor. Squat up. Repeat for reps.
Trap Bar Figure-8 Carry
A trap bar can hold more weight than either dumbbells or kettlebells. This means that you can increase your muscle growth potential and make your grip even stronger.
Why use a figure-eight pattern during your carry? It requires less space to use, so you can cover more distance in a crowded gym. The figure-eight motion is a great way to work on your core stability and coordination.
Benefits of the Trap Bar Figure-8 Carry
- This variation allows you to perform a carry in a small space and not get in anyone’s way.
- Dumbbells limit your weight but not so with the trap bar. You have a much higher loading potential to further your grip and conditioning gains.
- Strengthens shoulder stability and helps improve posture.
How to Do the Trap Bar Figure-8 Carry
Assume your deadlift stance. Pick the weight up. Don't hurry when you start your walk. Move in a figure-eight pattern. Keep your chest up and shoulders down. When you’re done, come to a full stop. Lower the weight with control.
Trap Bar Staggered-Stance Deadlift
The trap bar staggered-stance deadlift is also known as the B-stance deadlift. This move is performed with one leg behind you, where it acts as a support. The majority of your body's weight is placed on your front leg in order to help lessen any imbalances between your left and right side.
This exercise is good for people who have trouble doing single-leg exercises with good technique. That's because the staggered stance will put less pressure on your lower back than bilateral trap bar deadlifts, because your feet will be further apart giving you a wider base of support.
Benefits of the Trap Bar Staggered-Stance Deadlift
- Staggering your stance targets strength imbalances between sides.
- Widening your base of support makes this move easier on your lower back than bilateral deadlifts.
- Practicing this lift can help improve your balance if you struggle with traditional single-leg exercises.
How to Do the Trap Bar Staggered-Stance Deadlift
position yourself as you would for a trap bar deadlift, but step one leg back slightly, using it as a kickstand Heel-toe the back foot out slightly. Find your balance. Stand with your shoulders down and your chest up, then bend over. Grip the trap bar. Stand up. Lock out your front leg’s glute. Bend your front leg at the knee while keeping your back leg straight. Use your back leg as support while you do this. Reset and repeat.
WHAT IS THE OVERALL BENEFIT OF THE TRAP BAR DEADLIFT VS SQUAT?
Since the trap bar design allows you to step inside it, rather than behind it, you can use a wider range of motion. The long lever is shortened along a horizontal axis. This reduces the amount of force on the spine significantly.
One downside to the straight bar deadlift and the barbell back squat is that they both put a lot of strain on the lower back.
Both exercises require the weight to be some distance away from the axis of rotation where the work is being performed (i.e., the hip), which forces the back to act like a crowbar in order to move the weight.
This means that the amount of weight you can lift is limited by how much your back muscles can resist bending. The amount of force your legs can produce has a significant impact on your ability to run.
When things do not go as planned, your spine is the part of your body that is most affected.
A trap bar deadlift is a safe and effective way for professional athletes to strength-train. And now, it’s starting to become popular. An increasing number of people are using glute bridges as an alternative to traditional squats. Which to choose: trap bar deadlift vs squat?
Gregg Bertsch, a NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist, says that the load with this exercise stays center, rather than being placed on the hamstrings and lower back as it would be with other exercises.
Since the weight doesn't put stress on your shoulders, you're less likely to slump your back. A back strain is a serious injury that can occur if you lifting something incorrectly.
Bertsch says that someone who is not able to move their ankles or hips very well can still trap bar deadlift, but with an injury they would not be able to back-squat.
Jump squats are a great way to increase lower body power.
However, with proper instruction and practice, you can develop the strength and flexibility needed to make the most of your squats. Although squatting correctly can be tough to learn and do, it is possible to get stronger and more flexible so that you can do it well.
The trap bar can be used in the same way. It is also easier to learn the correct form of the word.
HOW TO INCORPORATE TRAP BAR DEADLIFTS INTO YOUR WORKOUT PROGRAM?
- As the primary, knee-dominant exercise of the day, in place of squats, especially for those with back or shoulder injuries.
- With the main hip-dominant exercise of the day, in place of traditional deadlifts, especially for those with a history of back problems.
- As a hybrid hip-knee exercise to use as a stand-alone on days when you are not performing squats or traditional deadlifts.
- With the supplemental exercise on days where squats or deadlifts are the primary lifts of the day.
- As an assistance exercise on dynamic effort days where speed and power are the primary focus.
FINAL VERDICT: TRAP BAR DEADLIFT VS SQUAT – CONCLUSION
The trap bar deadlift and squat are both great exercises for developing power and strength in your lower body. If you can include both of these exercises in your routing, you may also reap additional benefits.
The decision of which one to add to your routine is up to you.
you should focus on the squat if you want to do just one exercise compared to everything else you do in the gym, this will seem like a walk in the park
Squats can help you become more powerful and also better at absorbing power. This means that you’ll be able to jump higher. Descending more slowly will also help to reduce your risk of injury.
Some sports require a lot of vertical jumping. Examples of sports include track and field, basketball, volleyball or even football. If you're interested in increasing your vertical jump, there are a number of things you can do. If you want to increase your squatting strength, you should focus on it in the gym.
Squats will enhance your sprinting speed. This improvement in leg drive not only allows you to jump higher, but also ___. Being in good shape will not only allow you to run faster, but you will also feel better overall.
Many studies have shown that there is a direct correlation between how much weight someone can squat and how fast they can sprint.
You'll notice that most world-class sprinters have well-developed quads, hamstrings, and glutes.
Squats build mental toughness. This results in a very large amount of energy required to complete the movement. When you factor in the large number of muscle groups engaged and the heavyweights involved, you can see why this movement requires a lot of energy to complete. This is an exercise where you'll need to focus and put all your effort into it.
Squats are versatile. There are many different squat variations you can still do. You can still squat without a barbell by using other objects as weights.
There are many different types of squats you can try, such as dumbbell squats, split squats, goblet squats, Zercher squats, or barbell hack squats.
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