Trap Bars

[RussAnderson]

Hi guys just wondering how beneficial a trap bar is over a straight bar ?does it hit the traps better than a straight bar ?

[pumping4life]

It doesn't necessarily hit them better, but it's more comfortable as you don't hit the man-parts with the bar. Some have raised grips, which can help with bringing it up off the floor.

You can do other exercises with them also. Some can double as Farmer's walk bars. Some people use them for deadlifts to avoid scraping the shins(although it does alter themmovement and doesn't give quite the same muscule activation).

[keeko]

I don't own one, but am thinking of picking one up. i've heard that the neutral grip allows the traps to get hit a little more directly. and besides farmer walks and deads, i've heard people pressing the bar overhead and even using it to bench with! my impression is that doing deads with a trap bar is closer to doing something like db squats....

[tweedbrah]

You can adjust your grip width on a barbell; not possible on a trap bar

[jshpark]

i don't believe one is more beneficial than the other but both are beneficial for different reasons. bb deadlift may place more pressure on the lower back and hamstrings than a trap deadlift which might let you use your quads better. You might hit the upper traps better but a bb deadlift may hit middle and lower traps better as well as many other upper back muscles. The grip also gives a different stimulus in each placing emphasis in different arm muscles and maybe a little bit in shoulder muscles too

[4MEandThem]

I alternate trap deads with barbell deads.
You can lift more weight with trap bar so it gets your body used to holding the heavier weight.

I also use it for shrugs.

I don't recommend it for farmers walks.It could run you over!

[keyboardworkout]

I follow basically Wendler's 5-3-1. About every 3 months I switch barbell deadlifts with trap bar lifts. The trap bar lift is slightly different working a bit less of the posterior chain than the barbell deadlift. However, trap bar lifts do seem to help my squat more than the regular deadlift. Thus, the reason I like to cycle them.

I wouldn't think of the trap bar lift as replacing the squat or the deadlift. It is just another lift. The only time I would say to use it as a replacement for either the squat or the deadlift is if you had an injury that the trap bar didn't aggravate but the other lifts did. Or, if you didn't have a power rack you could barbell deadlift and trap bar lift and still hit the legs pretty hard by yourself without a spotter.

For shrugs I think the trap bar is ideal. It's like doing dumbbell shrugs except you can use a lot more weight.

[Accutron]

From what i understand DeadLift is primarily a forearm exercise, but if you are smart you will see that they have machines specifically for the forearm, which are researched and designed for that body part, it is for this reason i find DeadLifts to be redundant and have not incorporated them into my system for at least two years.

[keyboardworkout]

From what i understand DeadLift is primarily a forearm exercise, but if you are smart you will see that they have machines specifically for the forearm, which are researched and designed for that body part, it is for this reason i find DeadLifts to be redundant and have not incorporated them into my system for at least two years.

OK, that post gets a big WTF from me.

[tweedbrah]

OK, that post gets a big WTF from me.

lol yeh and he has 4.5k posts.....

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Back on topic, trapbar d/l (going deep) is pretty similar to a back squat, except there's less lower back involvement. It's more similar to a back squat than a deadlift.

[keyboardworkout]

Back on topic, trapbar d/l (going deep) is pretty similar to a back squat, except there's less lower back involvement. It's more similar to a back squat than a deadlift.

Yup, seen people doing what they call a trap bar squat where they stand on an elevated platform allowing them to start below parallel.

That doesn't work for me due to my size. When I squat I think about going down between my legs, my toes are pointed out and my knees track over them. When I deadlift (non-sumo) I think about being on top of my legs and driving them down through the ground under me.

There is simply not room inside the trap bar for me to assume the hole position of the squat. So, I use more of a deadlift position on top of my legs and not between them.

That make sense?

[thunderchild]

This is the one I have:

http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/im-0022shr.html

I use it exclusivley for my deadlifts. Hurt my back bad and was down for a week awhile ago using a barbell. With this have had no back issues.

[riverman]

I have used a trap bar as a substitute for squats at times. I find it more comfortable than a regular bar for deadlifts, and find it a nice substitute for heavy squatting. After more than 40 years of squatting, any movement that gives me similar results with the weight on my spine is good!

[HealthNutMD]

I just bought the Elite FTS Pro Rickshaw... I'm hoping this is the ultimate lat bar. I need to try it soon... just arrived... and actually being sent back for repainting..

[johnderriLLL]

get one you wont be sorry. but make sure u get one that can go in a power rack and one with full length sleeves even if u get a crappy one u wont be disapointed.