T Nation

Trap-Bar Deadlifts vs Barbell Deadlifts

#1

I started to train a deadlifting movement for the first time in my life. So, far I have to say, I'm loving it, but I've been doing them with a trap bar. Been at it for a couple of weeks, training the movement every other day, for two or three sets of 5.

I started squatting about half a year ago, and I first learned the form with goblet squats and then transitioned to the barbell. So, I kind of look at the trap-bar as a kind of a training wheel.

Could anybody tell me how regular deadlifts provide more benefit then the trap-bar version?

#2

They’ll make you better at doing conventional deadlifts.

#3

if your training the deadlift with the trap bar, you aren’t training the deadlift:)

#4

I tried trap bar deads for the first time last week. It felt as if something was wrong in my left shoulder, so I won’t be doing those again. Back to regular deads for me.

LR

#5

Trapbar is somewhere between a deadlift and a squat. It you only train with the trapbar, which is probably higher than and BB unless you flip it over, then prepare to be humbled the first time you switch to BB deadlifts. Your technique, form, leverages, and groove will all be different; it will feel like a totally different and surprisingly heavy lift.

#6

The major difference between the trap-bar deadlift (aka parallel grip deadlift) and the traditional deadlift is that with the former, because the weight is held next to your body as opposed to in front of it, it enables you to remain much more upright. This means much less forward lean and much more quadriceps activation. Some people actually prefer the trap-bar deadlift over the squat as their primary lower body lift.

You are lucky that you have access to this excellent piece of equipment, and you should definitely keep it in your training arsenal as it is probably your best option for safe and effective lower-body lifting.