Trap Bar Deadlift

The deadlift is also known as the king of all exercises. Looking at the list of muscles involved above, you can infer why.

The calf muscles bring the lower legs, which extend forward, back into alignment over the ankles when you stand up and also work to stabilize throughout the entire movement.
The quadriceps work hard to extend the knees.
The hamstrings and glutes work to bring the upper body upright by aligning the thighs and back.
The erector spinae, which runs along the spine, helps straighten the back.
The abdominal muscles primarily work to stabilize (the rectus abdominis as an antagonist to the erector spinae and the oblique abdominal muscles as a brake on lateral tilting)
The muscles in the upper back and neck activate to pull the shoulders upward and backward.

There can be many differences in how the deadlift is performed, such as the nature of the added weight and where this weight is placed. The trap bar is a special bar that makes it possible to position yourself exactly at the center, rather than using a barbell that must be positioned in front of or behind the body.

Trap bar deadlift execution

Stand with your feet approximately shoulder-width apart in the middle of the trap bar.

Lower yourself by bending your knees and grasp the trap bar.

Push yourself upward by forcefully pressing your feet into the floor.

Lower yourself again in a controlled manner by bending your knees. Allow your torso to come forward naturally to bring the bar back down to just above the floor. Maintain the natural curve of your back and avoid rounding it. Among other things, do this by lowering your hips far enough.

Repeat

Trap bar deadlift

Muscles involved:

Legs:

Quadriceps (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris)
Hamstrings
Sartorius

Glutes:

Gluteus maximus, medius and minimus

Pelvis:

Iliacus (hip flexor)
Psoas major (hip flexor)

Calves:

Gastrocnemius
Soleus

Abdominals:

Rectus abdominis (rectus abdominis muscle)
Obliquus externus abdominis (external oblique muscle)
Obliquus internus abdominis (internal oblique muscle)
Transversus abdominis (transverse abdominal muscle, ‘corset muscle’)

(Lower) back and spine:

Erector spinae
Lumbar multifidus
Quadratus lumborum

Back and neck:

Trapezius
Rhomboideus
Levator scapulae

Trap bar deadlift technique

There are many variations of the deadlift. There is also much discussion about the ‘normal’ execution, such as how wide the feet should be positioned, whether you should push from the heels or the balls of the feet, and bracing the abdominals. The ‘optimal’ execution may also depend on your personal proportions, mobility and other physical characteristics.

In the execution described above, we assume you push from the heels because this is considered the safest option. Pushing from the heel places more emphasis on the hamstrings and glutes. Pushing off from the balls of the feet places more emphasis on the quadriceps, but also creates a higher load on the knees.

Another discussion may arise about the depth of the deadlift and whether or not the floor and barbell make contact.

It is good to realize that deadlifts can be performed for various reasons. As part of powerlifting competitions, emphasis will primarily be placed on the upward (concentric movement). Lowering the weight in a controlled manner is mandatory in competitions, but it is not the greatest challenge in the exercise itself. In powerlifting, weightlifting and, for example, CrossFit, we therefore often see the weight being brought to the ground fairly quickly. The body follows the weight just enough so that the barbell does not simply fall to the ground.

If you are not training for powerlifting competitions, it is recommended that you lower the weight calmly and in a controlled manner (in about 2 to 3 seconds). This way, you do not skip the eccentric portion of the exercise, but you also prevent the tension from being completely lost and having to be rebuilt. Moreover, it is not impressive but irritating when you have to let the entire gym know how much you deadlift by slamming the weight onto the floor as hard as possible.

At a glance