Hinge exercise
Trap Bar Deadlift
Build whole-body pulling strength with a shorter learning curve than the conventional deadlift.
- Equipment
- Trap bar, plates
- Sides
- Both sides together
- Positions
- All positions
- Tempo
- 30X0
Setup
Trap bar loaded on the floor, stand in the centre with feet hip-width, grip the handles.
How to do it
- Set your chest up with long arms, take the slack out of the bar and push the floor away, letting your hips and shoulders rise together.
- Lock out tall without leaning back, then return the bar under control.
- Do 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps for strength.
- It makes a good default pull for club rugby, because the more upright trunk position is far easier to coach across a large group.
Coaching cues
- Chest up, arms long, push the floor away
- Hips and shoulders rise together
- Lock out tall - don't lean back
Common mistakes
- Hips shooting up first so it becomes a stiff-legged pull
- Rounding at the set-up before the bar even moves
Sets and reps by goal
| Goal | Load | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strength | 80 to 95% of 1RM | 3 to 5 | 3 to 5 | 4 min |
| Size | 65 to 80% of 1RM | 3 to 4 | 6 to 8 | 2 min |
Tempo 30X0: Take 3 seconds to lower it, no pause, lift it as fast as you can, no pause before the next rep.
Related exercises
- Conventional DeadliftBuild maximal posterior chain and whole-body pulling strength.
- Back SquatBuild maximal bilateral lower-body strength, the foundation of scrum drive and contact.
- Front SquatBuild quad and trunk strength in the upright posture the clean catch demands.
- Box SquatTeach the squat pattern and standardise depth across a squad.
- Rear-Foot-Elevated Split SquatBuild heavy single-leg strength with almost no spinal load.
- Split SquatLearn the single-leg pattern and expose side-to-side differences.