How to do a trap bar deadlift
Step into the middle of the bar with your feet about hip-width apart, lined up with the handles.
Bend your hips and knees to grip the handles in the middle, arms straight at your sides.
Lift your chest, flatten your back and set your shoulders down, with your hips a little higher than your knees.
Brace and pull the slack out of the bar.
Push the floor away and stand up tall, keeping the bar centred and your arms straight.
Lower it by bending your hips and knees together until the plates touch the floor.
These steps describe common technique. If something hurts, stop and ask a qualified coach or clinician.
Common trap bar deadlift mistakes
Standing off-centre
Line up so the handles are at the middle of your feet, or the bar tips forward or back.
Back rounding
Set a flat back before you pull and keep your chest up.
Squatting too low
Start with your hips a little above your knees. It is still a deadlift.
Using different handles each time
Many bars have high and low handles. Note which you use; the high ones shorten the lift.
How to track your trap bar deadlift
Log the weight and reps of every set. Over a few weeks, the heaviest weight you lift and your estimated one-rep max show whether you are getting stronger, even when your sets use different rep counts.
Estimated 1RM, Epley formula
140 kg × (1 + 5 ÷ 30) ≈ 163 kg
A set of 5 at 140 kg estimates a one-rep max of about 163 kg.
