Stand inside a trap (hex) bar and extend hips and knees to lift the weight, emphasizing hip-drive that primarily loads the hamstrings. The movement combines a hip hinge with knee extension to rise to standing with the bar.
How to do the Deadlift (Trap Bar)#
- Load the trap bar and position your feet roughly hip- to shoulder-width apart inside the frame; grasp the handles with a neutral grip.
- Hinge at the hips and bend the knees slightly while keeping a tall chest and a neutral spine; look forward.
- Brace your core, inhale, then drive through your midfoot and extend your hips and knees to stand the bar up.
- Pause briefly with hips and knees fully extended and shoulders over the hips.
- Lower the bar under control by sending the hips back first, then bend the knees once the bar clears them; reset and repeat.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings
- Secondary: Lower back, Traps, Forearms, Abs, Upper back
Common mistakes#
- Rounding the lower back during setup or the lift.
- Pushing through the toes instead of driving through the midfoot or heels.
- Allowing the hips to shoot up faster than the shoulders, reducing hip drive.
- Bending the knees too early on the descent, causing the bar to collide with them.
