Trap Bar Deadlift

The Trap Bar Deadlift is a compound strength exercise that targets the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings using a hexagonal bar to allow for a more upright torso. This variation reduces stress on the lower back compared to a conventional barbell deadlift, making it an excellent choice for building total-body power safely.

How Iridium Helps

Because deadlifts are highly taxing on the central nervous system, the AI analyzes your HRV and sleep quality to recommend optimal load and volume adjustments before you even step in the gym. During the workout, the system tracks your RPE and weight progression to ensure you are overloading the muscles without compromising recovery. If you have a history of lower back pain, the AI can intelligently prioritize this variation over the conventional straight-bar deadlift to keep your training safe and sustainable.

Form Cues

Do
  • Stand inside the center of the bar with feet hip-width apart
  • Hinge at the hips and bend knees to grasp the handles
  • Keep your chest tall and engage your lats
  • Drive your feet through the floor to stand up
  • Squeeze your glutes firmly at the top position
Don't
  • Don't round your lower back
  • Don't let your knees cave inward
  • Don't hyperextend or lean back at the top
  • Don't jerk the weight off the floor
  • Don't look up at the ceiling

Common Mistakes

  • Rounding the lumbar spine
  • Squatting the weight rather than hinging
  • Hyperextending the back at lockout
  • Allowing knees to collapse inward
  • Shrugging shoulders at the top

Muscles Worked

This exercise is a hybrid movement that heavily recruits the quadriceps and glutes while engaging the hamstrings and erector spinae for posterior chain strength. The neutral grip position also activates the upper trapezius and forearms, providing a comprehensive full-body stimulus with significantly less shear force on the lumbar spine than a straight bar.

Primary

QuadricepsGlutesErector Spinae

Secondary

HamstringsUpper TrapeziusForearms

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