Legs and backTrap barBeginner

How to Do a Trap Bar Deadlift

By Bryan Alger, Co-Founder of Gravitus

· Updated Oct 1, 2026

A trap bar deadlift, or hex bar deadlift, is a deadlift done standing inside a hexagonal bar with the handles at your sides. Push the floor away and stand tall. It trains the quads, glutes and hamstrings with less lower back load than a barbell deadlift. Most lifters do 3 to 4 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

Sets x reps 3-4 x 5-8
Median 10-rep weight 230105 lbkg men 13060 lbkg women
Muscles Quads, glutes, hamstrings
Vs your deadlift 95%, the median
Trap Bar Deadlift start and lockout positions
  1. 1Start. Feet hip-width in the middle of the bar, hands centred on the handles, hips a little above your knees and back flat.
  2. 2Lockout. Push the floor away until your hips and knees are straight and you stand tall, arms hanging long at your sides.
Watch 3 video demonstrations
Video 1 of 3

Find more video demonstrations in the Gravitus app

Technique

How to do a trap bar deadlift

The bar sits around you instead of in front of your shins, so you can sit your hips lower and stay more upright than in a barbell deadlift. Hips at the same height as your knees or below turns it into a squat; hips near your shoulders turns it into a stiff-leg deadlift.

  1. Step into the middle of the bar with your feet hip-width apart. Line the handles up with the middle of your feet, so the bar is centred front to back.
  2. Push your hips back and bend your knees to reach the handles. Grip each one in the middle, palms facing in, so the bar does not tip.
  3. Lift your chest until your back is flat, with your hips a little above your knees. Take a big breath, brace your abs and pull your shoulders down.
  4. Push the floor away with your whole foot. Your hips and shoulders rise together, and your arms stay straight.
  5. Stand tall with your hips and knees straight. Do not lean back or shrug.
  6. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower the bar along the same path. Touch the plates down lightly before the next rep.
Equipment

High handles or low handles?

Shorter pullHigh handlesRaised above the frame. A shorter pull. Start here if you cannot reach the low handles with a flat back.
Full rangeLow handlesLevel with the frame, about the height of a barbell on the floor. More hip and knee bend, a little less weight.
Bar weight45 to 75 lb (20 to 35 kg)Trap bars are not standardised. Check the sticker or the maker's spec for yours before you log a set.
Open or closedFrame shapeA closed hexagon is most common. An open-back bar lets you step in from behind and also works for lunges and carries.

High handles shorten the lift and let you pull more. In 31 strength-trained lifters, the high-handle 1RM was 154.5 kg against 134.7 kg for a barbell deadlift, with a 22% shorter lift distance (Lockie 2018). Pick one handle height and keep it, so your log compares like with like.

What to do

Use the low handles if you can reach them with a flat back and your hips above your knees. Use the high handles if you cannot, or for heavy, fast sets. Log which one you used in the set notes.

Gravitus data

How much weight should you trap bar deadlift?

On Gravitus, the median man lifts 230 lb (105 kg) for 10 reps on the trap bar deadlift, and the median woman 130 lb (60 kg).

Men, typical 230 lb for 10 reps
Most lift
180 to 280 lb
Top 10% lift
330 lb or more
Starting out
under 180 lb
Women, typical 130 lb for 10 reps
Most lift
95 to 165 lb
Top 10% lift
195 lb or more
Starting out
under 95 lb
Men, typical 105 kg for 10 reps
Most lift
82.5 to 127.5 kg
Top 10% lift
150 kg or more
Starting out
under 82.5 kg
Women, typical 60 kg for 10 reps
Most lift
42.5 to 75 kg
Top 10% lift
87.5 kg or more
Starting out
under 42.5 kg
PercentileMenWomen
25th245 / 180 lb130 / 95 lb
Median305 / 230 lb175 / 130 lb
75th375 / 280 lb220 / 165 lb
90th440 / 330 lb260 / 195 lb
 One-rep max / 10-rep weight, rounded to 5 lb (2.5 under 40). From 4,698 men and 801 women who log the trap bar deadlift on Gravitus, computed Sep 30, 2026 (Brzycki). Methodology
PercentileMenWomen
25th110 / 82.5 kg57.5 / 42.5 kg
Median140 / 105 kg80 / 60 kg
75th170 / 127.5 kg97.5 / 75 kg
90th200 / 150 kg117.5 / 87.5 kg
 One-rep max / 10-rep weight, rounded to 2.5 kg (1 under 20). From 4,698 men and 801 women who log the trap bar deadlift on Gravitus, computed Sep 30, 2026 (Brzycki). Methodology
Trap bars weigh anywhere from 45 to 75 lb (20 to 35 kg) depending on the model, so two lifters with the same plates can log different totals. High and low handles are logged as the same lift, and high handles let you pull more. Compare yourself to your own log on the same bar and handles.
Gravitus data

What your trap bar deadlift says about your other lifts

95%Median trap bar max vs the same lifter's deadlift max
110%Median trap bar max vs squat max
117%Median trap bar max vs Romanian deadlift max

Most lifters pull a little less with a trap bar than with a barbell, not more. Among 4,600+ Gravitus lifters who log both, the median trap bar max is 95% of the barbell deadlift max, and 40% pull more with the trap bar (September 2026). Most of them log far more barbell deadlifts, which likely explains part of the gap. Against the sumo deadlift it is a tie: a median 100%.

Against the squat it flips. Among 5,700+ lifters who log both, the median trap bar max is 110% of the back squat, and 63% pull more than they squat.

These figures compare each lifter's best logged set on each lift, converted to a one-rep max with the Brzycki formula. For barbell numbers, see the deadlift strength standards.

Anatomy

Muscles worked

QuadsStraighten your knees off the floor. Vastus lateralis activity was higher than in a barbell deadlift on the way up and on the way down (Camara 2016).
Primary
GlutesExtend the hip through the whole pull and finish the lockout.
Primary
HamstringsHelp extend the hip. Biceps femoris activity was 28% lower than in a barbell deadlift (Andersen 2018).
Secondary
Spinal erectorsHold your back flat. Peak load on the lower back is lower than in a barbell deadlift (Swinton 2011).
Secondary
Adductor magnusHelps the glutes extend the hip from the bottom.
Secondary
Traps and upper backHold your shoulders in place under the load.
Stabilizer
ForearmsHold the handles. The neutral grip is easier to hold than a double overhand bar.
Stabilizer
Compare

Trap bar deadlift vs deadlift vs squat

Trap bar deadliftBarbell deadliftBack squat
Load sitsAt your sidesIn front of your shinsOn your upper back
Works mostQuads, glutesGlutes, hamstrings, backQuads, glutes
GripNeutral, at your sidesPalms facing youHands on the bar behind your neck
Median max vs trap bar100%105%91%
Verdict

The trap bar sits between the two. In powerlifters, the hex bar cut the peak moments at the lower back and hip, raised the moment at the knee and allowed a heavier max (Swinton 2011). Against the squat, it took more forward lean and less knee bend, with a lower peak hip moment and the same knee moment (Stahl 2024). Pick the barbell deadlift for the hamstrings and back, the trap bar for heavy pulling with the least load on your lower back.

Research

Trap bar claims the research does not back

Four common trap bar claims are wrong or overstated:

  • It is mainly a hamstring exercise. The hamstrings work less than in a barbell deadlift: biceps femoris activity was 28% lower in the hex bar deadlift (Andersen 2018) and also lower in Camara 2016, while the quads worked harder.
  • It is more hip-dominant than a squat. In 16 trained lifters, the back squat produced higher peak hip extension moments than the hex bar deadlift, and the knee moments were the same (Stahl 2024). The trap bar balances hip and knee work; it is not the hinge-heavy lift some answers describe.
  • You always lift more with a trap bar. Lab results range from no difference (181.4 kg vs 181.1 kg, Camara 2016) to 6% (Lake 2017) and 8% more (Swinton 2011), and 15% with high handles (Lockie 2018). Only 40% of Gravitus lifters who log both pull more with the trap bar.
  • It builds less than a squat. Over 8 weeks in recreationally active women, trap bar deadlifts and half squats gave no difference in jump, sprint or lean mass gains, and each group tended to gain more on the lift it trained (Hagerupsen 2024).
Programming

Sets, reps and progression

3-4Sets
5-8Reps
1-3Reps left

5 is the most logged trap bar deadlift rep count on Gravitus, followed by 8, 10 and 6. Stop each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure, before your back rounds or your hips shoot up first. Once or twice a week is enough.

When every set reaches the top of your range, add 10 lb (5 kg) and drop back to the bottom of it. For power, do sets of 3 to 5 with a lighter load, lifted as fast as you can. The hex bar produced more peak force, velocity and power than a barbell at the same relative loads (Swinton 2011, Camara 2016).

Form

Common mistakes

Variations

Trap bar deadlift variations

High-handle trap bar deadliftThe raised handles. A shorter pull and the heaviest version.
Trap bar Romanian deadliftStarts standing, with soft knees, lowered until your hips stop moving back. More hamstrings.
Trap bar jump squatA light trap bar, jumped as high as you can. Power for athletes.
Barbell deadliftThe bar in front of your shins. More hamstrings and back; the median Gravitus lifter pulls 5% more than with a trap bar.
Sumo deadliftA wide stance with hands inside your knees. Gravitus lifters pull a median 100% of their trap bar max.
Romanian deadliftA barbell hinge that starts standing. The most hamstring work for the weight.
FAQ

Questions people ask

What muscles does the trap bar deadlift work?

The quads and glutes do most of the work, with the hamstrings, spinal erectors and adductors helping. Your traps, upper back and forearms hold the bar. The quads work harder and the hamstrings less than in a barbell deadlift (Camara 2016, Andersen 2018).

Is trap bar deadlift better than conventional deadlift?

Neither is better for everyone. The trap bar is easier to learn, loads your lower back less and moves faster at the same relative load (Swinton 2011). The barbell deadlift works the hamstrings and back harder. Most Gravitus lifters pull a little more with a barbell; the median trap bar max is 95% of the deadlift max.

Is the trap bar deadlift a squat or a hinge?

Between the two. Compared with a back squat it uses more forward lean and less knee bend, but the squat had higher peak hip moments and the knee moments were the same (Stahl 2024). Coach it as a deadlift with your hips a little above your knees.

How much does a trap bar weigh?

Most weigh 45 to 75 lb (20 to 35 kg), and some home-gym bars are lighter. There is no standard, so check the sticker or the maker's spec for the bar you use.

Is trap bar deadlift good for back?

It loads the lower back less than a barbell deadlift. In powerlifters, the hex bar lowered the peak moment at the lumbar spine (Swinton 2011). It still trains your spinal erectors, so keep your back flat and brace every rep.

Does trap bar deadlift work hamstrings?

Yes, but less than a barbell deadlift. Biceps femoris activity was 28% lower in the hex bar deadlift (Andersen 2018). Add Romanian deadlifts or leg curls if your hamstrings are the goal.

How much weight should I trap bar deadlift?

For 10 reps, the median on Gravitus is 230 lb (105 kg) for men and 130 lb (60 kg) for women. The strongest quarter lifts 280 lb (127.5 kg) and 165 lb (75 kg) or more.

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References
  1. Swinton et al. 2011. J Strength Cond Res 25(7):2000-2009.
  2. Camara et al. 2016. J Strength Cond Res 30(5):1183-1188.
  3. Andersen et al. 2018. J Strength Cond Res 32(3):587-593.
  4. Lake et al. 2017. Sports 5(4):82.
  5. Lockie et al. 2018. J Strength Cond Res 32(1):150-161.
  6. Stahl et al. 2024. J Strength Cond Res 38(5):815-824.
  7. Hagerupsen et al. 2024. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 16:124.