Trap / Hex bars for deadlifting

[Gammmmo]

Anyone else use one of these?

1. I've started but am finding it a little unstable in my hands i.e. the front swings down. Do straps help with that issue?

2. Anyone care to comment on whether they think it develops the posterior chain as well as a straight bar? It does feel like a "shorter" action with the hex bar.

3. Anyone know of a conventional 1" diameter bar that will take >150kg (one I've seen that I could get that will give me a little more headroom is rated to 150kg), then send me a link? Currently and tentatively at 130kg as 1RM with a conventional bar but which is now maxed out on rating. The hex bars are rated >180kg but are pricey so depending on question 1 & 2 above, I may not bother getting one.

[JMac]

I bought one a couple of years ago, as straight bar deadlifts were giving me back pain consistently.

Regarding grip/stability, I tried straps, but they just felt a bit weird. I use liquid chalk and find this helps.

As you said, ROM is less than a straight bar so less strain on the lower back = ideal for me. You'll also find yourself being able to lift a much higher weight than on a straight bar. I found my strength increased nicely which led to some good gains in my erg sprint training.

Also, little or no lower back pain. Recently, I've started training straight bar deadlifts again (with a different grip, double overhand instead of mixed) as I read that training both kinds of lift is very beneficial. As you alluded to, posterior chain development is probably better with a straight bar, but I'm sure more experienced lifters/S&C coaches will be able to elaborate further.

I can't comment on sourcing a 1" diameter bar, but if space allows it, I would invest in an 2" diameter bar. I bought one second-hand for around £60.

[Gammmmo]

I can't comment on sourcing a 1" diameter bar, but if space allows it, I would invest in an 2" diameter bar. I bought one second-hand for around £60.

Cheers for the input...all my weights are 1" diameter hence the requirement. TBF for the sort of weight I lift Olympic bars/plates aren't needed for anything other than the deadlift, and, like I say, I'm not even maxing out what a 1" could give me i.e. 8.5kg bar + 150kg load limit = 158.5kg max....after that I'd probably just deadlift at the gym. Might not even get there...we'll see.

[G-dub]

I like mine and have been working with it a few years. You get used to finding the balance point where it doesn’t swing down. I rarely find that to be an issue anymore. What I like about it is I can jump in there and do deadlifts, or Pendlay Rows, or high pulls, or jumps, or Romanian deadlifts and it just seems easy to work with. Maybe because it’s not as technical

[G-dub]

I like mine and have been working with it a few years. You get used to finding the balance point where it doesn’t swing down. I rarely find that to be an issue anymore. What I like about it is I can jump in there and do deadlifts, or Pendlay Rows, or high pulls, or jumps, or Romanian deadlifts and it just seems easy to work with. Maybe because it’s not as technical. Some people do farmers walks with it, roll outs, presses and all kinds of stuff. As far as posterior chain, I assume straight bar deadlifts to be superior, but I make up for that with Romanian deadlifts. Anyway, it’s a nice useful piece of equipment if you ask me.

Oops - messed up the posts

[MartinSH4321]

I haven't trained with the trap bar very often and since I started rowing I haven't done any deadlifts, I used metal hooks and that worked well, maybe normal straps work too.

I found my strength increased nicely which led to some good gains in my erg sprint training.

Sorry for being curious, but as you are the guy with the best LP I've seen so far here at the forum I wanted to ask: Which deadlift weights can you lift (1rep, more reps) to achive 1:03? Before I started rowing I did 160kg / 350lb for 18 reps which I think is good but my LP is far, far away from yours. Once more, sorry for being curious!

[Gammmmo]

Before I started rowing I did 160kg / 350lb for 18 reps which I think is good but my LP is far, far away from yours. Once more, sorry for being curious!

Hey Martin, what's your 1RM out of interest? I'm assuming for a (trained) guy of your size it's >500lb?

FWIW anyone, a 1RM estimator can be found here: https://exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax

[GJS]

Fabulous tool. Very intuitive, as Glenn indicates. Use it all the time chiefly because I encounter no grip issues and don't care to faff about with straps.

Given the wide handle placement - if you don't use the high handles - the ROM is slightly bigger than with conventional deadlifts.

The degree of posterior chain involvement is to an extent determined by the lifter: with no bar in the way you can indeed flex a lot at the knees and produce a more squatty action. Or, like me, you can keep shins broadly vertical and go with a deadlifty motion.

[JMac]

I haven't trained with the trap bar very often and since I started rowing I haven't done any deadlifts, I used metal hooks and that worked well, maybe normal straps work too.

I found my strength increased nicely which led to some good gains in my erg sprint training.

Sorry for being curious, but as you are the guy with the best LP I've seen so far here at the forum I wanted to ask: Which deadlift weights can you lift (1rep, more reps) to achive 1:03? Before I started rowing I did 160kg / 350lb for 18 reps which I think is good but my LP is far, far away from yours. Once more, sorry for being curious!

My deadlift is very average for my size. Haven't trained 1RM for straight bar deadlift for ages, prior to my best erg sprint performances I did 210kg/463lbs on the trap bar for 2 pretty easy reps, ran out of plates at home so couldn't do anymore

My decent LP might simply be a case of my weight/height (and 7ft wingspan) combined with OK strength.

[MartinSH4321]

Hey Martin, what's your 1RM out of interest? I'm assuming for a (trained) guy of your size it's >500lb?

Hey Gammmmo, I haven't done 1RM for nearly 15 years, I hurt my lower back at age 20 and since then I take care not to hurt it once more. Before this injury (as far as I can remember) my 1RM was at 240kg / 530lb or a bit lower. According to your link my estimated 1RM would be around 250kg which will propably kill my back
Nice to see your progress with weights! As an aerobic specialist I assume it was/is as hard for you to work with heavy weights as it is for me to improve my aerobic training
Hope we'll soon see you get +350m at 1min, a strong back will help a lot!

[blues_]

I've been using them for many years and have two. One 45 lb version I use for my deadlift warm-up sets and also Pendlay rows, and one 80 lb version that I use for for my deadlift work sets.

Fantastic equipment I wouldn't be without.

(Mine are olympic bars...I have no experience with 1" models.)

[Gammmmo]

Clearly a lotta lurve here for the hex bar and I kind of assumed it would be a no brainer to go onto and TBF I've only used one twice at the gym. So....I think I should persevere and try to get round the issue I have with it tipping forwards. We'll see....

[Dangerscouse]

I have very sporadically started again, but I won't do any deads unless it's with a trap bar. I pulled my lower back on a straight bar a while ago and I do think there's a nicer movement with a trap bar

I think I hold the bars very slightly off centre to counter balance the weight

[T_M]

I use both straight bar and hex bar for DLs. I would agree with the others that the straight bar works the posterior chain more and I would argue that it is a better supplemental exercise for all out erg sprints. However, I think the hex bar works your legs more as you can keep your back in a more upright position when performing the lift. For that reason, I typically do more high-rep DLs (10+) with the hex bar when I don't have time to do both squats and DLs in the same week.

I use straps on both bars.

Sorry, can't comment on the 1" bars.

[Mark E]

I've been doing straight bar deadlifts with my feet elevated on a platform -- gets me about 4 inches off the floor which I feel is pretty close to the position I'm in at the catch of a good long stroke. I'm not super focused on increasing the weight (I usually do 5 X 5 reps @ 185# or thereabouts) but I have been trying to emphasize using the glutes and snapping the hips. Kettlebell swings would also probably be useful for this kind of engagement but I'm a little gun shy after getting ridiculously sore from a few overambitious kettlebell workouts in the past.