Trap bar deadlift (also called hex bar deadlift) vs conventional deadlift (barbell deadlift), in this video, we'll be comparing the two movements and overviewing the current research that exists.
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:16 Fundamental comparison
1:16 External moments (muscle involvement)
6:50 Range of motion comparison
8:15 Practical considerations (anatomy & injuries)
9:24 Mechanical demands (info for athletes)
10:21 Trap bar deadlift vs squat
A straight bar is used with the conventional deadlift. A hexagonally shaped bar is used with the trap bar deadlift, this has high handles, and if you flip it around, low handles. We'll be discussing both.
With both the trap bar and conventional deadlift, the external moments are a hip flexion moment, knee flexion moment, and a spinal flexion moment.
Swinton et al. compared the peak moments between a trap bar deadlift with the low handles and conventional deadlift.
Peak spinal flexion moments were greater for the conventional deadlift, implying greater spinal erector involvement. Peak hip flexion moments were also greater for the conventional deadlift, implying greater glute and hamstring involvement. But, peak knee flexion moments were greater for the trap bar deadlift, implying greater quadricep involvement.
However, subjects used the same load on both exercises (80% of their conventional deadlift 1RM)
Subjects could lift 8.4% more on the trap bar deadlift. Given this, If we compared 80% 1RM trap bar deadlift to an 80% 1RM conventional deadlift, we would need to increase the moments for the trap bar deadlift by 8.4%. This removes the differences in peak spinal flexion moment and peak hip flexion moment.
Suggesting that the spinal erectors, glutes, and hamstrings, are involved similarly in both the trap bar deadlift and conventional deadlift, while the quadriceps would still be involved more in the trap bar deadlift.
Passive tension is another factor., relevant to the hamstrings, as passive tension is generated when the hamstrings are stretched.
The conventional deadlift achieves a greater stretch of the hamstrings.
The vastus muscles of the quads also produce passive tension when stretched. The trap bar stretches the quads more.
So, the trap bar deadlift would involve the quadriceps more, while the conventional deadlift would likely involve the hamstrings more. Glute and spinal erector involvement are likely similar between the two.
RANGE OF MOTION (ROM)
Lake et al. demonstrated that when using the low handles with the trap bar, the ROM is near identical to the conventional deadlift.
But when using the high handles with the trap bar, Lockie et al. demonstrated that the ROM is 22% less compared to the conventional deadlift.
The decreased ROM with high handles could advantageous for some. Some individuals, due to their anatomy, may find their thigh bone makes with contact with their hips at the bottom position of a conventional deadlift, which is uncomfortable. Others may find the only way they can get their hands on the barbell at the start of a conventional deadlift is the round thier back, also due to their anatomy.
If you have some injury or pain with your lower back, the trap bar deadlift is likely more sensible.
With the conventional deadlift, there's more chance of you getting pulled forward and shifting the load to your lower back as you fatigue.
But with the trap bar, your lower back is less likely to pick up the slack as your fatigue..
Lake et al. compared the average force, power, velocity and time spent accelerating. during a 90%1RM low handle trap bar deadlift and a 90%1RM conventional deadlift. The trap bar DL was superior in all areas.
These results do that for athletes, the trap bar deadlift is superior to the conventional deadlift.
This would still be the case with the high handle trap bar deadlift.
Is the Trap bar DL a squat?
Swinton et al. demonstrated the participants had around 78 degrees of knee flexion at the start of a high handle trap bar deadlift. Parallel squats are generally around 100-120 degrees of knee flexion, while deep squats can be around 140 degrees of knee flexion.
Returning to Swinton et al. paper we can see that hip flexion moment is meaningfully larger than the knee flexion moment.
Swinton et al. found that in a squat, peak hip moments and peak knee moments are more comparable. Escamilla et al. found that during a squat, highest knee flexion moments were also more comparable to the highest hip flexion moments.
So the trap bar deadlift is still a deadlift.
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Music: LAKEY INSPIRED - Better Days
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References:
Swinton et al. - pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Lockie et al. - europepmc.org/...
Lake et al. - www.mdpi.com/2...
Swinton et al. (squat) - pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Escimilla et al. - pubmed.ncbi.nl...
Passive tension info - bit.ly/2F9c7ce
14 авг 2024
