I love deadlifting. I believe a proper conventional deadlift is a fantastic movement for most people. As much as I love the conventional deadlift, there is a time and a place for variations of this movement.
Before we get into the hex bar (also called trap bar) deadlift, I want to contrast it with other forms of the deadlift. The variation of the deadlift with the largest range of motion on the hamstrings is the Romanian deadlift. This is a top down deadlift. This is done with your knees slightly bent, driving your hips backwards and feeling a good stretch in the hamstrings (and some people feel the biggest stretch in their glutes). This is a great movement for targeting the hamstrings and increasing mobility in this region.
The conventional deadlift has slightly less range of motion on the hamstrings, although I would still classify this as a hip hinge. Since you can bend your knees more, you are able to recruit a wider range of muscles to perform this movement, and as a consequence, you can lift more weight. Since you're lifting more weight, this is going to require more help from muscles in your upper back (traps, lats, rhomboids) and grip. I believe the conventional deadlift is one of 5 movements that I consider a "core pillar of strength" movement.
Where does the hex bar deadlift fit into deadlifting? I see several applications of the trap bar deadlift. The first application is for people who would benefit from lifting something heavy off of the ground (almost everyone), but they may have back issues from conventional deadlifting.
Application of the hex bar deadlift number 2. I use this variation of deadlift as a stepping stone for people who want to, and are capable, of conventional deadlifting after they develop the neuromuscular control of their posterior chain. Since the handles are higher, the client can stay more upright, and most people can keep their back in a neutral position easier than other forms of deadlifting. Basically, I use the trap bar deadlift as a teaching mechanism for inexperienced lifters.
The third application of the trap bar deadlift is to manage fatigue of the posterior chain. If I'm working with an athlete who cleans and RDL's frequently, I may use this as a way to get a large amount of muscular recruitment without continuing to beat up the musculature they've used earlier in the training cycle, or what they will be using later in the training cycle.
Relatedly, the fourth application of the hex bar deadlift is for overloading the supporting musculature of the deadlift. Since the hex bar deadlift will almost always be heavier than the conventional deadlift, the stability required from the upper back and traps will be greater. Try to do a heavy trap bar deadlift with a loose grip and upper back; you won't be able to do it. So this is a training mechanism to help work the upper back without taxing the posterior chain quite as much as the conventional deadlift. Here is a note I should have mentioned in the video - the trap bar deadlift is not the only movement I do for the upper back - I believe rows and pull ups/pull downs are also required for building a complete upper back, but the overload provided by the trap bar deadlift is also a great training modality of this musculature.
00:00 - 01:25 - RDL's and Conventional Deadlift
01:26 - 02:40 - Why Hex Bar Deadlift
02:41 - 03:35 - Programming the Hex bar deadlift
25 июл 2024
