Liftworthy
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Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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Explore/Quads

Trap Bar Deadlift

Also called Hex bar deadlift

BarbellCompoundEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings

Also lower back, traps, forearms

You need

Trap bar

How to do itPictures · 3 steps
1Start
2Top
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Stand in the center of the bar
  2. 2Hips down, chest up, grip the handles
  3. 3Push the floor away

Most common mistake

Hips too high, turning it into a stiff-legged pull.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Top 10 for American football
  • Easy to keep adding weight
  • Carries straight over to American football

Compare with

vs Romanian Deadliftvs Kettlebell Swingvs Walking Lunge
A
For running
#7 of 19
See the full list →
Research
75
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 751 study
TransferStrong
Injury protectionStrong
PracticalityStrong

Heavy strength work, with plyometrics, improved running economy in trained runners. The trap bar is the easiest heavy lift to learn.

  • Balsalobre-Fernández et al., 2016 · Meta-analysis: Strength and plyometric training 2–3 times a week for 8–12 weeks produced a large improvement in running economy. (Highly trained middle- and long-distance runners only.)

Research behind these criteria

  • Transfer: Seitz et al., 2014 · Markovic, 2007 · Blagrove et al., 2018 · Rønnestad & Mujika, 2014
  • Injury protection: Lauersen et al., 2014 · van Dyk et al., 2019 · Harøy et al., 2019 · Webster & Hewett, 2018
How scores work

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  • SSingle-Leg Calf RaiseDumbbell
  • SBulgarian Split SquatDumbbell
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  • BBarbell Back SquatBarbell

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