T NATION | The Trap Bar Deadlift

T NATION | The Trap Bar Deadlift

by Adam Vogel – 1/24/2012

Of all the bizarre looking pieces of equipment that inhabit the weight-room floor, none draw as many confused looks from new clients as the trap bar. The sometimes hexagonal, sometimes diamond-shaped bar has been described as a cross between a car chassis and a tenth-grade geometry problem.
But despite the awkward appearance, the trap bar (also known as a Hex Bar) might just be the greatest innovation in strength-training equipment in the last thirty years.
The trap bar was originally patented in 1985 by a powerlifting aficionado named Al Gerard, who was trying to find a way to train around a recurring lower back injury. It has since gained widespread support among many coaches as a back-friendly alternative to both traditional straight-bar deadlifts and squats.
This article will examine the use of the trap bar deadlift in modern strength programs, not only as a means of working around injury, but as a stand-alone exercise whose benefits may surpass that of the traditional straight bar deadlift.

Trap Bar Benefits

Less stress on the spine

As others have pointed out, the biggest drawback of both the straight bar deadlift and the barbell back squat is the amount of harmful stress it puts on the lumbar spine. Both exercises require the weight to be some distance away from the axis of rotation where the work is being performed (i.e., the hip), thus relying on the back to act like a crowbar to move the weight.
As a result, your training weights are limited to the capabilities of your back extensors to resist flexion as much, if not more, than your legs' ability to produce maximum force. And as you might expect, when things don't go strictly according to plan, it's your spine that's stuck paying the bill.
Since the trap bar configuration allows you to step inside it rather than behind it, the long lever is shortened along a horizontal axis, thus significantly reducing the amount of sheer force on the spine.
Earlier this year, research by Swinton et al. on the biomechanics of the hex bar deadlift versus the straight bar deadlift confirmed what many coaches had theorized for years – that the hex deadlift produced lower peak moments on both the lumbar spine and hips, moving it several notches to the right on the risk-reward spectrum.

More power

Here's where the Swinton study gets interesting. Not only was the trap bar deadlift a safer exercise than the straight bar version, it was also a more effective exercise for building maximum power.
According to the authors, significantly greater levels of peak force, velocity, and power were produced with the trap bar compared to the straight bar across a range of submaximal loads. Since power is a measure of an object's force times its velocity, this means the hex deadlift allows you to lift more weight, over a greater distance, faster.
The authors go on to explain that the peak power values measured with the trap bar deadlift were on par with those captured in other studies that looked at Olympic weightlifting exercises like the power clean. This, of course, is a critical piece of information for coaches looking for a high-benefit, low-cost (in both time and potential for injury) exercise for increasing maximum power.
Why is this the first time we're seeing such high power outputs with a deadlift?
Simple – we've always measured these quantities with a straight barbell. And unless you've completely abandoned all prospects of having children in the future, chances are you spent as much time decelerating the bar as it sped its way toward your nether regions, as you did accelerating it off the ground.
This is obviously a lot less of a problem with the trap bar. Since there is no pelvis-cracking impact at the top of the movement, there's no reason to start pumping the breaks early.

Better for beginners

Most beginner-level trainees deadlift with about the same level of skill that a chef at the Olive Garden prepares authentic northern Italian cuisine, which is to say, not very much at all.
For the majority of the population, getting into a good deadlift position with a straight bar is a huge challenge requiring a lot of upfront coaching and a generous helping of mobility work. This is especially true among the desk-jockey demographic who spend eight hours a day practicing lumbar flexion and posterior pelvic tilt.
Sure, there's that occasional outlier who comes walking into the gym – back arched, abdominals braced, shoulder blades retracted, looking for something heavy to lift off the floor with perfect form – but these people are rare.
That's where the trap bar comes in so handy. Its configuration leads to a much more upright torso position, allowing you to "sit" into the movement with far fewer technical requirements than a traditional straight bar deadlift. It also allows the knees to move more forward and the hips to sit lower than normal, avoiding the bar scraping your shins at the bottom of the movement.
The only potential drawback some coaches have with the trap bar setup has to do with the final stage of hip extension or lockout at the top of the movement. In the straight bar deadlift, you essentially lock your hips into place against the bar, preventing your back from overextending, whereas with the trap bar there's no such stopping mechanism. However, this problem can be easily coached away.

Execution

To setup for the trap bar deadlift, first step inside the perimeter of the bar, making sure your feet are positioned equidistant between the front and back of the bar.
Grip the handles tightly on either side so that your middle finger is in horizontal alignment with the front of your shin, while rotating the insides of your elbows forward. This will help to pick up any slack at the shoulder capsule.
Squat your hips down with an arch in your back.
Once in position, stand up by driving your feet into the ground, straightening your legs, and thrusting your hips forward. As you approach the top of the movement, squeeze your glutes together and brace your abdominals to finish the movement.
Here's a video to help you out.

A Few Variations

Band Resisted Deads

Your ability to achieve maximal force and acceleration during a lift is in large part limited by the need to decelerate the weight at the end of the movement. That's why Olympic lifts, plyometric jumps, and medicine ball drills are all so effective at increasing power – they're all gas, no brakes – and why traditional resistance training exercises are good for building strength, but not that great for increasing power.
While the trap bar goes a long way toward fixing the problem of deceleration, it still requires some deceleration as you reach the top. About thirteen percent of the total range of motion is devoted to it, which might not be a huge leak, but a leak nonetheless.
That's where the use of resistance bands comes in handy, as they force you to work as close to maximum power output as possible throughout the range of motion.
Simply loop a stretch band around both ends of the trap bar and anchor it to either side of the bottom of a squat rack or a pair of heavy dumbbells. As you approach the top of the movement, the increasing pull of the band will do the deceleration for you so you can focus on increasing terminal velocity throughout.

Jump Deads

For decades lifters have used plyometrics as a part of their lower body training programs, with one exception. Unlike the squat, lunge, step-up, and running stride, the biomechanics of the deadlift don't lend themselves easily to plyometric modifications (at least not without a good pair of shin pads and a heavy supply of topical ointments).
The trap bar deadlift changes this equation, allowing you to take advantage of both the elastic component of your muscles, as well as the stretch-shortening cycle that defines plyometric training.
These are an advanced version of the exercise that should only be attempted after mastering the feet-on-the-ground trap bar dead. Limit yourself to 3-6 reps, and try to use rubber plates on the bar rather than metal ones for a better rebound.

Deficit Deads

One criticism of the trap bar is that the handles on most bars are too high off the ground. This might be a blessing if you're lacking in the mobility department, but can be something of a liability if maximal muscular activation is your priority. The good news is that it's easily fixed.
Simply place a 1-3 inch step (or Olympic plate) under your feet before the lift to get a lower start on the weight. Make sure to take a slightly wider than normal stance so your hips have plenty of room to drop into the movement. Resist the urge to cheat the bottom range of motion by flexing the lumbar spine and curling your shoulders forward.

Programming Considerations

Should you abandon the straight bar deadlift altogether?

It depends on the goal. If you're concerned about the risk of lower back injury, the trap bar is definitely the safer choice. However, if you're trying to achieve maximum back extensor and hamstring recruitment, then the straight bar is the better option.
Keep in mind that the hamstring's primary role will always be to bend your knee and extend your hip when you're bent forward. While this does occur during the trap bar deadlift, it's to a lesser degree than during the straight bar version, which keeps most of the load on the hip joint, rather than the knee and ankle joints.

Where do trap bar deadlifts fit in my program?

Another great thing about the trap bar dead is its versatility. Here are a few of the ways I have used it in my programming:

• As the primary, knee-dominant exercise of the day, in place of squats, especially for those with back or shoulder injuries.
• As the primary, hip-dominant exercise of the day, in place of traditional deads, especially for those with a history of back problems.
• As a hybrid hip-knee exercise to use as a stand-alone on days where I'm not performing squats or traditional deadlifts.
• As an assistance exercise on days where squats or deadlifts are the core lifts of the day.
• As an assistance exercise on dynamic effort days where speed and power generation is the primary focus.

The important thing to remember is that if you're going to truly "replace" the traditional deadlift, plan on adding a bunch of other hip-dominant exercises like glute/ham raises, kettlebell swings, hip thrusts, etc., to your program.

Conclusion

Whether you're a beginner, a seasoned veteran, someone trying to train around an injury, or just hoping to corner the market on being able to lift a crap-ton of weight, the trap bar deadlift may be for you.
While 2011 might have been the year for single-leg training, in 2012, trap bar deadlifts are the new black. You heard it here first.

References

Swinton, PA, Stewart, A, Agouris, I, Keogh, JWL, and Lloyd, R. A biomechanical analysis of straight and hexagonal barbell deadlifts using submaximal loads. J Strength Cond Res 25(7): 2000-2009, 2011

Bret Contreras » Straight Bar Deadlift versus Hex Bar Deadlift

Bret Contreras » Straight Bar Deadlift versus Hex Bar Deadlift


Check out this video from Joe DeFranco…scroll to :42 seconds into the video and you can see an example of trap bar jumps.

My Take (but you should form your own conclusions):

1. The hex bar deadlift is clearly the safer lift as it reduces the moment on the lumbar spine.

2. That said, it also reduces the moment on the hip joint (while increasing the moment on the knee and ankle joints).

3. As I mentioned in my Topics of the Week article that I linked above, I still prefer the conventional deadlift because I use the full squat as my knee dominant exercise so I want a deadlift variation that complements the full squat and acts more on the hips.

4. Although the peak power levels are very impressive for the submaximal deadlifts (where you rise up onto the toes), you still spend a large percentage of the time decelerating the load which means reduced muscular tension through end range hip extension (though 87% of the 80% 1RM deadilft was indeed spent accelerating, so only the last 13% of end range hip extension is spent decelerating).

5. For this reason elastic bands could be used to increase tension on the hip extensors toward end range hip extension.

6. For this reason I like the jump squat and hang clean (or even the trap bar jump and possibly the deadlift plus shrug/calf raise) as I don’t believe they’d involve any deceleration at the top of the lift (though I confess that I haven’t located studies that address this issue…but nonetheless studies addressing this likely exist).

Whenever I watch a DeFranco video I get all jacked up and want to train!

Strength Training

Elsbeth Vaino says:

June 25, 2011 at 1:00 am

Thanks Bret. Great timing for me, as I have a client for whom I am having a tough time deciding between tbdl and straight bar. This helps.

Reply

Sprint Exercise Improves Learning - Art De Vany on Line - Blog

Sprint Exercise Improves Learning

10/13/2012

0 Comments

 

Why do I sprint? It is to alter my hormones and engage FT muscle fibers. This leads to superior body composition and a poise that can only come from those quick fibers that give you instant reaction. Sprinting improves your posture and movement economy because the motor maps in the brain enlarge and improve in fine and quick movement control. Jogging simply cannot do the same thing because the motor areas of the brain learn a different form of movement. I have found that sprinting improves my dynamic balance far more than practicing more static balance moves, such as some Pilates exercises or just balancing on a Bosu Ball. There is a huge difference between static and dyanmic balance. This is more or less obvious since dynamic balance involves all channels of the cochlear system.

I said sprinting alters hormones, which is my main point. Aside from GH and an acute spike in cortisol (which quickly disappears with brief exercise) other hormones such as the catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine) are released. So are the so-called myokines (signalling molecules released by exercising muscle) that include IL6, a cytokine that is inflammatory in chronic release, but that is antiinflammatory in acute release. Last, there is the most important hormone of all. Sprinting releases BDNF, the growth hormone for the brain. When BDNF is released, new connections form in the brain as the BDNF attracts new dendrites from nerve cells to connect to other cells or their synapses. As the brain cells "fire together", they "wire together." Wiring together new networks is how memory is formed and consolidated. A neural network is a thought, a memory, or a new skill.

If sprinting releases BDNF then it may "prime" the brain for learning. That is the finding of
"High impact running improves learning" in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Volume 87, Issue 4, May 2007, Pages 597–609. The effect is traced by the authors to BDNF as this abstract explains (bolding added).

Regular physical exercise improves cognitive functions and lowers the risk for age-related cognitive decline. Since little is known about the nature and the timing of the underlying mechanisms, we probed whether exercise also has immediate beneficial effects on cognition. Learning performance was assessed directly after high impact anaerobic sprints, low impact aerobic running, or a period of rest in 27 healthy subjects in a randomized cross-over design. Dependent variables comprised learning speed as well as immediate (1 week) and long-term (>8 months) overall success in acquiring a novel vocabulary. Peripheral levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and catecholamines (dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine) were assessed prior to and after the interventions as well as after learning. We found that vocabulary learning was 20 percent faster after intense physical exercise as compared to the other two conditions. This condition also elicited the strongest increases in BDNF and catecholamine levels.

More sustained BDNF levels during learning after intense exercise were related to better short-term learning success, whereas absolute dopamine and epinephrine levels were related to better intermediate (dopamine) and long-term (epinephrine) retentions of the novel vocabulary. Thus, BDNF and two of the catecholamines seem to be mediators by which physical exercise improves learning.

Anaerobic exercise - Wikipedia

Anaerobic exercise - Wikipedia

  (Redirected from Anaerobic threshold)

Fox and Haskell formula

 

Anaerobic exercise is exercise intense enough to trigger anaerobic metabolism. It is used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power and by body builders to build muscle mass. Muscle energy systems trained using anaerobic exercise develop differently compared to aerobic exercise, leading to greater performance in short duration, high intensity activities, which last from mere seconds up to about 2 minutes.^[1][2] Any activity lasting longer than about two minutes has a large aerobic metabolic component.^{[citation needed]}

Anaerobic metabolism

Anaerobic metabolism, or anaerobic energy expenditure, is a natural part of whole-body metabolic energy expenditure.^[3] Fast twitch muscle (as compared to slow twitch muscle) operates using anaerobic metabolic systems, such that any recruitment of fast twitch muscle fibers leads to increased anaerobic energy expenditure. Intense exercise lasting upwards of about four minutes (e.g., a mile race) may still have a considerable anaerobic energy expenditure component. Anaerobic energy expenditure is difficult to accurately quantify, although several reasonable methods to estimate the anaerobic component to exercise are available.^{[2][4] [5]}

In contrast, aerobic exercise includes lower intensity activities performed for longer periods of time. Activities such as walking, running (including the training known as an interval workout), swimming, and cycling require a great deal of oxygen to generate the energy needed for prolonged exercise (i.e., aerobic energy expenditure). In sports which require repeated short bursts of exercise however, the anaerobic system enables muscles to recover for the next burst. Therefore training for many sports demands that both energy producing systems be developed.

There are two types of anaerobic energy systems: 1) the high energy phosphates, ATP adenosine triphosphate and CP creatine phosphate and, 2) anaerobic glycolysis. The high energy phosphates are stored in very limited quantities within muscle cells. Anaerobic glycolysis exclusively uses glucose (and glycogen) as a fuel in the absence of oxygen or more specifically, when ATP is needed at rates that exceed those provided by aerobic metabolism; the consequence of rapid glucose breakdown is the formation of lactic acid (more appropriately, lactate at biological pH levels). Physical activities that last up to about thirty seconds rely primarily on the former, ATP-PC phosphagen, system. Beyond this time both aerobic and anaerobic glycolytic metabolic systems begin to predominate. The by-product of anaerobic glycolysis, lactate, has traditionally thought to be detrimental to muscle function. However, this appears likely only when lactate levels are very high. Elevated lactate levels are only one of many changes that occur within and around muscle cells during intense exercise that can lead to fatigue. Fatigue, that is muscular failure, is a complex subject. Elevated muscle and blood lactate concentrations are a natural consequence of any physical exertion. The effectiveness of anaerobic activity can be improved through training.^{[1] [6]}

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Anaerobic training
2. ^ ^{a b} Medbo, JI; Mohn, Tabata, Bahr, Vaage, Sejersted (January 1988). "Anaerobic capacity determined by maximal accumulated O2 deficit". Journal of Applied Physiology 64 (1): 50–60. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
3. ^ Scott, Christopher B (June 2005). "Contribution of anaerobic energy expenditure to whole body thermogenesis". Nutrition & Metabolism. 14 2. doi:10.1186/1743-7075-2-14. Retrieved 14 May 2011.
4. ^ Di Prompero, PE; G. Ferretti (Dec. 1). "The energetics of anaerobic muscle metabolism". Respiration Physiology 118 (2-3): 103–115.
5. ^ Scott, Christopher B (2008). A Primer for the Exercise and Nutrition Sciences: Thermodynamics, Bioenergetics, Metabolism. Humana Press. pp. 166. ISBN 978-1-60327-382-4.
6. ^ McMahon, Thomas A (1984). Muscles, Reflexes, and Locomotion. Princeton University Press. pp. 37–51. ISBN 0-691-02376-X.

See also

• Lactate threshold
• Aerobic exercise
• Wingate test (a test of anaerobic capacity)

there is no finish line...enjoy the ride...: May 2011

there is no finish line...enjoy the ride...: May 2011

It may seem like common sense that if you don't use your muscles, they'll eventually atrophy, yet so many people fail to apply this information in their daily lives.  The older you get, the faster your muscles will atrophy if you're not regularly engaging in the appropriate exercise. Additionally, older muscles do not respond well to sudden or intense bouts of exercise, so the key to avoiding sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss) is to challenge your muscles with intense exercise on a regular basis throughout your life—and it's never too late to start.

GROWING OLD IS NOT FOR SISSIES

Is Strength Training Sufficient to Prevent Age-Related Muscle Loss?
Sarcopenia, or age-related muscle loss, begins affecting people in their mid 20’s, initially at a rate of 1% loss of muscle mass per year, with accelerated rates as age advances and the muscle mass is replaced with fat.
Causes include:

• Hormonal changes
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Free Radicals
• Oxidative Stress damage
• Inflammation
• Insulin resistance
• Acidic Diet

It's a major challenge that many go through, especially the elderly, and as I just mentioned, regular exercise is essential to counteract this muscle loss. However, it's important to realize that simply lifting weights will not result in gaining muscle mass. Additionally, if you are involved in prolonged exercises like aerobics or running, you will not have the hormonal influences to build muscle either, even if you lift weights. It's important to understand that in order to effectively build and maintain muscle you need to incorporate short bursts of high intensity interval exercises that elevates your heart rate above your Anaerobic Threshold. 

This kind of exercise allows your body to produce human growth hormone (HGH) naturally. Yea, the same stuff that athletes take to cheat in their sport, however they take it in the form of a synthetic drug.  HGH is also known as "the fitness hormone," and is essential for healthy aging, fitness, and yes, muscle building.

Additionally, you need to supply your muscles with the appropriate fuel at the appropriate time to provide them with the proper building blocks to produce new muscle tissue.