It has been a wild ride in the strength biz over the last three years. I mean, we have had to deal with all kinds of crazy situations and you wouldnt believe some of the emails that have show up in my inbox on a regular basis.
Well, heres one that takes the cake - check it out:
Ok John, the trap bar can safely, or rather more safely help leg strength. but if one deadlifts for strength, including the back, shoulder and hips all in one move I think would be more beneficial.
I don't read about Powerlifters spouting the glories of trap bars. I think trap bars are made for the 'CHROME AND FERN' crowd. Not real men as Mr. Kubik would say.
- ASJ
Wow, now this is a first -- the Trap Bar is "chrome and fern."
... So, lets open up my old, dog-eared copy of
Dinosaur Training and see what it says right there on the first page of Chapter 1:
"...Trap Bar deadlifts are one of the very best exercises you can do. The Trap Bar permits you to train deadlifts harder, safer and much more productively than does an ordinary bar."
-- That was written in 1996.
But lets go back even farther-this time Dr. Ken Leistner's column in
POWERLFTING USA circa 1989:
"... I believe that Al [Gerard] has developed a terrific piece of equipment. It allows one to do a basic, result producing exercise in a more efficient, orthopedically safe manner."
And heres one more:
"Do not consider the Trap Bar deadlift as just an alternative to the barbell squat. It is an outstanding exercise in it's own right....The Trap Bar deadlift is the equal of the squat for many hardgainers...
In fact, it has the potential to be the number one productive exercise for many hard gainers."
- Stuart McRobert, Beyond Brawn
Now, I quite-frankly, could go one for a long time providing the long list of people who have found the Trap Bar beneficial in their training but I do not think its necessary at this time.
But please, do not take my word for it, or... for that matter, any of these other individuals
Just ask yourself whether the advantages that the trap bar provides are in line with what you want out of training...
I mean, maybe you LIKE the bar scraping your legs when you deadlift and maybe your gym actually has 200 pound dumbbells for your shrug training.
... Otherwise, the Trap Bar will undoubtedly be a great addition to your
training.
Now, while we are talking about the Trap Bar, let me also clear up a few things that we have recently received.
Some people asked whether they could bench press or overhead press with the Trap Bar. -- you can... if you want, but I wouldn't recommend it. If you want to do either of those exercises with a parallel grip, the
Log Bar is your best bet.
A few people have asked about why we don't have the so-called "raised handles" that are often seen on the ripoff versions of the trap bar.
Let me say right now that we can do any option that you want - raised handles, thick handles, wider spacing etc etc - whatever you want.
However, as someone who is serious about training and has trained with the trap bar, I can say from experience that I do not feel that any of these options are necessary or useful -- they complicate something that should rightfully be simple -- so I do not feature them on my site.
The bottom line is that the Trap Bar has stood the test of time as a serious, hardcore and SAFE training tool and if you are ready to add it your program, we can ship you one by the end of the week....
Labels: Brooks Kubik, Dinosaur Training, Dr. Ken Leistner, Gerard Trap Bar, Powerlifting USA, Stuart McRobert
The Gerard Trap Bar