-Trap Bar Training Tips -

If you're going to be training with a Gerard Trap Bar, you'll need a pair of quality collars -- it's just that simple. As you deadlift or shrug with your Trap Bar, the plates will have a tendency to move around -- and they may start moving toward the end of the bar which will throw off your balance. A good pair of collars will let you finish your set without worrying about that happening.

Okie Grip Collars

After all, you want to concentrate on getting stronger, not on whether your plates will fall off. We tried a lot of barbell collars and found the Okie Grip Collars to be the very best which is why they are featured here.

Labels: Gerard Trap Bar, Okie Collars, Trap Bar Deadlift, Trap Bar Shrugs, Trap Bar Workout

With the re-introduction of the trap bar has also come a lot of questions, -- and one of those question is which are the best exercises to do with it so that's what I'm going to cover today:

1. Trap Bar Deadlifts - Numero uno on the list is the trap bar deadlift, partly because this is the specific exercise the Trap Bar was created for
and partly because this exercise is so productive.

A lot of people don't like, or just cant get the bar over their knees when they deadlift which obviously is not an issue with the trap bar. In addition, the natural advantages of having the weight in line with the bodys natural center of gravity makes this exercise much easier on the back.

2. Trap Bar Shrugs - A very close second, and a tremendous exercise. Way back in the day I was taught to do shrugs on a trap bar, and after that, could not understand why anyone would use anything but a trap bar for shrugs since a straight bar just wasn't as comfortable when it got dragged against the thighs.

If you want to build strong, powerful traps, (especially important if you play football) this is the exercise you should be doing.

3. Trap Bar Upright Row - Like the shrug movement except you bend
your arms and lift the elbows as you pull toward your ears. This one really hits the traps and upper back hard, due to the extra range of motion provided by the trap bar.

4. Trap Bar Deadlifts using blocks - there are two ways to utilize blocks when training with the trap bar, to either increase the range of motion (ie
you stand on them) which provides even more leg and hip development. Very effective for building "drive" in the legs.

5. The second method for using blocks is to decrease the range of motion by loading up the trap bar and supporting it on blocks. The Gerard trap bar isnt long enough to use in a power rack, nor does it need to be. By cutting down the range of motion, you can really overload the "top of the pull" This is a real power movement, also great for getting used to handling heavy weights.

That should about cover it, every single one of these movements is top notch. Obviously the focus is on basic movements for the largest and strongest muscles in the body.

This is by design, since those are the areas you need to focus on for best results.

Labels: Gerard Trap Bar, Trap Bar Deadlift, Trap Bar Shrugs, Trap Bar Training, Trap Bar Upright Row, Trap Bar Workout