Where do you stand on shrugs and deadlifts? If you’re new to deadlifting, behind a straight bar may not be the best place. You may not yet have developed the strength and the form needed to perform those Olympic-style lifts without injuring your lower back.

The 56” Progression Chrome Olympic Hex Trap Bar allows you to learn safely then transition to traditional deadlifts with the power and posture you’ll need.

Instead of leaning forward to scoop up the bar, you’re literally at the center of the action, in a hexagonal space just big enough for a comfortable lift but small enough to confine you to a proper straight up-and-down motion. This bar features two knurled handle positions. The first one is raised, allowing you the freedom to put more of the load on your hips and knees and lessen the strain on your lower back. When you’re confident in increasing your degree of difficulty, you can move to the lower grip and tackle the deeper hip flexion required to lift at the height of a traditional straight deadlift bar.

The trap bar is a safer, less complex means of developing those hamstrings, glutes, erector spinae muscles, traps, quadriceps and arms, as well as your grip strength. It allows you to move up to higher weights more quickly than you would with a traditional bar and allows you to do heavier sets of shrugs than you would with dumbbells. It’s a great place to start if you’re new to powerlifting, and the posterior chain development will enhance your power, speed and explosive athletic movements – making you the kind of runner and jumper that teams pick first for sports.