Trap Bar Pulls (Complete How To Guide)

Trap Bar Pulls are an explosive variation of the deadlift where you drive through the floor to pull the trap bar upward with speed and power.

Unlike a standard Trap Bar Deadlift, the goal isn’t just heavy loading. The goal is developing lower-body explosiveness, making this a great tool for athletes looking to improve sprinting, jumping, and total-body power.

Primary Muscles Worked: Glutes, Quadriceps, Hamstrings
Secondary Muscles Worked: Calves, Traps, Core
Equipment Needed: Trap Bar (Hex Bar) and Weight Plates

How To Do Trap Bar Pulls

Step-by-Step Instructions

Set-Up:
- Load the trap bar with light to moderate weight (usually 40–60% of your deadlift max).
- Step inside with feet hip-width apart and grip the handles with a neutral grip.
- Hinge at the hips with knees bent, chest up, and core braced (similar to a deadlift setup).
Execution:
- Drive explosively through your feet, extending hips and knees together to lift the trap bar quickly.
- Finish with triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles.
- Shrug aggressively at the top as the bar rises but keep arms straight.
- Control the weight back to the floor and reset for the next rep.
Tips for Proper Form:
- Think speed, not just load. Use a weight you can move explosively.
- Keep arms long and relaxed; the power comes from your legs and hips.
- Reset after each rep rather than bouncing the bar off the floor.

Key Benefits

Builds explosive lower-body power and rate of force development.
Safer learning tool for power development compared to Olympic lifts which makes it a great option for beginners.
Excellent transfer to athletic movements like sprinting and jumping.

Modifications and Variations

Easier Option:
- Start with bodyweight jump squats to learn explosiveness before adding load.
- Use just the empty trap bar to practice speed and rhythm.
Harder Option:
- Perform continuous reps for conditioning (careful with form under fatigue).
- Add bands or chains for variable resistance.
- Perform loaded jumps where feet leave the ground (advanced).

Common Mistakes

Using Too Much Weight: Focus on bar speed, not max strength.
Pulling with the Arms: Arms should stay straight; power comes from the hips.
Losing Posture: Keep chest up and spine neutral throughout.

Reps and Sets Recommendations

For Power: 4–6 sets of 3–5 reps with light to moderate load, focusing on maximum speed.
For Athletic Training: Pair with sprints, jumps, or plyometrics in contrast training.
For Conditioning: 3–4 sets of 8–10 explosive reps with lighter weight and shorter rest.

Trap Bar Pull Variations

Trap Bar Deadlift

Trap Bar Deadlifts are basically Deadlifts, but with a trap bar instead of a barbell. They’re also essentially Trap Bar Pulls without the explosive triple extension.

If you are using Trap Bar Pulls as part of a teaching progression for Olympic lifts, then I would actually start with Trap Bar Deadlifts first. Learn the movement in a more controlled manner and then add speed to the movement once the technique is proficient.

Trap Bar Pull Alternatives

Don’t have a trap bar? No worries. Here are a few alternatives for Trap Bar Deadlifts that you may be able to try in its place. Want even more options? Here are 10 Trap Bar Deadlift Alternatives that may give you more ideas to replace Trap Bar Pulls as well.

Clean Pulls

The obvious alternative is an exercise that I’ve already mentioned multiple times, Clean Pulls. If you don’t have a trap bar and you’re able to do regular Clean Pulls, they are the first recommendation that I would give you.

The setup and movement are almost identical, it’s just with a different bar.

Kettlebell Swings

Kettlebell Swings are another good hip-hinge alternative for Trap Bar Deadlifts. Kettlebell Swings are more of an explosive movement compared to a compound strength movement like deadlifts.

This means you won’t be moving nearly as much weight, but you will be moving it much quicker which can lead to improvements in power.