Legs · Trap Bar
Trap Bar Deadlift
How to do the trap bar deadlift, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Trap Bar
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
See it in motion
How to do it
Stand inside a trap bar, hinge at the hips and knees to grasp the handles. Lift the bar by extending your hips and knees, then lower it back to the ground with control.
- 1Feel your quads, glutes, and lower back driving the hex bar off the floor
- 2Keep your chest up and spine neutral, engaging your lats and core
- 3Drive through your heels and stand tall at the top
Common mistakes
- Avoid rounding your back or letting the bar drift forward
- Don't jerk the bar; lift in one smooth motion
- Avoid hyperextending your hips at the top; stand upright
Muscles worked
The trap bar deadlift mainly works the glutes, lower back, and hamstrings, with the forearms, quads, upper traps, upper abs, and calves assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
Kovo programs the trap bar deadlift for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the barbell hip thrust
- How to do the cable kickbacks
- How to do the curtsy lunge
- How to do the barbell deadlift
- How to do the resistance band glute bridges
- How to do the machine hip abduction
Last reviewed April 2026.