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.

Animated demonstration of the Trap Bar Deadlift

Equipment: Trap Bar
Difficulty: Intermediate
Logged as: Weighted reps
Movement: Hinge
Mechanic: Compound

Find more:Glutes exercises Barbell exercises

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

Trap Bar Deadlift strength standards

See how your trap bar deadlift ranks, from Bronze to Champion. These are the same standards the Kovo app uses to rank your lifts.

Bronzee1RM217.5 lb
Silvere1RM297.5 lb
Golde1RM392.5 lb
Platinume1RM485 lb
Diamonde1RM540 lb
Champione1RM585 lb

Find your rank

Enter your best set. We estimate your 1RM and match it to a tier.

Weight (lb)Reps

Kovo tracks this rank automatically as you train, across every lift, and levels you up as you get stronger.

Kovo programs the trap bar deadlift for you and tracks it every session.

We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.

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More glutes exercises

See all glutes exercises →

Last reviewed April 2026.