Trap Bar Bent Over Row

Description

How to Do Trap Bar Bent Over Row

1. 1
   Setup

   Stand inside a trap bar with your feet hip-width apart, centered, and the handles aligned with your mid-foot. Hinge at your hips, keeping a slight bend in your knees, to grasp the trap bar handles with a neutral grip.

2. 2
   Setup

   Ensure your back is straight and neutral, chest up, and shoulders pulled back and down. Lift the trap bar off the floor by extending your hips and knees, standing tall, then re-hinge at the hips to return to the starting bent-over position.

3. 3

   From the bent-over position with the trap bar hanging at arm's length, initiate the pull by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Pull the trap bar explosively towards your lower abdomen.

4. 4

   Keep your elbows close to your body and pull until your shoulder blades are fully contracted and the bar touches or nearly touches your torso.

5. 5

   Slowly and with control, lower the trap bar back to the starting position, allowing your shoulder blades to protract fully. Maintain tension in your back muscles throughout the eccentric phase.

Tips

• Focus on initiating the pull with your back muscles, specifically envisioning your elbows driving backward, rather than just pulling with your arms.
• Maintain a rigid torso and a neutral spine throughout the entire movement, avoiding any rounding of the back or excessive arching.
• Control the eccentric (lowering) phase of the movement, taking 2-3 seconds to return the bar to the starting position to maximize muscle engagement.
• Breathe in as you lower the bar and exhale forcefully as you pull the bar up towards your torso.

Common Mistakes

• ×Avoid rounding your lower back during the lift by maintaining a strong, neutral spine and engaging your core.
• ×Do not use momentum or "jerking" to lift the weight; instead, perform each rep with controlled, deliberate muscle contraction.
• ×Prevent your shoulders from shrugging towards your ears at the top of the movement; instead, keep them pulled down and back to emphasize the lats and middle traps.