Exercise You Should Be Doing: Trap Bar Row

I just spent a weekend in LA with a bunch of other fitness professionals. Fit pros from all walks off life. And one thing stood out about almost all of them: Not only were they all jacked, but they all had awesome non mirror muscles.

They all had wide v-taper backs, and you could tell from a distance that they didn’t fuck around in the weight room. That sort of appearance only comes from one thing: building a big back. And to do that, you need to row.

You gotta row to grow, bro. It’s as simple as that. If you’ve been trying to get jacked for any appreciable length of time, then you’ve for sure done your fair share of rows and rowing variations, and for good reason.

The row is one of the ultimate mass building moves. It hammers your rhomboids, lats, traps, shoulders, and arms. You’d be hard pressed to find an exercise that doesn’t contribute to overall growth and strength development as the row.

But just because the row is awesome doesn’t mean you can’t switch it up from time to time and work in new row variations. Which is exactly what we’re looking at today.

I give you the trap bar row.

The trap bar row is a vastly underused rowing variation that, if done correctly, can build serious upper back strength and size.

Why is the trap bar row so awesome?

The trap bar row is superior to other rowing variations thanks to the neutral grip and positioning of the bar. One of the biggest issues with conventional barbell rows is that most people lack the proper coordination to get into position. More often than not, someone’s knees get in the way and prevent them from performing the movement correctly.

Standing inside a trap bar, or hex bar as they’re commonly called, prevents that issue with one quick equipment change.

The neutral grip adds another layer of superiority. Whereas a barbell row limits the range of motion that you can use during the movement, a trap bar isn’t limited by a barbell hitting you in the stomach.

Because of this, you can get a bigger stretch at the bottom of the movement and a harder contraction at the top. More range of motion = more results.

How to do the trap bar row.

Rowing in itself is one of the most simple moves out there. At the most basic level it’s just pulling.

Stand inside a trap bar, deadlift it up, and then push your hips back until your back is about parallel to the ground.

From that point you’ll initiate the pull by squeezing the hell out of your lats and raising the bar until your elbows have hit about the midpoint of your body.

One major benefit to the trap bar row and the positioning is that as you start to do the lift more often, the more natural feel should allow you to pull more weight than a traditional barbell row. Which means over time you should start getting much stronger, and adding more size compared to a program that involves traditional barbell rows.

On your next back day go out and give it a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Tanner is a fitness professional and writer based in the metro Atlanta area. His training focus is helping normal people drop absurd amounts of fat, become strong like bull, and get in the best shape of their life.