CT's Trap Bar

Off Topic
101

What injury issues do you use it for? Coaches at some of the top hockey programs in the US load the boys up on 90% squats, RDLs, full cleans and front squats on a regular basis …there are athletes with either mobility/flexibility issues or long ass legs that make it harder to load up squat if they cant keep good posture, so as an option one can load them up on the trap bar…Im surely not “old” for a strength coach but we were using trap bars with athletes in the late 90s and I do not remember feeling like it was “new”…

Great tool I enjoyed using them…these days Id just enjoy rotating it in with back/front/overhead squats and conventional deadlifts. Never tried overhead press but might be fun to try. We also did farmers walks with them bad boys. Less chance of smashing your feet like with DBs if you are going for broke hah.

102

Way to over complicate things, when your training high school aged kids, their not the ones paying you, the perceived danger of the squat, and the perceived safty of the trap bar, Seeing little 17 year old johnny, straining under a 400lb squat, when he’s destined to take his team all the way, Verses, seeing him with the trap bar, puts minds at ease, and allows me to continue forward. training highschooler’s isn’t near as cool as collage all stars, and I’m not near as smart as you.

I send kids off with 1000lb totals and positive attitudes, thats my job and passion, I hate to admit it, I’ve been at it for 20 years. Funny on this sight every other poster, is smarter and more expireanced than me, I like to see how many of them, could get 1000lb total themselves, go ahead and cut up my spelling, to prove your greatness

103

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Way to over complicate things, when your training high school aged kids, their not the ones paying you, the perceived danger of the squat, and the perceived safty of the trap bar, Seeing little 17 year old johnny, straining under a 400lb squat, when he’s destined to take his team all the way, Verses, seeing him with the trap bar, puts minds at ease, and allows me to continue forward. training highschooler’s isn’t near as cool as collage all stars, and I’m not near as smart as you.

I send kids off with 1000lb totals and positive attitudes, thats my job and passion, I hate to admit it, I’ve been at it for 20 years. Funny on this sight every other poster, is smarter and more expireanced than me, I like to see how many of them, could get 1000lb total themselves, go ahead and cut up my spelling, to prove your greatness[/quote]

Bro, if you are coming after me, I was not attacking you. Nor trying to be smart, cool, or complicate matters. I was curious what the problem with injury was on squats versus trap bar. I can see it taking a load off the spine or maybe if someone had some sort of upper body nagging injury the trap bar allowed them to work around without skipping lower body. Here to learn, not to bash.

In all honesty good for you if you are sending off high school kids with big totals (in what lifts I am not sure) and positive attitudes. Not much different than my passion for athletes and other occupations I work with so not sure why being so defensive. Another point although I sort of agree with you to some degree, is asking who can get a 1000lb total (are we talking the big three power lifts? or clean, squat, bench?)…in every sport there are great competitors that are NOT great coaches, and vice versa.

Although I do prefer coaches or instructors say in martial arts or shooting, who have kicked a little ass in the real deal themselves…BUT I have had great coaches and instructors who were not awesome competitors themselves, and I know great coaches who were not great lifters themselves who are smart, passionate, and connect wit their athletes and improve their performance.

Depending on what your 1000lb total is there is a good chance I can still hit it no problems with sub max efforts on only two of the lifts (because I do not train max effort anymore due to nagging injuries and a high mileage body). That doesnt make me a good coach though. Its not about what we can do, its about what we can bring out in those we coach. So sounds like you are doing a good job, sorry to seemingly offend you. I will go look to edit my post if I feel its offensive.

104

Sounds like were on agreement, the trap bar being an exellent tool. As far as 1000lb total, it’s just somthing we do at my gym, kids working with me can start making their own programs, at 1000lb mark (yearish most times) but by the time they get there, they’ve learned enough about rep systems, and progression, they don’t want to spend hours on their arms, we do a loose PL meet here once a year.

The bench is the slowest lift for kids, so their energy goes into squats and deads, they can learn mobility drills and OL in collage, 1000lb is good strength base to build from. At forty and broken down, I’d be hard pressed to get that total on a good day, Happy New Year this sight gets me defessive sometimes

105

[quote]bluecollarjock wrote:
Im surely not “old” for a strength coach but we were using trap bars with athletes in the late 90s and I do not remember feeling like it was “new”…

[/quote]

They’ve been around since the 80s at least. I found at least one article, I think 1984, explaining the trap bar when researching my thesis.

106

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Way to over complicate things, when your training high school aged kids, their not the ones paying you, the perceived danger of the squat, and the perceived safty of the trap bar, Seeing little 17 year old johnny, straining under a 400lb squat, when he’s destined to take his team all the way, Verses, seeing him with the trap bar, puts minds at ease, and allows me to continue forward. training highschooler’s isn’t near as cool as collage all stars, and I’m not near as smart as you.

I send kids off with 1000lb totals and positive attitudes, thats my job and passion, I hate to admit it, I’ve been at it for 20 years. Funny on this sight every other poster, is smarter and more expireanced than me, I like to see how many of them, could get 1000lb total themselves, go ahead and cut up my spelling, to prove your greatness[/quote]

Well, I’ve trained a girl’s HS basketball team, so I have a little experience with the group you’re referencing. And while I understand the perceived safety of the trap bar, I don’t think the reality is that cut and dry. In my experience, most people still start pretty bent over even when using a trap bar. Less so than conventional deadlifting, yes, but not really any different than squats. High bar squats reduce the moment arm on the spine about the hip just as well, so I would consider those as a “safe” alternative as well. In any case, there are risks associated with all of these lifts/bars, and I don’t see why people feel the need continually scapegoat certain ones.

107

First edition of Brawn was 1993, Stuart recomends trap bar use, as well as claiming his involvement in it’s developement, not sure if this is true or not. The bar has been used in weight rooms for at least that long, but few comercial fitness centers offer them to this day, I just wonder why ? heavy triple, I’m with you on this,from our point of veiw the squat and trap bar are similar, but sometimes it pays to keep parent\coach content and move forward, was my only point. Sometimes at first getting these kids interested in anything out side of curls is a good move

108

[quote]AnytimeJake wrote:
Sounds like were on agreement, the trap bar being an exellent tool. As far as 1000lb total, it’s just somthing we do at my gym, kids working with me can start making their own programs, at 1000lb mark (yearish most times) but by the time they get there, they’ve learned enough about rep systems, and progression, they don’t want to spend hours on their arms, we do a loose PL meet here once a year.

The bench is the slowest lift for kids, so their energy goes into squats and deads, they can learn mobility drills and OL in collage, 1000lb is good strength base to build from. At forty and broken down, I’d be hard pressed to get that total on a good day, Happy New Year this sight gets me defessive sometimes[/quote]

God bless you and your athletes in 2013 Jake!!! Dont give up on the training…I spent as much time doing PT and tissue work as I do lifting and MMA…thats the only way I can keep lifting!