![]() But reducing the eccentric component is an incomplete strategy for preparing athletes. The primary purpose of hex bar lifting is to reduce the lumbar strain (slightly) compared to conventional barbell deadlifts. I don’t want to create a fear of an exercise, as the spinal loading isn’t that bad, but eccentric deadlifts are not a wise idea. Even when an athlete squats with control, the HBD creates paraspinal strain similar to the conventional deadlift. Regardless of the type of plate used with hex bar squats, athletes bounce out of the hole and do a lot of junk reps instead of performing the exercise properly. Many training facilities, including those I’ve worked at, include a hex bar for deadlifting and hybrid squatting. Soon every athlete in the training group is part of the triple bumper Instagram club, and the coach is the pied piper for athletes in the local area. I am blaming coaches who take advantage of parents and athletes by using the advantages of the barbell to get the appearance of getting stronger faster. Loading a hex bar is easy, and since the deadlift is a mechanically advantageous exercise, teenage boys start hitting the magical number of 315 pounds (3 plates per side) rather quickly. And I’m not blaming the manufacturers or distributors of hex bars. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but anytime you see a trend, follow the money trail. The Hype Over the Hex Bar DeadliftĪbout ten years ago, the hex bar deadlift (HBD) started receiving more attention thanks to the increase in private training. So why the hate? Let me explain my primary reason why you should put the hex bar in the storage room, but not throw it away entirely. Notice I said different and did not say one was better than the other. Biomechanically, the hex bar is different than a conventional straight barbell. Don’t blame the tool, blame the craftsman. Last, as athletes use the hex bar more, teaching conventional barbell exercises becomes an additional responsibility, and we end up in a situation where we’re not building on experience.Ī good argument can be made that simply switching to a conventional barbell creates the same problems. Second, athletes often perform the deadlift exercise with little to no eccentric strain. I have many reasons for writing this article, and my top three are obvious to other coaches in the same boat as I am.įirst, the hex bar is now a hybrid replacement for deadlifting and squatting with coaches who want to inflate numbers so it looks like athletes are building strength. And if you never thought you would use it, you may decide to try it. If you’re using a hex bar now, you may rethink what you’re doing. I also do a better job of showing alternatives and giving examples of when using the hex bar make sense. In this article, I go back to my old roots of pulling no punches and hurting feelings. It’s not that I actually hate the bar–I’m just not a fan of most uses of the bar in sports training. Although I hate the hex bar, I still use it at key times for very narrow reasons. Its popularity is growing in fitness circles, likely due to its simplicity and the ability to load athletes quickly. The hexagonal barbell, also known as the trap or hex bar, is prized by some coaches and scoffed by others. ![]() How to Use the Hex (Trap) Bar for Sports Training In today’s link Carl Valle, writing for the Simplifaster blog, goes into excellent detail about the pluses and minuses of including Hex Bar work in a training program. Like any training tool, it is useful to know the benefits and potential drawbacks before working it into your training. It took me a long time to understand and intelligently program Hex Bar work. I think for runners it is a safe, effective instrument which can advance important strength qualities. You can do loaded carries, jumps, and Romanian deadlifts with it. I’ve been using it for years to great effect with the runners I coach. It is a go-to piece of training equipment for me. ![]()
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