3 Different Trap Bar Blocks (4 weeks)
My affinity for the trap bar has grown over the years. I could care less about the argument between squatting or trap bar deadlifting with regards to athletes, it’s a waste of time. Neither of these movements are specific to any sport, and are only used to develop general abilities.
That said, I do find the trap bar to be easier to coach, easier to tolerate, easier to load, and more versatile than the squat. I’ve used endless variations of the blocks below and while strength is not the dominant motor ability we chase at my facility (speed is), I have 5 male athletes who have pulled 600-700+lbs and 6 female athletes who pull over 300+lbs.
While the blocks below just feature one day of trap bar pulls per week, you can certainly program it twice, though you would adjust the second day. I’d discuss that here, but I have to leave some content for my future in-person presentations.
Lastly, some people reading this might wonder why % vs. RPE. RPE is too subjective and at times, athletes/clients may lie or convince themselves it’s easier/harder than it really is. That’s not to say % based programming doesn’t have it’s own issues, it does.
Are you using a competition max? That’s too high. Are you using a non-emotional, single? Might be too low. Are you using a calculated max based on a submaximal set? Those are often wrong. Are you basing it on velocity? Those aren’t always accurate either. I try to base it off what I think the person can do RIGHT NOW, and then adjust it based on their feedback, bar speed, etc. So in this scenario, using percentages gives me a little more control over the process.
Eccentric Trap Bar Block
If you’re wondering when, why, and how I program eccentrics, start here:
Week 1 – 60% – 4×6 (4 count eccentric)
Week 2 – 65% – 5×5 (4 count eccentric)
Week 3 – 70% – 6×4 (4 count eccentric)
Week 4 – Deload – 60% – 6×2 (4 count eccentric)
Sub-Maximal Block
Week 1 – 75% – 4×5
Week 2 – 77% – 4×4
Week 3 – 80% – 5×3
Week 4 – 70% – 4×4
Strength Block (Wave Loading)
Week 1 – 75-82.5% – 5/4/3 (2 waves)
Week 2 – 80-87.5% – 4/3/2 (2 waves)
Week 3 – 85-92.5% – 3/2/1 (2 waves)
Week 4 – Deload – 60-65% – 4×3
*Week 5 – You just might be ready to set a PR…
There you have it, three, week-to-week trap bar blocks. As mentioned above, there are many ways you can adjust these and your programming should always be adaptable.
Leave a Reply