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Build Top-End Deadlift Strength and Spinal Erectors With Kneeling Trap Bar Deadlift Lockouts

2,892 views · Published 2 July 2018 · 4:47 · Indexed 14 November 2026

Channel: Nick Nilsson - the Mad Scientist of Muscle · 2018 · Sports

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This is one of THE single best exercises I've found for developing top-range deadlift strength in the spinal erector muscles of the lower back.

Being honest, it puts rack pulls to shame with how specifically it works the targets muscles WITHOUT the torque on the lower back and temptation to leverage the weight up with the legs that you get with rack pulls.

If you've ever used rack pulls (i.e. partial range deadlifts) with the bar starting just above the knees, you know there is a major problem with this exercise...when you're doing an ACTUAL deadlift, your knees are NOT bent when the bar is just above the knees...they're already straight.

When you're doing these in the rack, the tendency is to start with the knees bent. This is where the torque on the lower back comes in as it moves the bar away from the ideal line of pull of the exercise. It also creates a strong motivation to use the legs to leverage the bar up so that you can use a lot more weight.

And while getting the body used to heavier loads is always good, it doesn't help your deadlift as much as it could and probably as much as you think it does.

That's where this exercise comes in.

It uses a trap bar so that you can place yourself in the middle of the load, which takes away the torque on the lower back. It also takes you out of the rack and removes any possibility of using your legs to leverage the weight up. The movement ends up being a fantastic direct spinal erector exercise that exactly targets the top end of the deadlift. 

This setup will allow you to use 1 RM sized loads (and higher) for multiple reps, which is going to train the lower back to better deal with those heavier weights.

And to answer your question, no, it's not painful or damaging to the knees. It's not comfortable, sure, but it's not going to hurt your knees. 

When you kneel on the riser, you're NOT kneeling directly on the joint...you're supporting your weight on the top bony end of your tibia (front shin bone). You can feel this on your own leg about an inch below your kneecap. It's rock solid.

Your mechanics for the lift need to solid here, especially when using extremely heavy loads. Brace your core, and put a tight arch into your lower back.

As you lift, imagine as though you're driving your body down into the floor rather than pulling the bar up. This will get the spinal erectors activated strongly. Don't pop the bar up off the floor...just like when lifting heavy weight on regular deadlifts, pull a bend into the bar first THEN squeeze it off the floor.

Come all the way to the top lockout position. Don't lean back past vertical. That's unnecessary and potentially damaging to your lower back because when you lean back, the spinal erectors relax to some degree and don't provide support for the spinal column as effectively.

Hold for a second or two at the top, then set the bar back down under control. Don't just drop it.

You can use this exercise for very heavy weight and low reps to work top-end strength. You can also reduce the weight and do higher reps to really get the spinal erectors pumped up. These muscles respond very well to higher reps and this exercise is a fantastic way to work them without excessively fatiguing other muscles in the body (like the glutes and hams).

Now we're going to take away the Step riser and do these from the floor with heavier weight. I've got 545 lbs on the bar now.

If you don't have a Step riser, you can start with this one. Just know that the range of motion will be reduced quite a bit. With this weight, my range was just an inch or two, by the time the bar finished bending and the whole weight actually came off the floor.

The process is exactly the same, just starting from the floor instead. 

Overall, this exercise has become my absolute favorite way to target the spinal erectors. 

There's no damaging torque on the lower, as you often see with rack pulls, and you work the actual muscles and movement pattern that applies directly to improving your deadlift. It's a win-win.

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