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Trap Bar Carries: The Full-Body Strength Builder Tall Lifters Shouldn’t Skip

Author

Paul Marlow
May 21, 2025

This Might Be the Most Underrated Lift for Tall Guys

Tall lifters often struggle with:

  • Maintaining posture under load

  • Keeping their core braced in compound lifts

  • Losing tension as weights get heavier

Most of this comes down to instability across long levers.

That’s where trap bar carries come in.

This simple but brutally effective movement trains:

  • Grip strength

  • Core control

  • Posture under pressure

  • Full-body stability while moving

For tall lifters who want to build real-world strength, this is your go-to.

Why Trap Bar Carries Work So Well for Tall Lifters

✅ 1. The Load Is Centered Over the Midfoot

Unlike farmer's carries with dumbbells or kettlebells, a trap bar places the weight directly in line with your body.

Benefits:

  • No pulling forward or tipping side to side

  • Less strain on shoulders and spine

  • Keeps your center of mass stacked and stable

🧠 Tall lifters benefit most from central load placement because your levers are already working against you—this brings balance back into play.

✅ 2. Grip Power You Can’t Fake

Longer arms = longer bars = more opportunity for grip slippage.

Trap bar carries:

  • Force consistent tension in your hands and forearms

  • Build functional grip endurance that transfers to pulls, rows, and deadlifts

  • Create carryover into any sport or strength setting

🧠 No straps. No shortcuts. This is how you build tall-guy grip strength for the real world.

✅ 3. Posture Reinforcement Under Load

The taller you are, the harder it is to stay upright under weight. Trap bar carries teach you how to:

  • Brace your trunk

  • Stack your shoulders and hips

  • Keep your head neutral and spine aligned

Think of it as walking posture training—with 200+ pounds in your hands.

🧠 Every step reinforces the kind of positioning that will carry into your squats, deadlifts, and even your day-to-day movement.

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How to Set Up Trap Bar Carries for Success

Step-by-Step Setup:

  1. Step into the trap bar, feet hip-width apart

  2. Grab the handles with a neutral grip (palms facing your sides)

  3. Keep your wrist straight—no curling or over-extending

  4. Brace your core hard before lifting

  5. Pull the shoulder blades down and back (not shrugged)

  6. Stand tall—imagine you're a walking plank

🧠 If you're wobbling, arching, or leaning—reset. The goal is posture under pressure.

Programming Options for Trap Bar Carries

There are two main styles, both valuable for different reasons.

1. Heavy, Short Carries

  • Weight: 80–90% of your trap bar deadlift

  • Distance: 20–30 yards

  • Rounds: 3–5

  • Rest: 90–120 seconds

  • Goal: Maximum bracing, grip overload, posture stress

🧠 Best for pure strength and carryover into deadlifts and squats.

2. Moderate, Long Carries

  • Weight: 60–70% of trap bar deadlift

  • Distance: 40–60 yards

  • Rounds: 3–4

  • Rest: 60–90 seconds

  • Goal: Endurance, posture control, midline fatigue

🧠 Great for finishers or building real-world work capacity.

Programming Tips:

  • Rotate both styles weekly

  • Use trap bar carries as a finisher or a main event on full-body days

  • Don’t go to failure—form breaks = training the wrong pattern

  • Add tempo walks for even more challenge (slow steps, controlled pace)

Final Word: Tall Lifters, Don’t Skip Carries

You don’t need more fancy tools—you need the right movements done well.

Trap bar carries train everything tall lifters need:

  • Strong hands

  • Solid posture

  • Bulletproof bracing

  • Total-body coordination

Master them, and your lifts will feel more stable, your posture more powerful, and your confidence under load will go through the roof.

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