Al Gerard showing his stuff!

Al began to experiment. He tried a couple different designs but found trapezoidal shaped bar worked best. He began to train with this unique bar instead of with a straight bar. It did not take long for Al to notice something - he could now train the deadlift without any lower back stress... but even more amazing after several months of training with the Trap Bar he could now deadlift AND Squat more weight even though he rarely trained those exercises. He also noticed his traps had grown substantially larger and more muscular and his grip improved tremendously. He was undoubtedly on to something BIG and the Gerard Trap bar was born!

Serious lifters perked up their ears and the Gerard Trap Bar soon became well known as a valuable training tool for all kinds of athletes. Dr. Ken Leistner trained his powerlifters on it and they experienced incredible gains. Many professional football teams started using the trap bar. The biggest and strongest athletes on the planet used it for deadlifting and to train the all-important neck and upper back muscles. For building hip and leg strength, there is simply nothing better than the Gerard Trap Bar. The Trap Bar is the safest, most comfortable way to deadlift and now you can train with it too!

The Original Gerard Trap Bar

Advantages of Training with a Genuine Gerard Trap Bar

The unique trapezoid configuration moves the weights closer to the body which improves balance and eliminates interference with the torso and thighs. This design also allows the for greater rib cage expansion and muscular development -- the bottom line is that when you train with the trap bar you gain strength and power in a more efficient, effective and safe manner. The knees don't interfere with the bar while the lifter assumes a more upright position when starting a lift. The weight moves directly upward instead of sideways placing more emphasis on the target musculature. The lifter has better control of the bar throughout the full range of motion The weight moves in line with the ankles which improves leverage. Lower back stress is reduced while the weight is moved in line with the natural center of gravity. Shearing forces on spine and knees is reduced. The shrug exercise is an integral part of every strength athlete's program. Strong upper back, neck and shoulder muscles are essential in all sports. The Trap Bar makes "shrugs" more comfortable because there is no bar contact with the upper thighs and lower front torso area; thus, more range of movement yields more muscle use and development. It's easier to maintain good form Elbow and wrist-joint strain is reduced by eliminating opposite grips. Standing shrugs yield improved trapezius development because the bar never contacts the thighs interfering with range of motion. A trap bar moves the weight mass 16% closer to the perpendicular plane of the lower back than a conventional straight bar.

Back Strength! Trap Bar Shrug Deadlift

The Original Gerard Trap Bar Makes its Triumphant return

Then I called a manufacturer friend of mine and sent them Al's plans - we wanted to make this according to Al Gerard's exact specs. They crunched some numbers and put everything together and the results were absoluteley dead-on perfect. Now the Gerard Trap Bar makes its triumphant return at www.oldtimestrongman.com! We have created the lates edition of the trap bar to Al Gerard's exact plans using only the highest quality components. The only difference in the New Trap Bar is that it is now zinc plated (giving it nifty a gold color.)

Al Gerard's Exact Specs

Do yourself a big favor and be a part of trap bar training in the new Millenium - Grab a genuine Gerard Trap Bar Right Now!

The Original Gerard Trap Bar

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