If you follow long-time Body-Solid user Jim Stoppani PhD on social media (and if you don’t, I suggest you do that right away), you probably came across this post on March 23:
After my 600-pound hex bar deadlift video I posted yesterday, I have received a LOT of questions about the hex bar. Be sure to read this: http://www.jimstoppani.com/home/articles/the-hex-bar?preview
Posted by Jim Stoppani on Monday, March 23, 2015
The picture and subsequent article were all about The Hex Bar, sometimes referred to as a trap bar or as we call it at Body-Solid, an Olympic Shrug Bar.
Jim was shocked to find out not only how few people utilized it as apart of their workout but more than that, how few people actually knew what it was:
"The hex bar, also known as a trap bar or shrug bar, is a strength-training tool that is highly underappreciated, underused and just plain misunderstood. That’s why so few gyms actually carry them. It’s really too bad that the majority of gym owners don’t realize that the hex bar is far more than just a unique bar to clutter up the gym. It’s a bar with proven benefits shown in the lab and the gym. "
Jim is absolutely correct in his assertion that the Olympic Shrug Bar, Hex Bar, etc. is underutilized and underappreciated.
We thought Jim’s post would be a good jump off point to introduce you to Body-Solid’s Olympic Shrug Bar and hopefully you’ll follow Jim’s lead and start integrating the shrug bar into your training.
Body-Solid's OTB50 Olympic Shrug Bar is exactly as it appears, an apparatus designed to eliminate contact with the upper thighs and front torso, providing a greater range of muscle contraction and deep tissue development for shrugs.
It’s a great tool for building mass, thickness and strength in the mid-back and upper traps. Not just for shrugs, the Olympic Shrug Bar can also be used for deadlifts, bench press, military press, squats and lunges.
The OTB50 features 10” loaded sleeve space, giving you a lot of options to add weight and make the most of your training. Knurled handles ensure easier grip and safety throughout your workout. Measuring in at 56” (length) and 24” (width), the OTB50 can fit comfortably in any home or commercial workout space. The space between handles is 25” giving you plenty of room to operate.
Research on hex bar deadlifts, per Stoppani, shows that they allow you to lift about 10% more weight than you would using a standard barbell — that's huge. As Jim also points out, "the unique nature of the hex bar also means that you are hitting the muscles from a different angle and therefore utilizing different muscle fibers than when you do the standard versions of the deadlift and shrug."
For more information on Body-Solid's OBT50 Olympic Shrug bar including more detail product details, specifications and more, head over to http://www.bodysolid.com/Home/OTB50/Olympic_Shrug_Bar.
