The “deadlift” is a loaded hip hinge, but it’s worth pointing out that it’s not a pure hinge like an RDL. Instead, the knees should bend, which is a mini squat pattern in the exercise. 

There are some problems with the conventional deadlift. Having a bar against the shins means the lifter needs to sit back to keep the knees behind the bar. This is a major issue if you’re tall or have long femurs. Lifting off the floor is hard because it’s a large range of motion. Plus, the double-pronated grip is often harder to hold.

Whereas the trap bar has no bar against the shin, so you can bend the knees more, there are usually two heights with the high loop, so it’s a reduced range of motion and the neutral grip is usually much nicer.

Some trainers don’t like the trap bar because it means the deadlift becomes more of a squat than a hinge. There is also no standardised size, so the bar itself can be heavy, plus the handles can be thick and hard to hold, or the grips are set far apart.

But the trap bar is an excellent tool if you have access to one.

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