TITAN FITNESS RICKSHAW – Product Review

If you’re just here to get your Rickshaw, here’s the link!

It’s been more than a year that I’ve had my eye on trap bar for deadlifts. Most versions I came across, either open on one side or the more traditional hex bar, all had short sleeves. This means you can’t load more than three 45 pound bumper plates.

Trap bars with longer sleeve length were noticeably more expensive, usually by at least double. While searching the interwebs, I came across one from Titan Fitness that seemed to meet my needs AND my wants.

It’s Rugged

First of all, this thing is tough. Weighing in at fifty pounds, it’s heavier than a traditional barbell. It has the same feel as the steel my rig is made from and once bolted together, it feels like a single piece.

Deadlift Variation

My over-40 self appreciates the posture afforded by this type of bar when doing deadlifts. Having your hands and the weight by your side reduces the need to lean forward at the waist thereby reducing the shear force on the lower back. At my age, back health is a real concern.

If you’re a competitive lifter, you may want to spend time deadlifting with a traditional barbell and use a trap bar for variation. I, however, am not a competitive lifter so this will likely be my main deadlift bar in order to maintain my back.

Sleeve Length

For that reason, I wanted a bar with a sleeve long enough to hold more than three 45-pound bumper plates on each side. 315 pounds is nice, but 405 pounds is better! I wanted that option. The 13-inch sleeve length provides room to add plenty of weight, possibly as many as five bumpers without collars.

Open Front

Unlike a traditional hex bar, the Rickshaw has an open front. This prevents clumsy old folks like me from tripping stepping over the bar. The real benefit is it makes farmer’s walks super comfortable. Because the weight is mounted on a single bar, it’s easier to walk with as your arms move in unison, especially when turning around. Unilateral construction might reduce some benefit of using stabilizer muscles, but that should be a minor detail.

I’m six foot tall and I was able to use a normal gait with it unweighted without my legs coming in contact with the bar. Under heavy load that gait will shorten removing the likelihood of it bumping into your legs while walking.

Plate Loading

What makes this bar truly special? It has feet! love deadlifting, but I hate unloading 300 or 400+ pounds of weight from a barbell, especially AFTER using it for a workout. The feet raise the sleeves off the ground making it extremely easy to load because you don’t have to hold the bar up and load the plates at the same time (see bottom right photo above).This makes it as easy as loading a barbell for squats or bench presses.

Shrug It Off

We’ve covered deadlifts and farmer’s walks. The easily loadable, weight by your sides configuration, and easy-grip handles also makes this a great piece of equipment for shrugs of any weight. Abs are cool, but traps let the world know you lift.

The Price

I’ve seen comparable bars as much as $275. This one can be yours for $149.95, currently on sale for $127.46 with free shipping as of right now. I ordered mine on Friday and it arrived on Sunday, less than 48 hours later. The manual shows the exploded view and all of the parts. Thank goodness mine came mostly assembled and went together with 4 included bolts, washers, and nuts. Altogether, it took about 10 minutes to build.

I’m putting together a customizable fitness plan that will be sent free to all email subscribers within the next two weeks, so jump on that email list below! Anywhere it says deadlifts, you can bet I’ll be using this bar.

Have you ever used a trap bar in your training? Let us know below or on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram


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