View Full Version : I am in a dysfunctional relationship...
BAD ASS MARTIN
10-30-07, 10:08 am
...WITH MY TRAPS!!!
This is nothing new. I've had issues with my for the past two years now. My traps will not grow! I have tried every exercise and still no growth.
How can I force my traps to grow?
What's the best way to deal with a lacking body part?
This is the only lagging body part I have. I'm looking for a way to shock them into growth.
PLEASE ADVISE...
B.A.M.
Try Heavy DB Rows for 20+ Reps, BB shrugs supersetted with DB Shrugs, 25 reps each, as heavy as you possibly can. Also, deadlifts will help.
Hope this helps.
krazyassmexican
10-30-07, 10:19 am
heavy ass deadlifts
and
good nutrition!
ironshaolin
10-30-07, 10:27 am
yeah just think about who has the best traps in bodybuilding. Probably johnnie jackson and ronnie coleman. To have big traps, you have to have a name that ends in ie. Sorry dude, martin just don't go with the onnie name. Or, you could do lots of heavy ass deads, and focus on pulling your shoulders back at the top. Or try close grip upright rows. Just focus on adding more and more weight every time, supersets and dropsets and stuff like that is good, but the only real key for growth is to get stronger on the moves that form that muscle.
krazyassmexican
10-30-07, 10:29 am
yeah just think about who has the best traps in bodybuilding. Probably johnnie jackson and ronnie coleman. To have big traps, you have to have a name that ends in ie. Sorry dude, martin just don't go with the onnie name. Or, you could do lots of heavy ass deads, and focus on pulling your shoulders back at the top. Or try close grip upright rows. Just focus on adding more and more weight every time, supersets and dropsets and stuff like that is good, but the only real key for growth is to get stronger on the moves that form that muscle.
great point
i heard johnie jackson's workouts are intense as fuck and he comes with a powerlifting background
let's deadlift for a nice overall phsyque!
BAD ASS MARTIN
10-30-07, 10:34 am
I added dead lifts to my workout 3 months ago and start packing on some serious mass. All my lifts increased as well. If my traps came up to par I would be dangerous on stage...
Power shrugs have helped me a lot, you can use a huge amount of weight as you use your legs to help the weight up, then come down as slow as you can on the neg, make sure you feel it stretching at the bottom, then back up again. I try to do around 8 reps for 4 sets, followed up by 3x8 beind the back shrugs, then 3x12 db shrugs, then if i'm not fried i'll chuck in 3x8 upright rows or face pulls. hope this helps
J
Giant Killer
10-30-07, 10:51 am
As your deadlift increases, your trap size will increase. My traps have grown from no direct work but deadlifts, and have grown in great proportion to the rest of my physique.
IRN-NML
10-30-07, 11:33 am
All good advice above. Do your regular shrugs & don't overlook adding enough plates where you're lucky to crank out some 1" lifts; & use straps. Give equal time to reverse shrugs. Try seated dumbbell shrugs and or farmers walks. Put two barbells on the pins in the squat cage, load them and lift/hold with each arm at the center point. Awkward at first, but intense. Just some more ideas.
Pull boilers up stairs on a hand card. Be sure to switch hands every boiler though, or you will get uneven development like I did.
brandona
10-30-07, 2:07 pm
try this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWYskODgHEM&eurl=http://www.dieselcrew.com/
-B
try this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWYskODgHEM&eurl=http://www.dieselcrew.com/
-B
AS a personal trainer, you just helped me out a lot. I am always looking for creative ways to get the people I train in shape. I kind of specialize in people with biomechanical dysfunction. This will greatly help my clients who are kyphoid. I always like to find new exercises that will keep them interested so training is more enjoyable.
brandona
10-30-07, 2:20 pm
AS a personal trainer, you just helped me out a lot. I am always looking for creative ways to get the people I train in shape. I kind of specialize in people with biomechanical dysfunction. This will greatly help my clients who are kyphoid. I always like to find new exercises that will keep them interested so training is more enjoyable.
Check out all the vids in that series, Smitty and crew have some great non-convential ideas...
-B
Check out all the vids in that series, Smitty and crew have some great non-convential ideas...
-B
Already did, thanks again.
Ronnie Chop
10-30-07, 2:43 pm
yeah just think about who has the best traps in bodybuilding. Probably johnnie jackson and ronnie coleman. To have big traps, you have to have a name that ends in ie. Sorry dude, martin just don't go with the onnie name.
Note my name, and yes I have nice traps ;P
DB SHRUGS
Standing: From front of leg, from back of leg
Seated: Any angle (works better in my opinion)
FARMER CARRIES
Squeeze blades and traps tight... GO THE DISTANCE!
DB SIDE LATERAL RAISES
Start the weight in front of your legs and use more bend in your elbows. Squeeze blades and traps
FRONT AND BEHIND THE BACK BB SHRUGS
A given
Pokoritel
10-30-07, 2:44 pm
Maybe give them a break for 2 weeks. Then hit em hard.
Joostank
10-30-07, 8:31 pm
I did shoulders today with my training partner. We did supersets of Upright Rows and BB Shrugs. 3x total sets and my traps were absolutely smoked.
Here's what we do.. [I don't shrug much, but I keep great form on these..]
DB:
95x20 drop to
90x20 drop to
85x20
for 3 sets [the above is one set]
BB:
225x20
225x20
225x20
Seated Row with arms stiff; shrug it back, don't pull:
Stack til failure
Stack til failure
Stack til failure
Finally...
Dip shrugs [like bar dips, but your arms are straight..use your traps to raise your body, not chest or tris]:
BWx30
BWx30
BWxfailure
On all of these, there is a pause at the contraction.
Enjoy.
Conventional rack pulls above the knees. Use straps and pull for a heavy ass triple or several singles. Alternate these weekly with pulls off the floor. Also, snatch grip high pulls. Don't do these strict, rather like the Oly weightlifters, fast and explosive. Focus on elbows high and moving the bar as fast as possible. I promise you that you won't be let down with there 2.
Gainer65
10-31-07, 6:29 am
Heavy rack pulls and upright rows.
I believe certain bodyparts, like building up traps and getting that peak in your bicep are heavily influenced by genetics. Like me for example, I hardly ever train traps as a targeted muscle because I have the tendency to get huge traps and totally lose my neck! Even Vinny G said it in black and white right here...
"bottom line....you can not change the shape of your muscle."
you CAN do anything you put your mind to, but there is noway in hell you are going to change the shape of how your muscle grows....the length and shape are all set at birth.
some guys get huge arms -no peak, some guys get decent shape/size with a peak, and i had a client that i trained for over 5 yrs, and his arms had ZERO shape.
This right here that V said, would apply to most lagging bodyparts..2 most popular being that peak in the bi's and traps. This doesnt mean there isnt hope, it does mean time and variety need to be considered.
I have found that stuff like powertraining moves, such as hang drop shrugs, powercleans with a push press, clean and jerks, reverse db laterals, and upright rows with a narrow or close grip (strict form)..will get the blood pumping all through your traps. These types of exercises are not for the faint at heart either..they take good form, with a controlled weight.
Pizzalamp
10-31-07, 11:41 pm
Ive gotten good results from
heavy farmer walks
heavy barbell or dumbell shrugs 20-30 reps squeezing 2 secs at the top of each rep
heavy deads
jeff00z28
10-31-07, 11:44 pm
do a lot of sets. I usually do 8+ sets of shrugs or all kinds on back day. also side raises give a good burn
I have to re-inforce the "heavy deads" post. That made all the difference to me. Also, if you stiff-legged deadlift try to keep your shoulders pulled back as you go over. You won't be able to, but the effort will spike your traps.
do a lot of sets. I usually do 8+ sets of shrugs or all kinds on back day. also side raises give a good burn
No need for that. Just some heavy ass deads, rack deads, bb rows, db rows, tbar rows, etc. and it will grow, no need to overanalyze, stick with the basics, good form and go heavy as possible and give it time to recover.
gflash77
11-01-07, 1:33 pm
I had an individual on here suggest to me rack runs doing DB Shrug (Start at 100lbs. for 5 reps, then continually go down in weight increment until you clear the rack). Try that.