Weak Traps

[iamthemacattack]

Morning/Night Bro's

I have always had small traps and have been working hard to try and increase their strength and size, heavy shrugs with machine/bar/dumbbells rotating each week to try and hit the stubborn f*ckers from all angles.

However when I go heavy the next day I have a pain high in my back/low in my neck, not muscular almost as though my neck needs to click.

Is this something to worry about, or maybe just go a bit lighter and work on holding the contraction for an extra second?

Cheers

Ian.

[ajoaks]

If you have pain you might have gone to heavy. My traps blew up more from volume than weight. Instead of using 70s and only getting half of my 4 sets of 10 worth a crap, I'd drop to 50s for 4 sets of 12 and really squeeze it out and pause at the top. A few other lifts that helped my traps are farmers walk and power cleans.

[Bcast]

If you have pain you might have gone to heavy. My traps blew up more from volume than weight. Instead of using 70s and only getting half of my 4 sets of 10 worth a crap, I'd drop to 50s for 4 sets of 12 and really squeeze it out and pause at the top. A few other lifts that helped my traps are farmers walk and power cleans.

Just focus on that contraction bro ... Hold it at the top for a 3-4 count then lower it slowly

[Big Wides]

If you want big traps the deadlift is the best way to build them up. You can still do shrugs on either your shoulder or back day but heavy deadlifts and rows will get the traps big.

[RK]

If you want big traps the deadlift is the best way to build them up. You can still do shrugs on either your shoulder or back day but heavy deadlifts and rows will get the traps big.

+1

All you need to know right there

[iamthemacattack]

If you want big traps the deadlift is the best way to build them up. You can still do shrugs on either your shoulder or back day but heavy deadlifts and rows will get the traps big.

Well it is back for me in about an hour so I will do some heavy deadlifts and get those stubborn traps growing!

[JHOORNSTRA]

Agree, I usually have shrugs and deads on the same day.

JHo

[E-dizzle]

Deadlifts definitely do the trick. My traps used to be 'ok' and now that i've been pulling heavy for a few months they have exploded. Literally had my brother tell me to stop shrugging so much because they were getting too big relative to everything, and was just like i havent shrugged in weeks, just been deadlifting.....look on his face was great.

Speaking of those, thanks for the idea on another thread Jho, my partner went to try DLing at 24 with hex plates, said F-that and i was able to convince him to go in half on a bar and some used weights (old texas power bar and about 450 pounds of weight for right around 400 together on craigslist )..so now i dont have to worry about leaving my workout partner since bringing DL day back to the house.

Also macattack, the neck pain may be a posture thing, coming from a guy that has had to have some serious chiro work done, make sure you keep your head up and straight when you shrug if you dont already, if you hang your head down like some people do when they shrug it puts your upper spine out of its straight, solid alignment and is easy to get pulled out of place from the contracting muscles in your back while you are like that. Hope this helps.

[iamthemacattack]

Also macattack, the neck pain may be a posture thing, coming from a guy that has had to have some serious chiro work done, make sure you keep your head up and straight when you shrug if you dont already, if you hang your head down like some people do when they shrug it puts your upper spine out of its straight, solid alignment and is easy to get pulled out of place from the contracting muscles in your back while you are like that. Hope this helps.

I read an article by Johnnie Jackson the other day and he recommended keeping your head ducked down when shrugging?

[jexta]

I read an article by Johnnie Jackson the other day and he recommended keeping your head ducked down when shrugging?


I also thought this was how it was suppose to be done from looking things up to make sure I was doing everything proper... clarification from anyone with a degree perhaps? lol

[JHOORNSTRA]

[QUOTE=E-dizzle;1315103]

Speaking of those, thanks for the idea on another thread Jho, my partner went to try DLing at 24 with hex plates, said F-that and i was able to convince him to go in half on a bar and some used weights (old texas power bar and about 450 pounds of weight for right around 400 together on craigslist )..so now i dont have to worry about leaving my workout partner since bringing DL day back to the house.

QUOTE]

glad to hear it, one less thing to worry about.

JHo

[shredduck]

If you have pain you might have gone to heavy. My traps blew up more from volume than weight. Instead of using 70s and only getting half of my 4 sets of 10 worth a crap, I'd drop to 50s for 4 sets of 12 and really squeeze it out and pause at the top. A few other lifts that helped my traps are farmers walk and power cleans.

Same here. I started using straps and doing sets of 30 or 40 and my traps blew up

[iamthemacattack]

I also thought this was how it was suppose to be done from looking things up to make sure I was doing everything proper... clarification from anyone with a degree perhaps? lol

Amen, or from one of the Animal Athletes perhaps?!

[Goldstone]

High volume barbell shrugs have helped mine over the years. Use straps, try touching your traps to your ears, and keep the reps at 10 or more. Not trying to brag, but here are some shrug days I've had this year alone:

315 x 80
405 x 50
225 x 125
135 x 135

That wasn't in the same workout, but those are some sets I've done as finishers at the end of a workout. The new goal is 315 x 100.

[JHOORNSTRA]

I'll be posting a vid soon of the new straps animal has now but what I changed was going heavy for minimal reps, like 900-1035 for reps of 5, easy to do and all on one breath...to sets of 12. Hard, have to breathe almost 4 times in one set and if the volume and weight stays that heavy, I got some size immediately but also felt the strength and support follow thru on bench as well as deads, etc.

JHo

[JHOORNSTRA]

I'm more game for strength, but I'll admit, I watched Goldberg as a kid and remember thinking...."one day..."

JHo

[Goldstone]

I'm more game for strength, but I'll admit, I watched Goldberg as a kid and remember thinking...."one day..."

JHo

Amen to that!!!

Looks like I'll have to do the max weight for low reps and give that a shot. Do you use much body English?

[Saeger]

I'm more game for strength, but I'll admit, I watched Goldberg as a kid and remember thinking...."one day..."

JHo

Yep, thats where I got my interest in traps. I saw Goldberg and thought wow, that looks awesome.

[JHOORNSTRA]

Yep, thats where I got my interest in traps. I saw Goldberg and thought wow, that looks awesome.

yeah, he was badass

[Eric Lilliebridge]

Morning/Night Bro's

I have always had small traps and have been working hard to try and increase their strength and size, heavy shrugs with machine/bar/dumbbells rotating each week to try and hit the stubborn f*ckers from all angles.

However when I go heavy the next day I have a pain high in my back/low in my neck, not muscular almost as though my neck needs to click.

Is this something to worry about, or maybe just go a bit lighter and work on holding the contraction for an extra second?

Cheers

Ian.


Here's my opinion. If you want to get bigger, thicker and stronger traps, quit doing shrugs. I wasted so many workouts doing shrugs hoping my traps would grow, and they didn't really do anything at all. Deadlifts will only help a little bit. If you want bigger traps, start doing upright rows using close and medium width on grip. I have a lot of pictures to prove how well doing upright rows has helped out the growth, size and shape of my traps. You should work them at least 2 times per week probably 10+ sets on both days you work them. You can do switch it up by doing one workout with a barbell and one workout with cable machine. One thing I really liked that I recently tried was doing upright rows on a cable machine, and about 30 seconds after go over the the smith machine and do 20-25 shrugs on there, all slow and controlled reps, holding and squeezing at the top. Then wait a minute after and go back to the upright rows. Do about 5-6 sets of each (10-12 sets total) back to back and see how your traps feel after that.

[Goldstone]

Here's my opinion. If you want to get bigger, thicker and stronger traps, quit doing shrugs. I wasted so many workouts doing shrugs hoping my traps would grow, and they didn't really do anything at all. Deadlifts will only help a little bit. If you want bigger traps, start doing upright rows using close and medium width on grip. I have a lot of pictures to prove how well doing upright rows has helped out the growth, size and shape of my traps. You should work them at least 2 times per week probably 10+ sets on both days you work them. You can do switch it up by doing one workout with a barbell and one workout with cable machine. One thing I really liked that I recently tried was doing upright rows on a cable machine, and about 30 seconds after go over the the smith machine and do 20-25 shrugs on there, all slow and controlled reps, holding and squeezing at the top. Then wait a minute after and go back to the upright rows. Do about 5-6 sets of each (10-12 sets total) back to back and see how your traps feel after that.

Added some upright rows in yesterday and could feel it. Thanks for the tip, Eric!!

[iamthemacattack]

Here's my opinion. If you want to get bigger, thicker and stronger traps, quit doing shrugs. I wasted so many workouts doing shrugs hoping my traps would grow, and they didn't really do anything at all. Deadlifts will only help a little bit. If you want bigger traps, start doing upright rows using close and medium width on grip. I have a lot of pictures to prove how well doing upright rows has helped out the growth, size and shape of my traps. You should work them at least 2 times per week probably 10+ sets on both days you work them. You can do switch it up by doing one workout with a barbell and one workout with cable machine. One thing I really liked that I recently tried was doing upright rows on a cable machine, and about 30 seconds after go over the the smith machine and do 20-25 shrugs on there, all slow and controlled reps, holding and squeezing at the top. Then wait a minute after and go back to the upright rows. Do about 5-6 sets of each (10-12 sets total) back to back and see how your traps feel after that.

Hell yeah, I will be giving this a go. I will let you know how things progress!

Cheers Eric.

Ian.

[alexg5775]

Something's I did not see mentioned are upright rows with dumbell, face pulls, reverse flys with dumbells, rack pulls. You can throw these in as misc. Best for traps are deads, barbell and dumbells shrugs, and cleans/power cleans, as mentioned.

[jrh0341]

If you have pain you might have gone to heavy. My traps blew up more from volume than weight. Instead of using 70s and only getting half of my 4 sets of 10 worth a crap, I'd drop to 50s for 4 sets of 12 and really squeeze it out and pause at the top. A few other lifts that helped my traps are farmers walk and power cleans.

cleans for the win!