Bigger traps...

[Darkness]

Well I need to add some mass to my traps to look simetrical with the rest of the body, they arent small but they're not what I want them to be.

Now, I do workout my traps accordingly and all but I just cant get any size on, dont know why because the rest of the body is gorwing steady but the traps are lacking. What I'm thinking is that I could actually be over-training them, I feel my traps when I do shoulders, back (deads and bents) and even when I work on biceps on heavy hammer curls.

Could this be a reason for it, or is there any other training methods I dont know?
Thanks.

[kaptainkeezy04]

I do fine just doing traps on back day 4 sets of 15,12,10,8...my traps are pretty high up too. Do seated dumbell shrugs for a few weeks then next few weeks do barbell shrugs behind your back on a smith machine leaning forward so the bar doesnt bump into your ass. You might be cheating and not doing it right...remember to lift with your traps...you arms should not do any of the work except hold the bar/dumbell. And if you are doin it heavy (which you should be) use wrist straps to put all the work on the trap and not your fingers/wrist.

[Darkness]

I use the 150's on the shrugs. I'll try doing them behind the neck on the smith and see what happens.

[G-13]

150? for how many reps?

You need to get that weight up bro, traps can handle alot of weight.

Im a little over 190 and do 315 for reps,and i thought that was a light weight..
Maybe you were referring to dumbells if so sorry ..

[Darkness]

150? for how many reps?

You need to get that weight up bro, traps can handle alot of weight.

Im a little over 190 and do 315 for reps,and i thought that was a light weight..
Maybe you were referring to dumbells if so sorry ..

Yeah its 150# DB's lol on the BB I do 405 the reps are always 10 for every set.

[TruPlaya]

I have been doing 225 lbs on the barbell, 4 sets of 12 for about 2 months now--I thought that was decent. WOW, I was wrong. I gotta toss more weight on there and start doing sets of 10--maybe I will see more growth. Good suggestion. Straps are a must, as well--I agree. Otherwise you are limiting the amount you can lift. You cant expect your forearms and wrists/fingers to hold 300 lbs, right?!?

[MASTER]

Try doing heavy deads followed by heavy barbell shrugs, then tell me they aint growin.

[hulkzer]

i do 6 sets starting at 105 ending a 415 on the smith machine. traps grow easy or maybe it's just me.
zer

[dwaynewade]

when I have trouble with a particular area I isolate it and give it it's own workout day.... maybe start with some power cleans, db. upright rows, then shrugs standing/ sitting. You want to work these muscles with as much variety to produce hypertrophy... negs, high rep volume training, pauses, ballistic movements... etc.

[Papi93]

If you've tried everything you can think of and nothing has worked, give this a try. Get into a power rack. Hold the heaviest weight you possibly can for time. You do not have to shrug the weight up, just hold it with normal shoulder posture. Don't let the shoulders drop or your set is over. When I plateau with traps, I use this static contraction method and it helps me break through. With straps, the weight that you will be using will blow your mind.

[bigJJ]

If you've tried everything you can think of and nothing has worked, give this a try. Get into a power rack. Hold the heaviest weight you possibly can for time. You do not have to shrug the weight up, just hold it with normal shoulder posture. Don't let the shoulders drop or your set is over. When I plateau with traps, I use this static contraction method and it helps me break through. With straps, the weight that you will be using will blow your mind.

True, I do the same thing. After doing a set of dumbell shrugs, I hold the weight at a normal shoulder height for 10 - 30 seconds, or whatever is comfortable. Really adds a nice punctuation to the end of the sets.

The standing calf machine works well too. Just get in it and shrug rather than using your calves. I especially like this one because you can lean foreward or backward and focus on specific areas of your traps.

[maplewood]

Some neck work will fill in the traps too as they start fighting for space around your neck and upper back................I made a football helmet with bar attached for this, but you can buy them too, but try some neck work with trap work!!

[robkesl]

you guys that do over 300 pounds, do you have the full contraction of the muscle. i see people in the gym all the time, with their head forward/down trying to heave a monsterious weight up, and they only move a couple of inches.

i can do about 200, but i get the full contraction with a pause at the top then down, to stretch it out.

also darkiness, you can add upright rows into your shoulder workout, it is an exceptional shoulder exercise.

[HULKBOY]

you guys that do over 300 pounds, do you have the full contraction of the muscle. i see people in the gym all the time, with their head forward/down trying to heave a monsterious weight up, and they only move a couple of inches.

i can do about 200, but i get the full contraction with a pause at the top then down, to stretch it out.

also darkiness, you can add upright rows into your shoulder workout, it is an exceptional shoulder exercise.

i used to use heavy ass weight and only move a coupla inches then id do a drop sets and the lower the weight the more of a contraction id get and whenever i used too work my traps that way it seemed to do em pretty good

[stayinstacked]

I got better trap growth by lightening the workload and concentrating more on the squeeze at the top of the movement. Dont worry about how much weight for how many reps, just worry about feeling the exercise. I've seen guys with gigantic traps only go as high as 225 for shrugs, sounds unbelievable but its true

[TEXAS]

BB better than Db, and have you to balance the movement !

as it mentioned by some other members, forget about the weight and think in the form,contraction,etc...

[Blown_SC]

What helped blow my traps up was Dead's...

When I first started to put a lil weight on the bar, I would lock it, and then shrug it straight up, down, and then complete the lift (bar to floor).... they are one of my best body parts IMO....

[ThePump]

hmmm... i do 405 for 3 sets of 15... no straps... my traps are decent... i'd ofcourse like them a bit larger... i think there intimidating... i'll try lighter weight and more contraction

[RJstrong]

In my opinion heavy deadlifting is the way to go.

[ThePump]

never hurts to try something new though

[singern]

Im with JamesC.
Heavy deads followed by shrugs did it for me.

[ahammer86]

I got better trap growth by lightening the workload and concentrating more on the squeeze at the top of the movement. Dont worry about how much weight for how many reps, just worry about feeling the exercise. I've seen guys with gigantic traps only go as high as 225 for shrugs, sounds unbelievable but its true

great point! this is the way to go.

[Squatman51]

your shrug weight should be around what you squat... your traps are a very strong muscle

[Darkness]

I've been doing something different that just now started to put some good size on my traps (finally) I've been doing my shrugs with a underhand hand position on the bar instead of overhand. I also lean forward just a tad, not as much as bent ovre rows. This seems to be stimulating my traps the way it should.

[PunkOff]

just be careful, pay attention to form because without that you have nothing

[PunkOff]

not to be a preacher or anything

[fitnessguy]

I got better trap growth by lightening the workload and concentrating more on the squeeze at the top of the movement. Dont worry about how much weight for how many reps, just worry about feeling the exercise. I've seen guys with gigantic traps only go as high as 225 for shrugs, sounds unbelievable but its true

exactly! i usually only go over 225 with 1 set. the rest are 225, sometimes lighter.... i just hold the squeeze at the top for a few seconds. works much better IMO...
same with dumbells... maybe 1 set with the 110s the rest with 80, 90, 100....

[sputnik]

Deadlifts are what initiated my trap development...then Bill Starr did the rest.....not sure if you guys are familiar with Bill Starr...

Apart from deadlifts, doing Power Shrugs, Snatch Pulls and Power Cleans have given me great trap development. And it is not necessarily the case that you have to do high reps to make ur traps grow. Ive only ever used 3-5 reps with a heavy weight,getting up to 400lbs with power shrugs for 5 reps. Traps can take a beating and do not necessarily need the full contraction. Again, if ur familar with Bill Starr you'll know about this.

Also look at the trap development of olympic lifters...do you think they get it from high rep shrug work using different angles and stuff? No. Just plain old explosive pulling, with low reps to boot

[jsimon]

Ill tell you what, I had the same issue. Kill them with barbell shrugs. Forward shrugs and behind the back shrugs.

[sputnik]

Explosive pulls and deadlifts. Period.

[Billyspt4]

If your gym has an incline or decline bench machine, you can do shrugs on that as well. I like to do that and barbell shrugs on the smith machine occasionally because it's a fixed movement and allows for no human error in form.

[tt2323]

I think everyone is different but i prefer lighter weight with a good squeeze. I've seen many people shrug 315+ and they are doing like 1/4 reps. Try to get a good idea your range of motion with light weight and as you go heavier make sure your keeping the same range of motion. I've recently been training like someone else mentioned do a set..then just hold the weight..the set usually lasts 1min

[sputnik]

believe it or not, trap growth is not simply the result of full-range of movement, but about full activation of the traps even if they don't reach full range, particularly in explosive lifts. Again, if you haven't read Bill Starrr, known for what's called the power shrug, then read. He's just one of the best strength coaches of all time.Having said full range of motion on traps is good, jsut that it's not the only solution.

[tranzit]

My trap workout is done on my shoulder day as i have enough shit to do on back day without adding this.
My shoulder and trap routine is as fallows.

5 minutes with light 5 -10lb dumbbells warming up my shoulders and rotators

3 sets 12-15 seated dumbell military press
3 sets 12-15 standing front dumbell raises
3 sets 12-15 standing side dumbell raises
3 sets to failure seated cable military press
3 sets 20-25 heavey dumbell shrugs 150's or so quick and controled up slow and controled down.
3 sets 20-25 hammer strength close grip shrugs
3 sets behind the back mid weight smith machine shrugs to failure.

this is what i do. works for me. give it a try.

I am going to try and get deadlifts in there soon. I have a bad back so i have steered clear of them as of yet. but i am going to give that a try also.

[keth'naab]

hanging clean & press. best thing for the traps and delts in the world, bar none.

oh yeah, assumption is that you are also deadlifting.

[BIGPHIL]

trap work is on back day i do:-


2 sets of DB shrugs 10reps with these i superset 2 sets of light upright rows(straightbar) for a burnout... boyyyy do i feel them in the morning

and my deadlifts of course as part of my back workout


I feel for major trap development you really have to feel the weight( i just close the eyes n squeeze the life outta them reallly thinking about the feelling)

also include drop sets and burnouts these really get them pumped

[keth'naab]

jesus h. christ.

someone needs to sticky something about traps and deadlifts.

this is the 3rd thread on this subject

if you aren't deadlifting seriously, then don't whine about trap development. You don't deserve to have good traps.

[Panzerfaust]

I got better trap growth by lightening the workload and concentrating more on the squeeze at the top of the movement. Dont worry about how much weight for how many reps, just worry about feeling the exercise. I've seen guys with gigantic traps only go as high as 225 for shrugs, sounds unbelievable but its true

I agree..sounds like you are using to much weight and your range of motion is lacking. I don't use that much weight, stay around 225lbs and then 75lb DB shrugs.

I also switch up my routine as well...i don't always do DB shrugs..

For instance, yesterday i did shoulders so i threw in a super set of DB shrugs
70lb DB for 12
60lb DB for 12
50lb DB for 12
At the end of each set i squeeze and hold the contraction.
I immediately follow up with
75lb
65lb
55lb all for 12....

Now when it is time to do back on Friday i will hit my traps using the smith and hammer strength machine.

I am cutting and have gotten awesome results from this, cannot wait to bulk and really see the growth.

[sputnik]

jesus h. christ.

someone needs to sticky something about traps and deadlifts.

this is the 3rd thread on this subject

if you aren't deadlifting seriously, then don't whine about trap development. You don't deserve to have good traps.

bud, just leave them be with their million variations of lights shrugs...

[legobricks]

I dotn deadlift and I have pretty decent traps. I dont know, next week im gonna start deadlifting. All I do now is shrugs. My buddy is the same way. I guess people are just different! But I am going to try the deadlifts to develop lower back and traps.