Traps HELP!!!

Ok, I've asked anbput the best traps exercise and it seems power shrugs are the thing to do. Now just a few more questions:

1. To do a power shrug (I'm doing them on a Smith machine) I set the safety so the bar is just above my knees. Grip the bar and in one swift motion stand straight up and shrug the weight. Is that correct?

2. Do I perform multiple reps of these as a set or do I hold my position when I shrug like a static contraction for a set amount of time and thats considered a set? What is optimal?

3. I just started doing dumbell raises to the front alternating sides (left, right, left...). I noticed that my traps stick up when I do this. Would this be a good exercise for traps? Or maybe holding a weighted bar out in front in a static contraction? Does that build the traps?

Thanks in advance.

1) Get off the smith machine. You can't do this exercise there and to be honest you shouldn't ever use that piece of trash. You'll probably need straps to pull heavy weight for reps simply due to momentum eating away your grip and skin. The video that was kind of close to it had the site go down apparently and I haven't been able to get on in weeks so the best I can do is tell you to visit the bottom link here: http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4497720&postcount=14

2) I'm not a fan of reps usually but this works well in the higher rep range for new trainees. 2x per week 3 sets of 10-15. Ideally you are working with weight which you will be unable to hold for a static contraction and reversal of momentum will bring it down. Try to hold it with traps in ears for a second but with enough weight that won't be possible. Still, build up slowly - you want to gradually increase over 3-4 weeks. Nothing like not being used to pulling and getting hurt.

3) They involve the traps to some degree but the weight is insufficient to stimulate growth or adaptation. Most of the best exercises involve applying a lot of weight to the system through a range of motion. This is why the powershrug is very good - also the back responds like nothing else to dynamic pulling so it really shines here. Still you should be deadlifting and doing barbell rows as core movements.

Man a great way to do heavy shrugs is to use a standing calf machine and get into it like you were going to do calf raises, but shrug your shoulders. Males you use nothing but your traps, there is no way you can cheat with your shoulders and arms, which is what tends to happen when people do heavy shrugs.

shamrock, I never thought ofy that. Has anyone ever tried this?

shamrock11 said:

Males you use nothing but your traps, there is no way you can cheat with your shoulders and arms, which is what tends to happen when people do heavy shrugs.

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While isolating a muscle can have a lot of value in rehab or targeted assistance work due to imbalance, if you look at the most productive growth inducing exercises none of them isolate anything. This is actually what makes the power shrug so good. It's basically a very heavy clean pull from the hang position. It involves just about everything. The first time someone includes them in their program, results are generally obvious within 2-3 weeks. Many people are able to shrug with more than their best deadlift. This was actually a common exercise (still is in athletics and weightlifting) up until the 1980s.

I can do much more weight with better from on the standing cale raise machine than just doing shrugs. I learned this movement from a reall hugh guy who did them all the time and his traps were almost up to his ears. They were dam hugh. I have made some very great gain in trap size doing them these past few weeks. I think there great and them more weight you can get that single muscle to use the better the muscle will grow.

You can do what you want but just don't make the mistake of judging training effectiveness from size especially when BBers are concerned. Take enough drugs and even a shitty workout can make you very large. There are Pro BBers who use workouts that couldn't grow a high-school senior. I am not exagerating in any way.

If it means anything to you, this guy is one of the best strength coaches in the nation. He's worked with athletes at all levels including OLY. He's weighed over 350 at 6'1", squatted over 800 from below parallel with only a belt, benched over 500 with no shirt, and snatched 375, and I believe he's done powershrugs with over 800 for reps. When competing he was consistently drug tested to boot. He will also tell you the power shrug is the best exercise for developing the traps (providing you are deadlifting and rowing of course) and that isolation is largely garbage. If you trust people based upon size, he's far better choice than most. A good read regardless: http://www.readthecore.com/200503/reynolds-glenn-pendlay.htm

do you have a video of what a proper power shrug should look like? I don't really get the gist of them.

incline dumbbell shurgs

Madcow2 said:

You can do what you want but just don't make the mistake of judging training effectiveness from size especially when BBers are concerned. Take enough drugs and even a shitty workout can make you very large. There are Pro BBers who use workouts that couldn't grow a high-school senior. I am not exagerating in any way.

If it means anything to you, this guy is one of the best strength coaches in the nation. He's worked with athletes at all levels including OLY. He's weighed over 350 at 6'1", squatted over 800 from below parallel with only a belt, benched over 500 with no shirt, and snatched 375, and I believe he's done powershrugs with over 800 for reps. When competing he was consistently drug tested to boot. He will also tell you the power shrug is the best exercise for developing the traps (providing you are deadlifting and rowing of course) and that isolation is largely garbage. If you trust people based upon size, he's far better choice than most. A good read regardless: http://www.readthecore.com/200503/reynolds-glenn-pendlay.htm

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1. When you say rows, do you mean bent over BB rows?

2. Don't you deadlift the bar into the hang position before you shrug it? So you can basically combine these 2 exercises?