Getting massive traps

[Diesel22]

Scapular elevation throughout the entire ROM of upright rows. If you're not doing it, try it. Major difference. The wierd thing is that we all think we know exactly how to train...it's funny how we forget the little things that make a major difference.

 

[browndog1]

I love upright rows, but they always hurt my wrists toward the top. damn I hate that.

...bd

 

[TheGame_620]

Besides doing uprights and regular shrugs, I like doing shrugs behind the back on a smith, it feels real nice

 

[genarr3]

I was told by my Ortho that was working on my shoulder not to do upright rows, bad for the shoulder.

 

[Jowers]

When I do traps I do shrugs with lighter weight and do 10second holds at the top of each shrug

 

[Jowers]

I agree with genarr3 upright rows seem to kill my shoulders so I refrain from doing them.

 

[Riker29]

I agree with genarr3 upright rows seem to kill my shoulders so I refrain from doing them.

YES YES YES YES YES.

Do NOT do upright rows. They SUCK.

Sure, many guys say "my shoulders dont hurt".

Maybe they don't. YET.

You are MUCH better off simply holding the bar as IF you will do an upright row, and then shrug the bar up, pulling up using your traps.


BTW - nehind the neck presses will mess up your shoulders also. And side laterals with the thumbs pointing down instead of up.

 

[genarr3]

I've also been told by a respected Doc not to do behind the neck lat pull downs - or really anything behind the neck.

 

[sicklydiesel]

I've also been told by a respected Doc not to do behind the neck lat pull downs - or really anything behind the neck.

I got a little trick to do behind the neck and keep my back and neck properly aligned, i sit reversed on the chair(legs not under the knee bad) with my ass about 1/2 way on the chair, i dont have to bend my neck or back this way...


dumbell shrugs kill my traps, i never grew off barbell shrugs. Now that i been doing dumbell my traps are getting almost too big.

 

[SofaGeorge]

Kent Keuhn had a really cool techinque for this. He would get in a standing calf machine that put the brace around your shoulders. Then instead of working calves he would do shoulder shrugs... but with traps only... no arms engaged at all. He'd just shrug up his shoulders. He swears to this day this is the best trap exercise there is.

 

[drrman]

i agree with jowers, my traps have grown tons since i quit shrugging hundreds of pounds for those power reps and went to lighter strict squeezing movements. I can get a hell of a pump with a mere 135 lbs on a straight bar, try holding your traps to your ears for 10 secs!!

 

[pittbull2]

I love upright rows just done some few minutes ago, now behind the neck lat pulldowns kill me I think me being short & thick I don't have much flex in that position and i can hear bones cracking in my neck if I go over 150 lbs but I do them anyway.

 

[QuikFx]

you guys all think that upright rows are the best for traps? i thnk i get the best results with the shrug machine.. the chair with the arms.

 

[trial0r]

you guys all think that upright rows are the best for traps? i thnk i get the best results with the shrug machine.. the chair with the arms.

that shrug machine aint bad at all. ive been using it lately alternating between the machine and barbell shrugs and ive been getting better pumps every week.
the one at my gym uses actual plates which is nice. i hate those little rectangular weights on most machines.

 

[Thaibox]

Upright rows = waste of time IMO

Pulling a shrug at lockout of every deadlift rep destroys my traps for the next few days

 

[Bar Room Hero]

Because uprights fuck with my wrists, i do my heavy sets with the dumbells and then hit upright rows with light weight. My traps are definately my best bodypart and it began with me altering the way that I shrugged the dumbells. Instead of holding them out of the side with the ends pointed at the mirror, I bring them in front of me, ends pointed at one another and do a sort-of quarter upright row/squeeze/shrug. It's killer. Give it a try.

 

[TheGame_620]

I do upright rows but I do them at the end of my shoulder workout. I do not do them for traps, but they do hit your traps I guess as a secondary muscle you could say.

 

[Brett]

TRAPS ON BACK DAY

I GET THE BEST RESAULTS TRAINNG TRAPS ON BACK DAY

 

[Mass Myth]

my traps grew best from hang cleans and deads. sometimes i do shrugs, make sure you use good form. so many people shrug heavy but their form sucks

 

[bigpimp]

do 600lb barbell shrugs like me...and watch'em grow like fucking weeds

 

[Diesel22]

in case you guys didn't know, the trapezius extends far down the back. Only doing shrugs will put the emphasis primarily on the upper traps, which is good. But your trapezius almost functions as three muscles (upper, middle, and lower). The best way to target the whole thing is to do upright rows. And the reason why your wrists hurt is because when your humerous (upper arm) comes above parallel to the floor (bar to the chin) with your wrists too close. ulnar flexion occurs. Bad for wrist! anyway i found that doing them correctly and with shoulders shrugged through the entire ROM is very effective without momentum of course.

 

[Rather Be Ruggin']

Olympic Lifts!!!
Power cleans, snatch, high pulls, push press.

Most olympic lifters have HUGE traps. Works best for me anyway.

Cheers

 

[Elapid]

Upright rows(along with incline bb) contributed to my biceps impingement and subsiquent surgery. I would avoid them like the plague if there already uncomfortable btw heavy deads followed by one armed shrugs work for me.

 

[maxes21]

I've also been told by a respected Doc not to do behind the neck lat pull downs - or really anything behind the neck.

behind the neck lat pulldown's suck for me for some reason, i was doing them for like 4 years and never doing them in the front since my weight training teacher in high school said to do them in the back, and never got wide lats, since then i have been doing front lat pull downs and now have lats, i grew some nice one's in my second cycle, and i never do behind the neck now except for shoulder presses.

about traps, ive been doing them for 6 years and only sometimes it hurts my shoulders but that is casue my grip was to wide, when i keep my hands about 2 inches apart and at the top of the lift i arch my back and no pain at all i loves theses, traps worked hard 2 times a week will give u a good peak