Shrugs

[anthrax]

What are the main benefit(s) of shrugs?

Which form do you use? (DB shrugs, BB shrugs, Barbell Shrugs Behind The Back)

 

[Redshoteye]

Benefits?..... well traps, obviously.

I use 2 sets bb shrugs, then 1 set max out behind the back bb, and then do 1 set max out db shrugs

 

[Madcow2]

Whether it's working on explosive strength or just general hypertrophy, nothing in the world is better than these. The traps and upperback were designed for dynamic pulling and respond rediculously. This is one of those exercises that is warrantied. If you haven't done it before, within 4 weeks you will have significant visible results in the mirror. Start light or you might die. Higher reps are fine. In all honesty, I don't know anyone who has tried these that has ever gone back to regular shrugs, and I know a lot of people who've used them.

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4712284&postcount=319

 

[anthrax]

Thanks guys!

I'm not so much interested in hypertrophy per se (nor do I want to have to buy new shirts)

I was considering including shrugs (or rather Power Shrugs) for strength and/or because it would help for DL or wathever other movement

 

[Sub-Zero]

ill keep it here instead of making a new thread since this is about power shrugs i guess

so i just finished week 4 of 5x5, gunan do deloading next week then intensity

during intensity would it be alright to add these in after deads since ill be doing so much less than i was during 5x5 part loading

or do you still stick by the fact that it will be too much, even through im only gunna be 3x3ing now

 

[Madcow2]

If you are doing the 3x per week and intend on carrying into record weeks in 8/9, no way. This is a really taxing movement and you should be familiar with it before starting one of these heavy scaling programs. After you finish the program take 2-3 weeks and get familiar with it and build up. If you perform it from above just above the knees (shoulders start over the bar) the longer range of motion makes it into more of a hang clean pull. You could substitute out the barbell row on M/F. Or throw it in on the day you do 1x5 rows for 3 sets of 8-10 reps done last (in which case you can do it from the hang or the higher traditional powershrug position).

 

[Jim Ouini]

Whether it's working on explosive strength or just general hypertrophy, nothing in the world is better than these. The traps and upperback were designed for dynamic pulling and respond rediculously. This is one of those exercises that is warrantied. If you haven't done it before, within 4 weeks you will have significant visible results in the mirror. Start light or you might die. Higher reps are fine. In all honesty, I don't know anyone who has tried these that has ever gone back to regular shrugs, and I know a lot of people who've used them.

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=4712284&postcount=319

I have to say I've already seen a lot of improvement in my traps from doing clean pulls for 4 weeks. I really like them.

 

[Sub-Zero]

If you are doing the 3x per week and intend on carrying into record weeks in 8/9, no way. This is a really taxing movement and you should be familiar with it before starting one of these heavy scaling programs. After you finish the program take 2-3 weeks and get familiar with it and build up. If you perform it from above just above the knees (shoulders start over the bar) the longer range of motion makes it into more of a hang clean pull. You could substitute out the barbell row on M/F. Or throw it in on the day you do 1x5 rows for 3 sets of 8-10 reps done last (in which case you can do it from the hang or the higher traditional powershrug position).

i had been doing them for a while and stopped before i started 5x5

so if i choose to do the 3 sets of 8-10 after 1x5 row day, should i wait untill next 5x5 and carry it through all the weeks or is it alright to start it when my 1x3 starts since im familiar

 

[Madcow2]

The last thing you want to do when deloading is add another heavy exercise. Kind of defeats the purpose. If you are running the intensity phase the whole way out to records in weeks 8/9. Evaluate how you feel for week 7 (so you'd have week 5 and a reasonable week 6 to recover before adding them).

 

[Sub-Zero]

The last thing you want to do when deloading is add another heavy exercise. Kind of defeats the purpose. If you are running the intensity phase the whole way out to records in weeks 8/9. Evaluate how you feel for week 7 (so you'd have week 5 and a reasonable week 6 to recover before adding them).

okay thanks

 

[anthrax]

Just read that......
Now I no longer know what to think

Tip #4: Don't waste your time on barbell shrugs.

Powerlifters sport traps that would make a Silverback gorilla envious, yet the barbell shrug is not part of most powerlifting training programs. The reason is that the shrug doesn't duplicate the skill or build the strength for pulling a heavy deadlift to lockout.

Shrugs done standing with an Olympic bar are also limited in the range of motion and leverage due to the bar being on the thighs. Besides, traps don't lock out deadlifts, hips and grip do. If you can’t get your spine and hips extended with a weight, you can't possibly do a shrug with it. Trying to shrug a weight to lockout will generally make you try to pull it with your biceps. Hello, biceps tear!

You don't want to shrug the weight upwards and extend the distance the weight is moved; you want to retract your shoulders as you extend your back and push your hips forward. This is called a lockout. Practicing lockouts with a large weight in the power rack, with the spine fully extended from the start, can help you practice the skill of lockout and overload your grip, but it won’t build your traps very well.

 

[blut wump]

Power shrugs are viewed as an assistance exercise for the deadlift.

Here's a pre-contest routine from Phillipi
http://www.powerpage.net/coanphildead.html

They can also give a good calf and hip workout.

 

[Madcow2]

Deadlift assistance along with GMs and tons of OL variants in the famouns "How to Increase the Deadlift without Deadlifting" from Starr: http://www.americanpowerliftevolution.net/New Folder 1969/dlapproach1.html

Here's a close implementation but he left out power shrugs but obviously, his DL improved with only OL work so interpret that and extrapolate to the powershrug however you want: http://www.ruggedmag.com/index.php?type=Article&i=15&a=9

While I do think standard barbell shrugs are a piss waste for the DL and for most people in general, this is a far more versitile movement.

 

[blut wump]

I see them as another great compound exercise. I always tried to do my shrugs explosively but power shrugs are the whole deal. They have the dynamic explosive movement for the traps and they allow you to bring more body parts into the movement not only to give stress to them too but also to add even more load onto the traps with the extra weight the movement permits.

That said, I tend to view them in the same way I view barbell curls. A couple or three weeks working with them and you can practically guarantee that the muscles will be popping out. As such, I view them as an aesthetic exercise for muscles that get their real work in other exercises. I do them mostly for vanity and the pleasure of handling the heavy weights in the movement.