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Kano
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For traps, shrugs and more shrugs are the answer. In all positions. Barbell in front, dumbell by sides, barbell behind you. Make sure you do about 9-10 sets because the traps are a big muscle group. they go all the way down your back.
Narrow grip (thumbs touching each other) upright rows are good too, but make sure the elbows stay higher than the wrists at all times.
You can also do one handed shrugs at an angle. Grab hold of something with your left hand and then lean your body to the right so your torso is 45 degrees parallel. Hang your right arm straight down with a dumbell (heavy) and shrug it up. A real good isolation move.
One thing that really helps the traps and overall back are cleans. But I don't know if you can do this with the bad shoulders. Basically like olympic lifters you clean the weight up to your neck like you are going to press overhead (but don't). Also unlike them, I don't lower the bar all the way to the floor I just lower it down to my quads (standing upright) and get a shrug each time. It would go something like :
Start like youa re doing a wide grip up right row
Then explosively clean the weight up to a pressing position under your chin
return to starting position
do one shrug rep
start over cleaning again
return
shrug
start over...e tc...
Back wise, if you can't do chins, do pulldowns very very strict and with high reps. Chins are a waste for most people because they contract their back anyway... they heave themselves up on forearm, biceps, and rear delt strength alone.
Do your pulldown fully with a good stretch at the top for a two count. When pulling down, you are not bringing the bar down to your chest, you are instead pulling your elbows down to touch your hips (impossible I kmow, but that is the proper method) You can picture your scalpula as two mini grind stones grinding the hell out of all the muscles in the area as they rotate down and around.
Most people overall use too much weight for back training and can't make the mind/muscle connection and it all becomes a wasted movement and exercise. That is why dumbell and barbell rows are ineffective for most people. Unless you do it with proper form. Which most people don't. They do it like Dorian did. Basically standing up straight and making it into some kind of half ass mini shrug.
Instead do it like Arnold did in all his old pictures, body perfectly horizontal at a 90 degree angle and pulling elbows back as far as they can go.
Also with rows, using a wide grip is not ideal. You are trying to pull your elbows back as far as they can go for maximum contraction of the back and lats... when you go wide, it reduces the movement. Try it with a broomstick and see what I mean
Narrow grip (thumbs touching each other) upright rows are good too, but make sure the elbows stay higher than the wrists at all times.
You can also do one handed shrugs at an angle. Grab hold of something with your left hand and then lean your body to the right so your torso is 45 degrees parallel. Hang your right arm straight down with a dumbell (heavy) and shrug it up. A real good isolation move.
One thing that really helps the traps and overall back are cleans. But I don't know if you can do this with the bad shoulders. Basically like olympic lifters you clean the weight up to your neck like you are going to press overhead (but don't). Also unlike them, I don't lower the bar all the way to the floor I just lower it down to my quads (standing upright) and get a shrug each time. It would go something like :
Start like youa re doing a wide grip up right row
Then explosively clean the weight up to a pressing position under your chin
return to starting position
do one shrug rep
start over cleaning again
return
shrug
start over...e tc...
Back wise, if you can't do chins, do pulldowns very very strict and with high reps. Chins are a waste for most people because they contract their back anyway... they heave themselves up on forearm, biceps, and rear delt strength alone.
Do your pulldown fully with a good stretch at the top for a two count. When pulling down, you are not bringing the bar down to your chest, you are instead pulling your elbows down to touch your hips (impossible I kmow, but that is the proper method) You can picture your scalpula as two mini grind stones grinding the hell out of all the muscles in the area as they rotate down and around.
Most people overall use too much weight for back training and can't make the mind/muscle connection and it all becomes a wasted movement and exercise. That is why dumbell and barbell rows are ineffective for most people. Unless you do it with proper form. Which most people don't. They do it like Dorian did. Basically standing up straight and making it into some kind of half ass mini shrug.
Instead do it like Arnold did in all his old pictures, body perfectly horizontal at a 90 degree angle and pulling elbows back as far as they can go.
Also with rows, using a wide grip is not ideal. You are trying to pull your elbows back as far as they can go for maximum contraction of the back and lats... when you go wide, it reduces the movement. Try it with a broomstick and see what I mean
