trap exercises?

[jcdawg2010]

what can i do to make my traps massive? i have been doing shrugs and im getting bored of that. any advise?

[DJAuto]

Originally Posted by jcdawg2010

what can i do to make my traps massive? i have been doing shrugs and im getting bored of that. any advise?

Deadlifts.
Heavy holds.
Close grip upright rows.

etc.

[Mr. Aries]

shrugs is pretty much all you need for massive traps. Boredom is part of the game. In a few years, you are going to be bored of every exercise.

[ITHURTZ]

Deadlifts, rackpulls,sumo deadlifts, upright rows, clean and press, dumbell shrugs, seated shrugs, barbell shrugs, behind the back shrugs. If your bored now, just wait because your eventually ALWAYS going to do the same thing

[zennode]

Try some gymnastic bodyweight moves such as:

Front Lever Tuck Pull Ups

I also like doing a bunch of planche work.

[db2012]

please keep in mind regardless of the exercise, traps are mainly genetics, of coruse any muscle you train can grow, but only to its maximum potential. I never train traps, and shoulders only once or twice per month but they are my most developed muscles. Abs on the other hand, regardless of what I do in the gym I won't have a waist like Serge Nubret did in the 70s.

[beer_and_boobs]

power cleans and upright rows

[hulkinout]

Originally Posted by Mr. Aries

shrugs is pretty much all you need for massive traps. Boredom is part of the game. In a few years, you are going to be bored of every exercise.

I disagree. There are plenty of people who are non-responders to shrugs. Rack-pulls, cleans, deads, upright rows.

[AbAbber2k]

Originally Posted by hulkinout

I disagree. There are plenty of people who are non-responders to shrugs. Rack-pulls, cleans, deads, upright rows.

I agree with your disagreement.

Just because one movement doesn't seem to help, is no reason to assume you can't progress a certain muscle group.

[sincerelyryan]

Originally Posted by DJAuto

Deadlifts.
Heavy holds.
Close grip upright rows.

etc.

I agree with this recommendation. Also try heavy holds and shrugs at different angles, with and without the chest supported. I think this is one of the reasons so many people swear by deads as a means to build big traps - the pull is up and down through a whole range of angles that you don't get from straight shrugs, and those suckers will burn when doing over 5 or 6 reps.

[h3yhOwy0udOin]

nothing hits the traps harder than behind the back barbell shrugs according to Men's Fitness magazine

[hulkinout]

Originally Posted by h3yhOwy0udOin

nothing hits the traps harder than behind the back barbell shrugs according to Men's Fitness magazine

Ah, that venerated publication... :-P

Actually, I do prefer behind the back shrugs to front shrugs, but they're still lower on my list than the other exercises cited above.

[khajja]

Originally Posted by h3yhOwy0udOin

nothing hits the traps harder than behind the back barbell shrugs according to Men's Fitness magazine

normally when i read those last 5 words on these forums, i know there's a joke somewhere. but when i look at your username and your red reputation, i wonder if that joke is you....

p.s. it is a great exercise

[Smokes]

I'm in the same boat. I am trying to get bigger traps to help cushion the bar during jump squats and regular squats. I have made a little progress with using upright rows and DB shrugs.

[Shylock]

Behind neck smith machine shrugs with WITH PALMS FACING OUT! Nothing, i repeat nothing hits the traps like this! Forget using DB shrugs, a waste of time. They only give you a pump.

[tacoop]

I have gotten better developement in the traps from doing deadlifts and rack deads than I ever did from doing shrugs. Give these a try and see what you think.

[stealth_swimmer]

Originally Posted by h3yhOwy0udOin

nothing hits the traps harder than behind the back barbell shrugs according to Men's Fitness magazine

although that magazine may have said that...

















































You mean according to 8-time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney




Anyways, I prefer behind the back BB shrugs and also just normal DB shrugs.

[RUCKJN]

Originally Posted by Shylock

Behind neck smith machine shrugs with WITH PALMS FACING OUT! Nothing, i repeat nothing hits the traps like this! Forget using DB shrugs, a waste of time. They only give you a pump.

Now I am not disagreeing with the smith shrugs you suggested, but to say to do away with DB shrugs is bad advice. They have a place in any workout, for variety. On a side note, DB shrugs put you in a mechanically advantageous position due to hand/arm position. OP, you have gotten a lot of good advice in this thread with a lot of variety.

[Fitnessmaster68]

Originally Posted by jcdawg2010

what can i do to make my traps massive? i have been doing shrugs and im getting bored of that. any advise?

use straps or hooks, then load the bar up with a heavy weight that you can barely do 1 rep and do as slow a negative as you can. Also just lifting the bar off the rack and holding it will help.

[Shylock]

Originally Posted by RUCKJN

Now I am not disagreeing with the smith shrugs you suggested, but to say to do away with DB shrugs is bad advice. They have a place in any workout, for variety. On a side note, DB shrugs put you in a mechanically advantageous position due to hand/arm position. OP, you have gotten a lot of good advice in this thread with a lot of variety.

The lats are back muscles, i dont see how working them from the side helps, that much. They do give a pump but thats about it.

[h3yhOwy0udOin]

bent over d.b. raises

[I dont work at Ballys]

simply amazing. all these replies and no one even mentioned the rest of the traps. your traps do a hell of alot more than elevate the scapulae. train them from all angles if you want them to get big.

[stealth_swimmer]

Originally Posted by I dont work at Ballys

simply amazing. all these replies and no one even mentioned the rest of the traps. your traps do a hell of alot more than elevate the scapulae. train them from all angles if you want them to get big.

I think rows and shrugs just about cover them, and also reverse flies (which I only recently tried out)

When you say "train from all angles" what other exercises do you mean?

[mAssholio]

lat shrugs

[project2501]

i didnt see these mentioned so i will throw them out there

High pulls

Face pulls

[stealth_swimmer]

Originally Posted by mAssholio

lat shrugs

don't those hit the teres? THe resistance is when you push down, not when your raising your shoulders...so there's no resistance your traps have to overcome as far as I can tell.

[I dont work at Ballys]

Originally Posted by stealth_swimmer

I think rows and shrugs just about cover them, and also reverse flies (which I only recently tried out)

When you say "train from all angles" what other exercises do you mean?

trapezius is divided into 4 sections. hip angle changes everything when you perform a shrug, leaning forward 15 degrees, 30 degrees, 60 degrees, 90 etc.... i only ever see people doing shrugs one way.

and now the "compound camp" wins because for some reason its good to do iso's for upper traps but only compounds work for traps 3-4? i never understand these arguments. oh and then all the guys in the "iso's camp" who say to do deadlifts for lower back... what about spinal extension/stabilization movements? even reverse hypers would be less of a compound... ok i know im off topic but i am continually amazed at this website.


oh and i like hang pulls for my traps 1-2

[I dont work at Ballys]

Originally Posted by stealth_swimmer

don't those hit the teres? THe resistance is when you push down, not when your raising your shoulders...so there's no resistance your traps have to overcome as far as I can tell.

teres what? and i have a couple different definitions of a lat shrug, can we clarify?

[mAssholio]

Originally Posted by I dont work at Ballys

teres what? and i have a couple different definitions of a lat shrug, can we clarify?

the one that hits ur trapz

[tropo]

Originally Posted by h3yhOwy0udOin

nothing hits the traps harder than behind the back barbell shrugs according to Men's Fitness magazine

Forget what they say in Men's Fitness magazine. Both Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler do shrugs behind the back...and with a notable elbow bend too.

I must try it someday.