How do you get big traps?

[Widgeteye]

My cousin builds fence for a living, never lifted a weight in his life. Has the biggest traps I ever saw. The moral of this story is, go out in the backyard and start digging it up with a set of post hole diggers. And not the gas powered type but the kind with two handles. DID MAN DIG!

[anonymous]

heavy squats, FRONT SQUATS, deads and POWER CLEANS. anything else is just run of the mill bull chit

hardcore bro, hardcore.

I have to say the lift that wasted my middle / upper traps the most was short ROM, high TUL rack pulls - like 20 reps with a really heavy weight and a moderate cadence. I dont know if that stimulated any real growth though.

[mal1ce]

In reference to power shrugs, here is a video by Rippetoe that explains it:

http://vimeo.com/16415807

[JonnoAUS]

No, no muscle needs to be punished, that is a stupid mentality. Pushed, yes. Punished, no.

5x5 doesn't build much muscle? Holy shiat! Then you quote Bill Starr, the king of mass and strength....who invented the 5x5 programs... 5x5 programs build huge mass and huge strength...That is why so many programs have copied Starr.

The problem with your posts is your blindly making statements like "3000 calories will make you fat" or "400# for big traps" or even better, "5x5 doesn't build much muscle". You have much to learn, I would sit back, read and hit the journals before you start making these types of statements.

Bill Starr wasn't the king of 'mass and 'strength'. He was a strength coach. And has said many times you don't need at add body weight to get stronger. And his program's will add strength without a lot of muscle mass if you don't want it.

3000 cals for me will make me fat. That's doing a Bill Starr routine, running, and working as a furniture mover.

Power Shrugging and building up too 320 lbs for 5 reps did nothing for trap development in me. Figured 400+ was at LEAST needed.

5x5 won't build ANY muscle if you don't want it to. Bill Starr has often mentioned it if you wanted to keep the same bodyweight for a particular sport. I've done the program, added strength considerably, dieted, lost fat AND muscle.

I could do ANY bodybuilding program and add a lot of strength without adding bodyweight.

[BloodySalad]

Going to be 100% with you.
Fapping.
I am serious.
I don't work out traps, but I do fap a lot, so my conclusion is that fapping made them grow.

Have to admit: I always thought fapping was a lats exercise.

Feck it. Now I'm going to have to check my form.

[BLaaR]

I see a couple of posters mentioned the dreaded upright row.

Is it really a safe movement for the shoulder or more importantly for the rotator cuff ?

Some article suggest using a shoulder width grip is fine, while others suggest to avoid it completely.

[HoboHank]

I lift at home mostly, an apt. gym, high efficiency. Valor Squat Stands, 90lbs Power Blocks, Flat Bench, Trap Bar, 20lbs Ankle Weights, 300lbs standard plates- Standard Bar. With the trap bar & my traps have gotten 100% better. I do close grip upright rows also on shoulder day, along with tap bar shrugs. What's sick about the bar is light weight and high reps work as effective as heavy-low reps.
Only downside to having bigger traps is my shoulders are not as big & capped? as they used to be since my traps improved, so I alternate uprights one workout, laterals the next. Nice balance..
Perhaps your crowd can chip in, not that expensive if you spread it out.

[racedoc]

I see a couple of posters mentioned the dreaded upright row.

Is it really a safe movement for the shoulder or more importantly for the rotator cuff ?

Some article suggest using a shoulder width grip is fine, while others suggest to avoid it completely.

I have shoulder impingement issues and never, not ever, do upright rows. When asked for advice, I recommend people avoid them, as well as behind the neck press, completely. YMMV, however, and sounds like some folks have gotten good results with them. I remember IW posted something about there is no exercise so important that it is worth doing even though it injures you, which is perfect advice! Good luck.

[MichaelCJ]

Power shrugs.

[bodyhard]

I see a couple of posters mentioned the dreaded upright row.

Is it really a safe movement for the shoulder or more importantly for the rotator cuff ?

Some article suggest using a shoulder width grip is fine, while others suggest to avoid it completely.

I do them (shoulder width grip) and been doing them for over 20 years they don't affect my rotator cuff at all.

[tryintorebuild]

Sure, you can build on them a little but honestly when it comes to traps, calves and abs, if you aren't born with them they'll never look how you'd like.

No offense man... Well ok, I'm being a little offensive here, but you should be giving advice on the "Quick I need an excuse for being obese" forum.

Not born with it you can't have it? In that case, I guess we're all wasting our time. I can quit going to the gym and stick to doing curls. That seems to be the only muscle group that comes natural to me.

[y0lked]

Did you even read the question by the OP

none of those exercises require a stand for the barbell.

[Smelly bull]

Bill Starr wasn't the king of 'mass and 'strength'. He was a strength coach. And has said many times you don't need at add body weight to get stronger. And his program's will add strength without a lot of muscle mass if you don't want it.

3000 cals for me will make me fat. That's doing a Bill Starr routine, running, and working as a furniture mover.

Power Shrugging and building up too 320 lbs for 5 reps did nothing for trap development in me. Figured 400+ was at LEAST needed.

5x5 won't build ANY muscle if you don't want it to. Bill Starr has often mentioned it if you wanted to keep the same bodyweight for a particular sport. I've done the program, added strength considerably, dieted, lost fat AND muscle.

I could do ANY bodybuilding program and add a lot of strength without adding bodyweight.

I read this and well, I am not sure where to start. Good luck with your fitness goals, cause you will need it, brains are not part of your equation.

[anonymous]

I see a couple of posters mentioned the dreaded upright row.

Is it really a safe movement for the shoulder or more importantly for the rotator cuff ?

Some article suggest using a shoulder width grip is fine, while others suggest to avoid it completely.

wouldnt bother with it personally, the most important criteria for a 35+ lifter should be 'does this lift carry the risk of injuring me even if I perform it correctly?'.. so not worth taking chances when there are safer alternatives

[MichaelCJ]

wouldnt bother with it personally, the most important criteria for a 35+ lifter should be 'does this lift carry the risk of injuring me even if I perform it correctly?'.. so not worth taking chances when there are safer alternatives

Should've left it at just the part I conveniently bolded for you. As for the rest: oh, by all means, do speak for yourself. But don't go making stoopid generalisations like that, mm'k?

Jeebus. It's not like, at (or around) 35, people suddenly become frail, fragile creatures that need to be protected from "unsafe" lifts and suchlike. Puh-lease.

[ntrllftr]

none of those exercises require a stand for the barbell.

The OP want's bigger traps. You said to do "heavy squats" and front squats. How does that build traps.
Now you say that a cage is not required for "heavy" squats. Again...
What is a stand required for in shruggs anywhey?


So, yes.....

[anonymous]

Should've left it at just the part I conveniently bolded for you. As for the rest: oh, by all means, do speak for yourself. But don't go making stoopid generalisations like that, mm'k?

Jeebus. It's not like, at (or around) 35, people suddenly become frail, fragile creatures that need to be protected from "unsafe" lifts and suchlike. Puh-lease.

erm.. actually we do. In your mid 30's IGF levels start to drop, we usually have a lot more external stress to deal with which raises cortisol, testosterone levels drop and if you've been lifting for years you'll have an accumulation of chronic aches, pains and inbalances. Muscle tears, especially bicep tears, are much more common in 35+ men than in younger lifters.

hopefully by 35 people develop the maturity to understand that there are real consequences to getting hurt in the gym, like having to take time off work, not being able to throw a ball with your kids or help your wife with the chores etc and modify their training to be able to train injury free until they're 60+. I have more than enough body damage to last a lifetime and I'm not even 40

[bodyhard]

erm.. actually we do. In your mid 30's IGF levels start to drop, we usually have a lot more external stress to deal with which raises cortisol, testosterone levels drop and if you've been lifting for years you'll have an accumulation of chronic aches, pains and inbalances. Muscle tears, especially bicep tears, are much more common in 35+ men than in younger lifters.

hopefully by 35 people develop the maturity to understand that there are real consequences to getting hurt in the gym, like having to take time off work, not being able to throw a ball with your kids or help your wife with the chores etc and modify their training to be able to train injury free until they're 60+. I have more than enough body damage to last a lifetime and I'm not even 40

Man if I thought the way you do I would have stopped training years ago.

I am 48 years old I have no aches nor pains from training 30 years, if it weren't for my car accident I would be 100% pain free. Unfortunately a f'cking drunken bastard f'ck that up for me.

[anonymous]

Man if I thought the way you do I would have stopped training years ago.

I am 48 years old I have no aches nor pains from training 30 years, if it weren't for my car accident I would be 100% pain free. Unfortunately a f'cking drunken bastard f'ck that up for me.

obviously I'm not saying not to lift, but to leave the ego behind and pick from the smartest option availible.

in my own case I sometimes get the itch to pull on my single ply and see if I can still bench 675 in it.. then I remember I'm training in a commerical gym, with idiots for spotters and I could tear the sh-t out of myself trying. So I go do DB press or paused benching with a 'light' weight instead. Same as traps - I could throw 700+ on the bar and flail at it like an idiot being 'hardcore' doing 'power' shrugs but that won't stimulate the same growth as controlled reps with a much lighter weight and the risk of hurting my shoulder or back is way higher

but I repect your opionion - 30+ years training with no body damage is amazing, you obviously have a lifetime of experience and train smart BB style

[JonnoAUS]

I read this and well, I am not sure where to start. Good luck with your fitness goals, cause you will need it, brains are not part of your equation.

I've squatted 330. DL 375. Good morning was 220 x 10 reps. Overhead pressed bodyweight (180 ish)and push pressed 200.

And I'm the most un athletic guy in existence and only stopped further progress from a bad knee injury from playing a friendly game of football and then a nasty tropical virus that still affects me.

But if you want to challenge what I wrote....fine....but just say what it is you don't agree with.

[bodyhard]

obviously I'm not saying not to lift, but to leave the ego behind and pick from the smartest option availible.

in my own case I sometimes get the itch to pull on my single ply and see if I can still bench 675 in it.. then I remember I'm training in a commerical gym, with idiots for spotters and I could tear the sh-t out of myself trying. So I go do DB press or paused benching with a 'light' weight instead. Same as traps - I could throw 700+ on the bar and flail at it like an idiot being 'hardcore' doing 'power' shrugs but that won't stimulate the same growth as controlled reps with a much lighter weight and the risk of hurting my shoulder or back is way higher

but I repect your opionion - 30+ years training with no body damage is amazing, you obviously have a lifetime of experience and train smart BB style

Don't get me wrong man I am not saying what you are saying is wrong, I am merely saying if I thought along those lines I would not be training this long.

For me I just don't believe in the age old BS,once you hit a certain age you have to train a certain way, maybe my ignorance has been my blessings...

[danap3681]

I was doing deadlifts but it tends to hurt my back because of my alignment. Now my go to exercise for my traps do reverse DB flyes and I have seen huge improvement from doing those. I tried shrugs but never really saw any changes plus I made ugly faces while doing them so I just stick with what works for me.

[gumbacicc1]

I'm seemingly in the minority here, but I don't see how any exercise would build your traps more than doing heavy shrugs.

[mcmoon]

Heavy power cleans and snatch grip deadlifts to me seem to get the job done

[azstrengthcoach]

You deadlift. Heavy.

Or power cleans, pretty much pick up heavy things off the ground and hold them

[RobRocks]

Can shrugs be done on the smith machine?

[Astro_Gym]

Heavy power cleans and snatch grip deadlifts to me seem to get the job done

An interesting article on snatch grip deadlifts. Thanks for the idea.

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=4943293

[EjnarKolinkar]

Throw 5-6 sacks cement in wheel barrel push around for conditioning. Skip treadmill. No concrete crews with small traps. Same concept as farmers walks.

They have wheel barrels or Craigslist in China OP?

You can shrug on a Smith, just don't tell anybody your using a Smith to avoid /Smith thread.

[jd2967]

I know I don't fit the age for this forum, but this thread showed up on the forum mainpage.

And, well...

<---

Heavy (relative, more than 5 reps =/= heavy) barbell shrugs. Straight up and down. No squeeze.
8 to 10 sets of 1 to 5 reps twice a week.

Checked back after a few days to see if anybody had any questions... And found a bunch of fools with baby traps trying to tell people how to get them.

I'm seemingly in the minority here, but I don't see how any exercise would build your traps more than doing heavy shrugs.

So I figured I'd quote myself and this other gentleman with an admirable physique and non-fail advice to hopefully get one or two of you to see the ****ing light.

Seriously? Heavy =/= 10+ reps. ****, for me heavy is a weight I can't do for more than five. ~35 should be your PRIME.

Front squats for traps? Really? REALLY?? Have fun settling for mediocrity AND retardation.

[Jeffro72]

Genetics surely help. When I first started lifting around 18, I quickly had some of the biggest traps in the gym. I didn't do deadlifts at all, only upright rows, and shoulder shrugs, and did them just as much as the other body parts. They were my strongest lifts (relatively). It's kinda like that overweight guy you see cruising around in shorts who doesn't lift weights at all, yet has some of the biggest, most ripped calves ever. Genetics. Even after I stopped lifting for 17+ years, my traps and scalene muscles were still prominent while everything else withered away back to average guy status. My avi is just before I started playing with weights again (a few years ago), and I still had traps larger than most people I saw in the gym.

Genetics aside, I'd say concentrate on upright rows and shrugs. Keep the reps and sets the same and just make sure the weight you use goes up over time. That's all I did.

But I see others on here who have made fantastic progress with deadlifts, so those are definitely worth a shot, even though I never did them.