A question about power shrugs

[TheShadowMan]

So pretty much i've always done either farmer's walks or cleans for traps, but once in awhile I mess around with power shrugs. My question is, is this a complete movement for the trap? By that I mean, does it stimulate upper, middle, and lower sections simultaneously? Or is it purely specific to the upper region as many shrugs tend to be?

[SuffolkPunch]

I find them to be very inefficient for my purposes at least. You can waste a lot of energy heaving the bar around. I much prefer the much more focused overhead shrugs which target the upper traps more. I leave other parts of the trap to deadlifts, cleans, overhead pressing, rowing etc.

[Heisman2]

To hit the lower traps hard do HEAVY cable Y-raises. You will feel them. Then you'll realize the power shrugs are not doing anything for them.

[TheShadowMan]

So they don't hit all three in a single movement? They neglect the lower?

[Heisman2]

Yes, watch this video to see how the lower traps work:

[TheShadowMan]

Bummer, I was hoping since there was an explosive component that it'd make a nice total trap movement I could use to hit all my birds with one stone. It's said to be a compound and all.

[Heisman2]

If you're looking for a compound movement to hit all of the aspects of the traps I would do heavy cable Y raises and then hold the top movement with your arms at the plane of your shoulders, lean back slight, and do overhead shrugs. Alternatively, just do overhead shrugs alone and focus on flexing your shoulder blades back at the top and this should hit the lower traps too.

[TheShadowMan]

No access to cables unfortunately aside from a less than ideal high cable rig that hangs off a bench chin up bar attachment. It can't handle much weight cause the bench tips over, i'd have to use dumbbells for those. Would I be better off just sticking with cleans, high pulls, deadlifts, or farmer's walks for a trap compound here? Are power shrugs useless?

[Heisman2]

Power shrugs are not useless, but of those options probably high pulls would be your best bet to stimulate the upper and middle traps. Power shrugs could do this well if you lean forward a bit and focus hard on retracting your shoulder blades with the concentric. You could also just do a superset of dumbbell Y raises (while laying face down on a bench, you will not need heavy weight) and actual shrugs.

[TheShadowMan]

Do you get more coverage if you high pull from the floor as opposed to a hang position?

[Heisman2]

I would do it from a hang if you do not have specific Olympic style weightlifting training as your form will likely be better this way.

[BadGaskets350]

You can hit the lower/middle traps with proper form on dumbell shrugs. Use lighter dumbbells, do this seated.

Look at the first exercise Johnny Jackson shows in this video.

Well apparently I'm still a post count virgin so I can't link a video so search YouTube for "How to develop big&thick traps w/Johnny Jackson" on the Muscle & Strength channel.