Traps won't seem to grow...SUGGESTIONS?

[fender23]

My routine for traps consists of 5 sets of BB shrugs. I pyramid these sets and the reps are: 12, 10, 8, 6, 12. I am increasing the load by 5 pounds every successive set (except for the last one which I return to the original poundage). I do this routine every monday and friday. I also am able to do more and more weight every week but they still don't appear to be growing. I am making decent gains in my other muscles but not traps. Any suggestions on what I can do? Thanks

[RandomHavoc]

How long ago did you start doing the excercise? It takes time for see muscle gain, a lot faster than how fast you can add weight.

[fender23]

I've been lifting for about 8 months

[philipZ]

Shrugs really have little to do with overall trap development, it mainly comes from heavy deadlifts. I'd cut back on shruging volume, and maybe do just 2 sets of 10-12 reps with the biggest weight you can handel. Also, make sure your using straps orelse the excercise is basically useless if your grip is giving out before the traps.

[Drabnak]

My routine for traps consists of 5 sets of BB shrugs. I pyramid these sets and the reps are: 12, 10, 8, 6, 12. I am increasing the load by 5 pounds every successive set (except for the last one which I return to the original poundage). I do this routine every monday and friday. I also am able to do more and more weight every week but they still don't appear to be growing. I am making decent gains in my other muscles but not traps. Any suggestions on what I can do? Thanks

Clean and press.
DB Shrugs.

Also you could try doing sets of 15 to 20 reps. I find that traps respond better to higher reps IMO.

[ExtremistPullup]

Shrugs really have little to do with overall trap development, it mainly comes from heavy deadlifts.

ExRx.net > Your opinion

Shrugs
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...r/DBShrug.html

Deadlifts
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...BDeadlift.html

[bigguy29]

I dont know about anyone else, but my traps respond well to heavy, heavy weight. When I decrease the reps by by 2 I can go up by more than just 5lbs. Maybe try and go up 15 or 20 lbs to get the same amount of work in and work your traps harder.

[gountilfailure0]

try behind the back shrugs with the bb and also deadlifts r good for it as well i got most of my development from behind the back shrugs more than front or db/s

[Strongdog]

Olympic lifts... cleans will do it

[Radok]

My routine for traps consists of 5 sets of BB shrugs. I pyramid these sets and the reps are: 12, 10, 8, 6, 12. I am increasing the load by 5 pounds every successive set (except for the last one which I return to the original poundage). I do this routine every monday and friday. I also am able to do more and more weight every week but they still don't appear to be growing. I am making decent gains in my other muscles but not traps. Any suggestions on what I can do? Thanks

Just focus on building your deadlift max, there's no way you'll get up to five plates without your traps getting pretty big, unless you're just not eating enough.

[Juggernaut33]

Just focus on building your deadlift max, there's no way you'll get up to five plates without your traps getting pretty big, unless you're just not eating enough.

Yup, heavy deads will add thickness to the traps.

[Josiah]

well it might not sound as nice, but my thoughts are -

your body is... what it is. if you are keeping a set lifting program, seeing increases in weight. Then so be it if your traps are growing right now. You know, lifting is life long and the body does take time. It's not like you have 18" arms and tiny traps right? I'm sure it's all in decent proportion with your body.

You will find guys with huge traps and small ones, and big shoulders and not so, etc, etc ... what do you want your body to look like?


If you want bigger traps, well do trap stuff hard and heavy. If not, well don't worry about it. If you have 18" arms and a ripped core, then ok ya, maybe worry about those traps. If not, well, I'm sure they will catch up.

[Senor Awesome]

I had this problem for a brief time and here's how I fixed it:

When I lift the weight/bring it up with my traps, I hold the weight for 5 full seconds up with my traps (if your traps are shaking and screaming at ya, good good!), do that for like 5x5

Just don't roll your shoulders. lol.

[UGAdawg2]

I never had big traps until I started doing heavy deads. I was always the biggest procastanator *spelling* when doing deadlifts, but once I started to do them I noticed some gains. Now it's one of my favorite lifts.

That and I do barbell shrugs off the smith machine. I feel like I can hold it and squeeze it at the top.

[Dr. Horse]

My advice is do more reps. I think traps respond better to high reps. Instead of 12 10 8 6 12, try 20 20 15 10 10. The weight will be lighter and your grip probably won't be as much an issue; and your traps will burn.


HOWEVER, I feel power cleans are a better exercise for trap develop than shrugs.

[Radok]

Deadlifts are very effective at building both the thickness and hieght of the traps, because at the bottom of the movement, they are pulling mostly back, and at the top they are pulling mostly up. This means that as you go through the range of motion, you hit all the heads of the trap muscle.

[Senor Awesome]

Deadlifts are very effective at building both the thickness and hieght of the traps, because at the bottom of the movement, they are pulling mostly back, and at the top they are pulling mostly up. This means that as you go through the range of motion, you hit all the heads of the trap muscle.

The upper traps get hit pretty hard with military press as well.

[lanks]

Olympic lifts... cleans will do it

My traps have exploded since I started doing Olympic lifts like power cleans, power snatches and dumbbell snatches.

My traps always kill the next day.

[mightymouse37]

Clean and press.

Olympic lifts... cleans will do it

Yup, heavy deads will add thickness to the traps.

My traps have exploded since I started doing Olympic lifts like power cleans, power snatches and dumbbell snatches.

^^^^ Listen to these guys. I've never done shrugs, but I was a coed cheerleader [yeah, say what you will, I've heard it all] for 5 years in college. Throwing those girls in the air every day at practice was exactly like doing power cleans for 2 hours, and my traps definitely got big and strong, pretty quick. IMO shrugs are WAY overrated. I think a lot of guys like them because they can load a ****-ton of weight on the bar, do 1/2-inch ROM "power shrugs" and look like a badass in front of all their buddies.

[Howard 6]

I had this problem for a brief time and here's how I fixed it:

When I lift the weight/bring it up with my traps, I hold the weight for 5 full seconds up with my traps (if your traps are shaking and screaming at ya, good good!), do that for like 5x5

Just don't roll your shoulders. lol.

Yup a pause at the top and slow negative helped me a lot.
And as said heavy deads.

[ddrrtt]

for years my shrugs lagged. so I found and lod man in our gym, who had incredible traps, he gave me the following to do, and told me to do it till failure.

Heavy shrugs, 4-6 reps for one month

after a month your traps will probably adjust,

then the second month do double sets, 4-6 reps with shrugs, followed by 4-6 reps upright rows for a month,

then as before your shrugs will probably adjust again, then the third month do your sets with reps where you do 3, and hold the 4th reps for 3 seconds, then 3 reps and hold the 4th for 3 seconds.

It hurt like hell, and very hard to sleep the first night after doing these, but In three months my traps filled out more then enough to balance my build