[PainIsNecessary]

i know to have the look of huge shoulder to ear traps they have to be huge. problem im having is everything is going good exept for upper traps( part that actually looks cool) middle b/w shoulder blades is fine but upper are puny as hell. any suggestions?

[n88tr]

Bent over lateral dumbbell raises help me out here a lot
Also lat rows, cable rows help some too.
Dumbbell military presses sort of work the area, everyone is different though.

[Highlander13]

Shrugs, cleans, and high pulls. If you can't do cleans and high pulls, try upright rows with a narrow grip and focus on raising your elbows as high as possible. You can use a little bit of momentum on these if you have to.

There are many different types of shrugs and I would suggest picking one and progressing in it for a few months, instead of rotating several versions. Here are some examples:

In-Front Barbell Shrug
Behind-the-Back Barbell Shrug
Dumbbell Shrug
Trap Bar Shrug
Leaning Single Dumbbell Shrug (credit to Charles Polquin)
Standing Single Barbell Shrug (hold the barbell in one hand and, keeping it perpendicular to your body, shrug - another one by Charles Polquin)

I would choose the Trap Bar Shrug because it allows you to use the most weight without hitting either your thighs or butt with the bar.

Don't roll your shoulders or anything like that. Shrug up quickly, hold it at the top for a second, and lower it under control. Do one exercise, choose a sensible set and rep scheme (for example: 3x8, progress to 3x12, then add weight and drop back down to 3x8 and repeat) and focus on adding weight or reps each workout.

If you want a short of "finisher" afterwards, I would suggest a rope face full from a low pulley (the same one you would use for a cable row) for 2 or 3 sets of 8-12 reps. This will also work your rear delts and will help with shoulder health if you do a lot of pressing.

Hope that helps.

[Avril18]

i also like to do shrugs in the dip thing
that kills my traps

[Duganm]

Originally Posted by PainIsNecessary

i know to have the look of huge shoulder to ear traps they have to be huge. problem im having is everything is going good exept for upper traps( part that actually looks cool) middle b/w shoulder blades is fine but upper are puny as hell. any suggestions?

I do shoulders with dumbells. All exercises except upright rows. I use the smith machine. I set the braces on lowest setting and you know the cable? Well if you pull the cable and hook it around the hooks of the bar, this will help it from rolling on you. I do my upright rows slow and hold at top and controlled. These seem to kill my traps and set them with a dip assist machine. Talk about traps...Mine have grown with these. Remember slow and controlled. The key. Good luck!

[miggitymags]

Plain and simple:

BB Shrugs
DB Shrugs (standing and seated)
Cleans

Those are your direct upper trap movements. Stick to them. Hit them twice a week. Mix up rep ranges (periodize) and see how you respond - some people like 5 heavy reps, some respond to 20 lighter reps.. Don't roll. I'm okay with the Smith for this movement, but BB is a better option.

[mindstar]

heavy ass rack deads made my traps.

[Kaboom]

Originally Posted by Highlander13

Shrugs, cleans, and high pulls. If you can't do cleans and high pulls, try upright rows with a narrow grip and focus on raising your elbows as high as possible. You can use a little bit of momentum on these if you have to.

There are many different types of shrugs and I would suggest picking one and progressing in it for a few months, instead of rotating several versions. Here are some examples:

In-Front Barbell Shrug
Behind-the-Back Barbell Shrug
Dumbbell Shrug
Trap Bar Shrug
Leaning Single Dumbbell Shrug (credit to Charles Polquin)
Standing Single Barbell Shrug (hold the barbell in one hand and, keeping it perpendicular to your body, shrug - another one by Charles Polquin)

I would choose the Trap Bar Shrug because it allows you to use the most weight without hitting either your thighs or butt with the bar.

Don't roll your shoulders or anything like that. Shrug up quickly, hold it at the top for a second, and lower it under control. Do one exercise, choose a sensible set and rep scheme (for example: 3x8, progress to 3x12, then add weight and drop back down to 3x8 and repeat) and focus on adding weight or reps each workout.

If you want a short of "finisher" afterwards, I would suggest a rope face full from a low pulley (the same one you would use for a cable row) for 2 or 3 sets of 8-12 reps. This will also work your rear delts and will help with shoulder health if you do a lot of pressing.

Hope that helps.

This is great info bro!!Great post.Welcome to the forum.