Trap workout help

n88tr · 03-31-2008, 06:16 PM

I do a lot of barbell chest raises and shrugs, what other exercises exist for this?

Also, how do you pose with traps, or do they just grow and you can't flex them?

blue524432 · 03-31-2008, 08:13 PM

Upright Rows are great for traps.

Skunky0608 · 03-31-2008, 08:38 PM

I agree..upright row, i do shoulders and traps in the same day helps to pre-exhaust the traps if i do shoulders first with military or arnold press. you can also try DB's...for barbell shruggs i sometimes like to do opposite hand positions. For ex. one palm facing in and one plam facing out and alternating for 4 sets..depends on what wrks for you.

Hayabusa402 · 03-31-2008, 10:42 PM

try doing shrugs laying against an incline bench. You get a serious pump and hit a head on the traps most people ignore.

Bruteus Maximus · 04-01-2008, 02:33 AM

upright rows and incline bench shrugs laying into the bench are great trap builders. also, i love face pulls for traps as well (on cable machine, use rope at a notch slightly above head height, and pull the rope towards the bridge of your nose, while pulling the handles away from each other).

as for flexing, i'm pretty sure that any pose that shows just the traps is normally considered unbeneficial, however, some poses do exist that showcase the traps WITH other muscle groups. descriptions of a couple: back dbl bis, you can really showcase your traps while going into the lat spread, most muscular, and there is also a pose where the body is basically viewed from above the head, arms fully extended to each side, which showcases delts and traps. i will try to find a pic

n88tr · 04-01-2008, 08:28 AM

Opps, I meant upright rows when I said barbell chest raises... So yeah I've been doing those for a while. My weights change a lot depending on my energy that particular day. I do traps and tris on one day, today actually.

My max on upright rows, not using an EZ bar, just a regular barbell, is 95 lb including the bar. I usually only do 85 lbs but for 6 reps and 4 sets.

Shrugs, I've been doing those longer. My max is a 60lb DB in each hand, I can only do 3 or 4 reps there, but I mostly stay with the 40 lb range.

IDK if I should be doing 3-4 reps with the big weights? I go to fatigue quickly if I do. I know that if I will be doing big weights they should be right after my warmup, but I nearly go to failure with the big weights, unless I do them at the end of the workout, not something ppl recommend, but that's when I can do them, I also get a mental pump then.

I'll definitely try out the cable upright rows, I bet I'll have to start out real light.

Shrugs on an incline... interesting, I'll check that out today. Do I lay flat on the bench like if I was doing a bench press?

Skunky0608 · 04-01-2008, 08:30 AM

Sometimes after i do wrk my traps out and i have class or something ill sit in class and try to flex them as long as i can. IMOP it helps with my endurance and makes them more definded. I believe i have a pretty nice set of traps because of it. That and maybe because of ju jiutsu over the year has strengthen my neck like bull. iduno. again its what wrks best for you

Skunky0608 · 04-01-2008, 08:34 AM

I believe you face the floor on the incline shrug aka. lying on your stomache and then shrugging

**YM123** · 04-01-2008, 09:03 AM

make sure deadlifts are in your workout program, these are a great trap builder, the best IMO

**moorey** · 04-01-2008, 09:13 AM

Technique is everything! Ive seen so many idiots load up the bar andf they can harldy do a movement. Shrugs, rotate shoulders with full movementand contract traps at peak of movement for a full five secs and repeat. Upright rows, bring weight upto chin slowly and tense traps at peak for 5 sec, lower slowly and repeat!

n88tr · 04-01-2008, 11:56 AM

5 sec hold, eh? I've been doing just a straight up and down, no rotation, and for a 2 sec hold. I'll incorporate these new changes, thanks.

I've never done deads, I think I'll talk to my PT, make sure my form is good, him watching me.

GetYanked · 04-01-2008, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moorey

Technique is everything! Ive seen so many idiots load up the bar andf they can harldy do a movement. Shrugs, rotate shoulders with full movementand contract traps at peak of movement for a full five secs and repeat. Upright rows, bring weight upto chin slowly and tense traps at peak for 5 sec, lower slowly and repeat!

You are actually NOT suppose to rotate shoulders. It puts unneeded stress on the shoulder for NO reason.

Skunky0608 · 04-01-2008, 04:25 PM

Heard that also that your not to rotate the shoulders, agreed