trapezius maximus

[Wisconsin Home Grown]

I was viewing a cardio thread (UNC):D and saw a nasty set a traps. I was wondering of any trap secrets or ideas. I usually do D.B. shoulder shrugs maybe once a week (4/ 25,20,20,15), with B.B. front shrugs "same". I noticed my routine ain't squat compared to some others???

[cuderbeast]

I only do traps once a week if that. I know people that work them everyday but i dont like that. I have noticed they grow alot from deadlift, cleans, bb rows, and dumbbell press.

[ChefDeez]

Try seated incline dumbbell curls. Do them slow and controlled and you'll def feel a good burn. You could also try rest/pause sets once in a while just to mix it up.

[PUREStrength3]

Deadlifts are probably the best exercise for the traps. If your not already, incorporate heavy barbell and dumbbell shrugs into your routine twice a week or so. I do them on back day and on shoulders day.

[Wisconsin Home Grown]

I have heard from several people to work traps twice a week. Are they similar to calves, which is the only other part I have heard to work twice? Doing them on back days seems to be pretty common, is this back/bi's days, or back alone?

[egodog48]

Explosive movements like the clean are best for building massive traps because the traps are apparently more apt to grow through explosive movements than any other muscle group.

[UNCfan1]

Agreed traps are stimulated from alot of lifts. I personally like to work them 2x a week.

Thanks for the compliment on my traps.

One little tip that really works for me I forgot to mention is I love to do them on the smith machine. For me it seems to really dial in on the traps more. Also when I go heavy on them I use one hand over and one hand under kinda like alot of people do one deads. Weird and different I know but it really helps to rack it back too:D

Behind the back upright rows are a killer on the traps and romboids try those too. Go light to get the form right. Feel weird but good.

[UNCfan1]

Try seated incline dumbbell curls. Do them slow and controlled and you'll def feel a good burn. You could also try rest/pause sets once in a while just to mix it up.

Huh? Wrong muscle.

[snakemw]

one excercise i have done that hits them pretty good is a variation off of dumbell shruggs. pull the weights up your side as you normally would on a shrugg then bend at the elbows and try to pull the weight up as high as you can. this is a killer and you get added emphasis on the traps during the extra pull.

[UNCfan1]

one excercise i have done that hits them pretty good is a variation off of dumbell shruggs. pull the weights up your side as you normally would on a shrugg then bend at the elbows and try to pull the weight up as high as you can. this is a killer and you get added emphasis on the traps during the extra pull.

Another great lift for the romboids.

[snakemw]

yeah it hits your traps and rhomboids. but i actually dont feel it near as much in the rhomboids as i do when i do upright rows. i guess maybe due to pulling from the side instead of front?

[UNCfan1]

yeah it hits your traps and rhomboids. but i actually dont feel it near as much in the rhomboids as i do when i do upright rows. i guess maybe due to pulling from the side instead of front?

probably, I also feel it mostly in my traps on that move and the behind the back upright rows.

[snakemw]

how high do you go on the behind the neck's. seems like it would be somewhat of a weird postion. also can you go real heavy or is more of a concentration excercise where you hold it a little longer at the top.

[UNCfan1]

how high do you go on the behind the neck's. seems like it would be somewhat of a weird postion. also can you go real heavy or is more of a concentration excercise where you hold it a little longer at the top.

I do them on the smith its easier for me. ROM is not much I say my hands get kind of close to my arm pits. 225lbs is the most I have done on those. I started using them about a month ago to change things up. I don't hold it at the top but I will try it with a lighter weight.

[bigboy67]

a good variation is doing wide upright rows. i feel it way more the next day when i have my hands just outside of shoulder width

[GunzandBunz]

Toi really target the traps, or any muscle for that matter, you want to train the fibers in thier line of pull. For the trapezius muscle, as it does scapular adduction more than elevation, try this:

Set a cable setting on the lowest(closest to the ground) setting and stand back about three feet. Then with a weight that can be moved with proper form pul your shoulder blades together and up at the same time. Your doing a shrug but with the added adduction, your stimulating more fibers in your traps.

You could also do shrugs slightly bent over or even lying prone on an incline bench.

[egodog48]

Set a cable setting on the lowest(closest to the ground) setting and stand back about three feet. Then with a weight that can be moved with proper form pul your shoulder blades together and up at the same time. Your doing a shrug but with the added adduction, your stimulating more fibers in your traps.

You could also do shrugs slightly bent over or even lying prone on an incline bench.

Very good advice. Its definitely a different burn this way as I have tried the slightly bent over form. You cant use near as much weight.

[ChefDeez]

Huh? Wrong muscle.

Oops, I meant seated incline dumbell shrugs, not curls.

[Wisconsin Home Grown]

Daaannng, one way to look forward to hitting an area harder is to have many new ways to do so. Many ideas to choose from, I think I'll try the 2x week thang, seeing so many ways listed here, awesome!!

[rynobull]

Deads, rack deads, and dumbbell upright rows get them to grow the best for me.

[Wisconsin Home Grown]

a good variation is doing wide upright rows. i feel it way more the next day when i have my hands just outside of shoulder width

I haven't done these on a very consistent basis, but when I do, I usually have my hands on the inner most bend on a cambered bar (6" apart). I tried these two sets as usual, then two sets with hands a lil' more than shoulder width and noticed a totally different burn. I have never even thought about dumbbell upright rows. How high do you wanna take your elbows doing the D.B.'s, and how far down do you go........ arms fully extended, or elbows still slightly bent? BTW, thanks for the referral on a diff post UNC.