Help Building a Yoke

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
Lol. If you want a big yoke, EAT and put on some weight while hammering away at shrugs, overhead presses, lateral raises, mid back work, upper chest work, etc.

Basically all the shit you should be doing anyways.[/quote]

Yet, when I say stuff like this, people like bricknyce tell everyone that all my advice is simply “eat more and lift heavy”…as if most here need much more complicated advice.

Most of the advanced bullshit people worry about is the concern AFTER much of the size has already been built.[/quote]

I didn’t think there’s anything “wrong” with saying “eat more and lift heavy”… UNTIL some people proved their incompetence in finding or designing the most basic nutrition and lifting program for themselves. You don’t think that some people who make and inquire heavily in 50 page threads on warming up and ramping up have some incoherence and for whom the line “eat big, lift big” doesn’t hold much water?

As a grown adult reading fitness information, it SHOULD. But apparently this isn’t the case. There are still people coming on here asking “What should I eat?” Again, there’s nothing wrong with asking these questions and I’m not a watchdog of these forums. I’ve already explained a few times where people take the “eat big” thing in the wrong direction (eg, buck-sixty newbs eating 5000 calories from any food items).

Come to think of it, I’ve never followed a program considered “advanced” or complicated and I refuse to. I’ve also never seen one elite bodybuilder, powerlifter, or athlete follow some lifting program.

At SEMINILE, I’ve been using those overhead lockouts for traps. If you search them on here they are called overhead shrugs or upward shrugs, i remember a section of an old article on this here with them in it. If your looking for something different besides normal shrugs these do a nice job.

Elitefts has a great Seven Day Plan to Getting Yoked I advise looking up.

In all seriousness, I switched from regular shrugs (keeping the bar in your hands between reps) to powershrugs (more explosive, racking the bar between each rep) because of a pinch I was getting in my right rear delt and I think they’re great. Not saying it’ll get you hyoooge or what not, but one more tool in the box.

On a side, I originally posted a video to Rippetoe explaining the powershrug, but the mods seemed to think it was advertising for a competitor’s page and took it down. Didn’t he just post The Texas Method here like 2 weeks ago?

I honestly believe some guys naturally have decent sized traps relative to their body weight. I’ve done shrugs a hand full of times in my life and i love my traps and get complimented on them all the time. A friend of mind who has at least 10 lbs on me has some crappy traps and he does shrugs all the time.

i also know a guy who is about 5 7’ maybe 150lbs and he’s all traps. It’s so prominent whenever he wears a tank top.

I think my traps get hit the hardest from reverse flies and lateral raises where i try to go as high as possible and squeeze my traps at the top of the movement. They’re always unbelievably sore the day after.

All in all the heavier you get the bigger your traps will get.

[quote]K-Man32 wrote:
At SEMINILE, I’ve been using those overhead lockouts for traps. If you search them on here they are called overhead shrugs or upward shrugs, i remember a section of an old article on this here with them in it. If your looking for something different besides normal shrugs these do a nice job.[/quote]

?

Why do some of you seem to literally be SEARCHING for the most obscure forms of exercise to get simple tasks done?

Why would someone do “overhead lockouts” for traps?

Ever?

Further, where are the guys with the huge traps?

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]K-Man32 wrote:
At SEMINILE, I’ve been using those overhead lockouts for traps. If you search them on here they are called overhead shrugs or upward shrugs, i remember a section of an old article on this here with them in it. If your looking for something different besides normal shrugs these do a nice job.[/quote]

?

Why do some of you seem to literally be SEARCHING for the most obscure forms of exercise to get simple tasks done?

Why would someone do “overhead lockouts” for traps?

Ever?

Further, where are the guys with the huge traps?[/quote]

It’s not that obscure, it was in one of CT’s big traps articles awhile back. I have seen it in one of John Rominiellos (sp?) articles and have saw it in one of Tnations news letters they sent me (they used to show movements you usually don’t do but are good). Also in another newsletter i used to subscribe to long ago.

I get your point though.

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]K-Man32 wrote:
At SEMINILE, I’ve been using those overhead lockouts for traps. If you search them on here they are called overhead shrugs or upward shrugs, i remember a section of an old article on this here with them in it. If your looking for something different besides normal shrugs these do a nice job.[/quote]

?

Why do some of you seem to literally be SEARCHING for the most obscure forms of exercise to get simple tasks done?

Why would someone do “overhead lockouts” for traps?

Ever?

Further, where are the guys with the huge traps?[/quote]

See what I mean.

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/the_power_look&cr=

Here it is actually, hopefully people enjoy it. Not very many trap routines out there.

[quote]K-Man32 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]K-Man32 wrote:
At SEMINILE, I’ve been using those overhead lockouts for traps. If you search them on here they are called overhead shrugs or upward shrugs, i remember a section of an old article on this here with them in it. If your looking for something different besides normal shrugs these do a nice job.[/quote]

?

Why do some of you seem to literally be SEARCHING for the most obscure forms of exercise to get simple tasks done?

Why would someone do “overhead lockouts” for traps?

Ever?

Further, where are the guys with the huge traps?[/quote]

It’s not that obscure, it was in one of CT’s big traps articles awhile back. I have seen it in one of John Rominiellos (sp?) articles and have saw it in one of Tnations news letters they sent me (they used to show movements you usually don’t do but are good). Also in another newsletter i used to subscribe to long ago.

I get your point though.[/quote]

I know YOU do, but most of the people running around inserting obscure movements and claiming they are the best don’t know what the hell they are talking about…and no offense, but name dropping doesn’t affect me much. I respect CT a great deal and generally just like the guy, but just because he wrote about something doesn’t mean it needs to be recommended to everyone asking a question about what works best.

Also, it irks me when people who aren’t really that developed jump in to claim that this or that works better than anything else while all of the really big guys git big by doing exactly what the “parrot” says not to do.

Either way, the bottom line is, if you want big traps, chest or anything else, you need to get bigger all over…WAY bigger. It also helps to listen to what has actually worked for people instead of worrying about what is “supposed” to work.

Train traps directly, not with “lockouts”. There is nothing wrong with deadlifts or “rack pulls” but if you are dancing around shrugs all because it isn’t the latest fad, you won’t be very successful at this.

Heavy shrugs work well. Period. I would consider everything else secondary or tertiary to it.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Eat more cheeseburgers.
[/quote]

Well, at least you’re consistent.

Ayo,Prof, Overhead Shrugs, broski!

I never noticed my traps start to pop until I had over 500 on the bar (shrugs) but they’re no where near where I want them. So it seems, once again “progressively heavier weights” is the answer (at least for me).

double the amount you shrug, deadlift and clean(if you do clean). don’t be afraid of straps unless you have the worst forearms imaginable!!!

eat, sleep, do that for many months, see improvements, continue process

(this isn’t that complicated)

/thread

[quote]deadliftgoal500 wrote:
double the amount you shrug, deadlift and clean(if you do clean). don’t be afraid of straps unless you have the worst forearms imaginable!!!

eat, sleep, do that for many months, see improvements, continue process

(this isn’t that complicated)

/thread

[/quote]

WELL I JUST POSTED. HOWS THAT FOR /THREAD? EH?

You do neck?!?!

Prof X/Steely or anyone else that does heavy shrugs:

Do you guys use straps? Do you wait till your grip fatigues then use straps? My grip gets really fatigued by the end of my workout were I would do shrugs so would it make sense to just use straps right away. (I don’t use straps during any of my other back workouts fyi)

[quote]Liv92 wrote:
Prof X/Steely or anyone else that does heavy shrugs:

Do you guys use straps? Do you wait till your grip fatigues then use straps? My grip gets really fatigued by the end of my workout were I would do shrugs so would it make sense to just use straps right away. (I don’t use straps during any of my other back workouts fyi)[/quote]

Use the fuck out of straps. Don’t let your grip hold back your back work.

I can’t hold 585 for shit double overhand, but I can shrug it without much issue…

Your grip gets stronger using straps, albeit much slower, but it still does. If some day I can grip 6 bills strapless, sweet, until then I’m gonna strap up and shrug it anyway.

Barbell shrugs, HGH, rawrrrrr, OP might try site injections into the traps as well.

I haven’t done shrugs in over year, was rethinking this thread, I guess just lift heavy (on all exercises whether you shrug or not) and eat, my yoke is pretty apparent even through clothing, almost tempted to post a pic, but I whore myself out enough.

  1. Deadlift

  2. Power cleans

  3. BB or DB rows

  4. Neck Harness

  5. Shoulder girdle stuff: Face pulls, rear laterals, Joe DeFranco scarecrow, etc

  6. Optional: shrugs.

Credit to Jim Wendler on these suggestions. He has one big fucking yoke.