Neck Work

Training
21

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Fuck a neck harness.

Learn to do some really heavy shrugs with no straps and report back if you still have a small neck.

I am actually not against a neck harness…but that is only to further strengthen the sternoclediomastoids in priority…the traps (which make up more of the neck) still grow most from heavy shrug work or pulling.[/quote]

How exactly do you do shrugs X (or really anyone who actually has traps ha)? I have tried numerous different ways and never really see any effect. At one point I was shrugging 405 for sets of 5 with a 1 second hold, tried the same for sets of 10 with no hold, tried 225 for sets of 20 with 3 second holds, tried barbell, trap bar, DB’s, behind the back with a smith and shrugs never really did much for my traps. I have been experimenting with Snatch grip High pulls lately and actually and actually am seeing much more rapid growth than with shrugs but I just keep thinking that I must be missing something with the shrugs.[/quote]

I would have to get someone to tape me doing them…which is hard in a crowded gym that doesn’t like video.

I hold the weight at peak contraction but the time spent there is variable.

I don’t do sets of 5 though. I go pretty heavy but always at least 10 reps.[/quote]

You use a barbell, trap bar, DB’s, or Smith??[/quote]

Started doing them with a barbell and static holds. We used to just work on getting our strength up.

I now use a hammer Strength shrug machine for all the work I do…and that is more than enough.

It is one body part that if I trained it any more than I do, it would grow out of proportion. I had to stop training traps when I was riding my motorcycle because it was hindering how high I could hold my head up on the bike.[/quote]

Well it would appear that we have a completely opposite problem. My upper/middle back which I am pretty sure is my traps grows thickness incredibly well, but I cannot get really any height on my traps to come up around my neck. After giving the high pulls a solid run, I may start mixing in some shrugs with them and see how that goes.

22

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Fuck a neck harness.

Learn to do some really heavy shrugs with no straps and report back if you still have a small neck.

I am actually not against a neck harness…but that is only to further strengthen the sternoclediomastoids in priority…the traps (which make up more of the neck) still grow most from heavy shrug work or pulling.[/quote]

How exactly do you do shrugs X (or really anyone who actually has traps ha)? I have tried numerous different ways and never really see any effect. At one point I was shrugging 405 for sets of 5 with a 1 second hold, tried the same for sets of 10 with no hold, tried 225 for sets of 20 with 3 second holds, tried barbell, trap bar, DB’s, behind the back with a smith and shrugs never really did much for my traps. I have been experimenting with Snatch grip High pulls lately and actually and actually am seeing much more rapid growth than with shrugs but I just keep thinking that I must be missing something with the shrugs.[/quote]

I would have to get someone to tape me doing them…which is hard in a crowded gym that doesn’t like video.

I hold the weight at peak contraction but the time spent there is variable.

I don’t do sets of 5 though. I go pretty heavy but always at least 10 reps.[/quote]

You use a barbell, trap bar, DB’s, or Smith??[/quote]

Started doing them with a barbell and static holds. We used to just work on getting our strength up.

I now use a hammer Strength shrug machine for all the work I do…and that is more than enough.

It is one body part that if I trained it any more than I do, it would grow out of proportion. I had to stop training traps when I was riding my motorcycle because it was hindering how high I could hold my head up on the bike.[/quote]

Well it would appear that we have a completely opposite problem. My upper/middle back which I am pretty sure is my traps grows thickness incredibly well, but I cannot get really any height on my traps to come up around my neck. After giving the high pulls a solid run, I may start mixing in some shrugs with them and see how that goes. [/quote]

Are you really feeling it in your traps?

I see some people doing biceps exercises and hopping around more than trap shrugging.

23

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Fuck a neck harness.

Learn to do some really heavy shrugs with no straps and report back if you still have a small neck.

I am actually not against a neck harness…but that is only to further strengthen the sternoclediomastoids in priority…the traps (which make up more of the neck) still grow most from heavy shrug work or pulling.[/quote]

How exactly do you do shrugs X (or really anyone who actually has traps ha)? I have tried numerous different ways and never really see any effect. At one point I was shrugging 405 for sets of 5 with a 1 second hold, tried the same for sets of 10 with no hold, tried 225 for sets of 20 with 3 second holds, tried barbell, trap bar, DB’s, behind the back with a smith and shrugs never really did much for my traps. I have been experimenting with Snatch grip High pulls lately and actually and actually am seeing much more rapid growth than with shrugs but I just keep thinking that I must be missing something with the shrugs.[/quote]

I would have to get someone to tape me doing them…which is hard in a crowded gym that doesn’t like video.

I hold the weight at peak contraction but the time spent there is variable.

I don’t do sets of 5 though. I go pretty heavy but always at least 10 reps.[/quote]

You use a barbell, trap bar, DB’s, or Smith??[/quote]

Started doing them with a barbell and static holds. We used to just work on getting our strength up.

I now use a hammer Strength shrug machine for all the work I do…and that is more than enough.

It is one body part that if I trained it any more than I do, it would grow out of proportion. I had to stop training traps when I was riding my motorcycle because it was hindering how high I could hold my head up on the bike.[/quote]

Well it would appear that we have a completely opposite problem. My upper/middle back which I am pretty sure is my traps grows thickness incredibly well, but I cannot get really any height on my traps to come up around my neck. After giving the high pulls a solid run, I may start mixing in some shrugs with them and see how that goes. [/quote]

Are you really feeling it in your traps?

I see some people doing biceps exercises and hopping around more than trap shrugging.[/quote]

Honestly, I usually feel shrugs more in my neck and shoulders than my traps. I really barely knew what a trap pump even felt like until I finally got some blood into them helping my dad out one Saturday (my job amounted to mid weight farmers walks for about 5 hours). Replicating that feeling has proven elusive.

24

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

Honestly, I usually feel shrugs more in my neck and shoulders than my traps. I really barely knew what a trap pump even felt like until I finally got some blood into them helping my dad out one Saturday (my job amounted to mid weight farmers walks for about 5 hours). Replicating that feeling has proven elusive.[/quote]

Then it is a mind muscle connection problem.

Try holding two dumbbells while leaning forward onto an incline bench.

Pull upward with the dumbbells and take your “neck and shoulders” out of the equation to see what it feels like.

25

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

Honestly, I usually feel shrugs more in my neck and shoulders than my traps. I really barely knew what a trap pump even felt like until I finally got some blood into them helping my dad out one Saturday (my job amounted to mid weight farmers walks for about 5 hours). Replicating that feeling has proven elusive.[/quote]

Then it is a mind muscle connection problem.

Try holding two dumbbells while leaning forward onto an incline bench.

Pull upward with the dumbbells and take your “neck and shoulders” out of the equation to see what it feels like.[/quote]

You mean something kind of like this? Maybe with a greater incline?

26

Yep.

Give it a try and report back.

This is all about you learning to feel that muscle working.

27

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Yep.

Give it a try and report back.

This is all about you learning to feel that muscle working.[/quote]

'Preciate it. Havent tried those yet. I normally have a pretty good sense of things and can make tweaks here and there to shift focus on a muscle, but like I said, traps have given me considerable problems.

28

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Yep.

Give it a try and report back.

This is all about you learning to feel that muscle working.[/quote]

'Preciate it. Havent tried those yet. I normally have a pretty good sense of things and can make tweaks here and there to shift focus on a muscle, but like I said, traps have given me considerable problems.[/quote]
@jbpick Pro x Is dead on with these.I just started putting these In my routine and they hit the traps well.

29

[quote]jppage wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Yep.

Give it a try and report back.

This is all about you learning to feel that muscle working.[/quote]

'Preciate it. Havent tried those yet. I normally have a pretty good sense of things and can make tweaks here and there to shift focus on a muscle, but like I said, traps have given me considerable problems.[/quote]
@jbpick Pro x Is dead on with these.I just started putting these In my routine and they hit the traps well.[/quote]

If he is using as much weight as he says he is, my guess is momentum is helping out quite a bit.

You can’t hop around or jerk when you are laying on the bench. It is all traps.

30

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jppage wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Yep.

Give it a try and report back.

This is all about you learning to feel that muscle working.[/quote]

'Preciate it. Havent tried those yet. I normally have a pretty good sense of things and can make tweaks here and there to shift focus on a muscle, but like I said, traps have given me considerable problems.[/quote]
@jbpick Pro x Is dead on with these.I just started putting these In my routine and they hit the traps well.[/quote]

If he is using as much weight as he says he is, my guess is momentum is helping out quite a bit.

You can’t hop around or jerk when you are laying on the bench. It is all traps.[/quote]
Agree 100%

31

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]jppage wrote:

[quote]jbpick86 wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Yep.

Give it a try and report back.

This is all about you learning to feel that muscle working.[/quote]

'Preciate it. Havent tried those yet. I normally have a pretty good sense of things and can make tweaks here and there to shift focus on a muscle, but like I said, traps have given me considerable problems.[/quote]
@jbpick Pro x Is dead on with these.I just started putting these In my routine and they hit the traps well.[/quote]

If he is using as much weight as he says he is, my guess is momentum is helping out quite a bit.

You can’t hop around or jerk when you are laying on the bench. It is all traps.[/quote]

I’m going to try these out. I can’t hold more than 135 lbs without pain since my back surgery and it seems like these would take all the strain off my lower back. I currently do 5 second holds at the top of the shrug with not so heavy dumbbells as a workaround but these sound promising.