i dont think bodyweight shrugs are anywhere near enough weight to really make erm grow
overhead shrugs? That sounds like an accident waiting to happen.
[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
The only thing I’ve learned from this thread is that Prof X thinks I have small traps and SteelyD is prob the smallest dude on this site. <3[/quote]
I’m 3 foot NINE bitch!
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
I don’t know how my traps ‘rank’. I’m shrugging into the 5’s now with the trap bar and bb.
I never really noticed them ‘popping’ until I was in the high 400’s for reps with good form (not hitching).
Maybe people’s traps ‘take off’ at bodyweight, but I’ve never seen anyone build impressive traps using bodyweight for any amount of reps. I guess it’s possible if you weigh 500 lbs.[/quote]
Steely, it’s awesome to see how you’ve progressed from fat fuck, to thin dude, to huge scary motherfucker. Keep up the great work.
And yeah, there’s no way bodyweight shrugs will do anything. At least 2x bodyweight plus in my estimation.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
[quote]IamMarqaos wrote:
Quite frankly I do not know what caused the sleep apnea to me since my bodyfat percentage actually dropped a wee bit at the time.
It was merely something I noticed because this routine blew up my traps and neck quite substantially in a short period of time and I got sleep apnea in the 3rd and 4th week and it lasted till I backed off on the trap training.
The effect might not have been caused by the increase in trap and neck size however but again it started when my traps reached their biggest size ever and my neck as well (19 1/2 inches).
Based on what you are saying it was the neck size increase that could have caused this? Perhaps an in-balance in neck development (since I did nothing for the front of the neck)?
I am curious because every time I reach a level of development (255lbs and up, have been 290lbs at 16%) I run into these issues and simply cannot sleep anymore. Still snore like a bear even at 9% BUT no sleep apnea.
This might not be your field but as a medical professional you might have some insight here.[/quote]
It actually is my field because we are the ones who often diagnose sleep apnea as well as adapt the mouth aids that help with breathing at night.
Many larger athletes experience this, especially football players and larger lifters.
For many it is simply the body weight they are at. I had it when I first hit near 300lbs but don’t have it now even though I experienced for a while the very first time I hit my current body weight.
I’m not trying to derail the thread, but I would blame overall muscular gain along with overall neck circumference for why you experienced it. I was just making the note because people will read that and assume that big traps CAUSE sleep apnea and that is just not the case.[/quote]
can’t agree more with X, I always had a a big neck even at 170lb,never had sleeping apnea,this started when i was well over 270,now my neck is bigger (20’plus) bu i’m leaner (105kg) and no more apnea but I remember well the fear for sleep,scaring.
for concidence ,also my father suffered of apnea…
Really Really heavy, can barely move your shoulder barbell shrugs have worked best for me.
No full range of motion pause and squeeze at the top. Just as much weight as you can do while still getting some movement.
[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
Really Really heavy, can barely move your shoulder barbell shrugs have worked best for me.
No full range of motion pause and squeeze at the top. Just as much weight as you can do while still getting some movement.
[/quote]
this is interesting…I noticed something similar with V handle pulldownz,for 2 months i’m avoiding the lockup (still getting a decent ROM) and it seems I stressed up my lats more,my lats are bigger than 3 months ago but beacuse of shortned pulldown rom or because rows I did before pldownz??? boh…
[quote]SSC wrote:
My traps always grew easily, but they really started taking off when I started doing big ass drop sets of shrugs.
That, and before a year or so ago I never realized how important tucking the neck when shrugging is.[/quote]
Tucking your neck? Can you elaborate on that? I always wonder if my head should be facing up or down during shrugs.
[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
Really Really heavy, can barely move your shoulder barbell shrugs have worked best for me.
No full range of motion pause and squeeze at the top. Just as much weight as you can do while still getting some movement[/quote] Do your traps get pumped before your forearms get sore ?
[quote]tolismann wrote:
[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
Really Really heavy, can barely move your shoulder barbell shrugs have worked best for me.
No full range of motion pause and squeeze at the top. Just as much weight as you can do while still getting some movement[/quote] Do your traps get pumped before your forearms get sore ?
[/quote]
I use straps on heavy shrugs.
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
I don’t know how my traps ‘rank’. I’m shrugging into the 5’s now with the trap bar and bb.
I never really noticed them ‘popping’ until I was in the high 400’s for reps with good form (not hitching).
Maybe people’s traps ‘take off’ at bodyweight, but I’ve never seen anyone build impressive traps using bodyweight for any amount of reps. I guess it’s possible if you weigh 500 lbs.
[/quote]
Reposted… Pic was one of the casualties …
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
I don’t know how my traps ‘rank’. I’m shrugging into the 5’s now with the trap bar and bb.
I never really noticed them ‘popping’ until I was in the high 400’s for reps with good form (not hitching).
Maybe people’s traps ‘take off’ at bodyweight, but I’ve never seen anyone build impressive traps using bodyweight for any amount of reps. I guess it’s possible if you weigh 500 lbs.
[/quote]
Reposted… Pic was one of the casualties …[/quote]
To look left/right, do you just kinda sway? Lol i kid, necks are for pussies anywho =p
[quote]rbowl24 wrote:
[quote]SSC wrote:
My traps always grew easily, but they really started taking off when I started doing big ass drop sets of shrugs.
That, and before a year or so ago I never realized how important tucking the neck when shrugging is.[/quote]
Tucking your neck? Can you elaborate on that? I always wonder if my head should be facing up or down during shrugs.[/quote]
I always use to just shrug, not too worried about what way I was looking, facing, etc. Again, I got good trap growth from them, but nothing ‘next level.’
At one point a guy who posts around here who’s very credible with his advice recommended keeping the neck tucked… as in chin touching the upper chest or whatever during shrugs. My initial strength on shrugs took a hit, but my mid/lower traps have seen some amazing growth, and it seems to “pinch” the upper traps better as well.
For the record, like it’s been alluded to a few times before, I think working with different techniques is important in trap training.
Sometimes I will load 500+ on a BB and do “twitch shrugs” / “extreme blinking” as my partner and I joke about sometimes. Then sometimes I’ll lower it down to 455 or something and do massive drop sets of like 455/405/315/225 or something like that. Then, other times I’ll just get on the HS shrug (which only holds like 5 pps unless you modify it) and work on slow, rhythmic full ROM shrugging. As far as I’m concerned hitting them hard no matter what the technique (while obviously going as heavy as possible) will reap results.
^^ As someone who has experienced a few stiff necks in the gym, I’ve always avoided trying to tuck the neck. Worried it would increase the chance of injury.
[quote]SSC wrote:
[quote]rbowl24 wrote:
[quote]SSC wrote:
My traps always grew easily, but they really started taking off when I started doing big ass drop sets of shrugs.
That, and before a year or so ago I never realized how important tucking the neck when shrugging is.[/quote]
Tucking your neck? Can you elaborate on that? I always wonder if my head should be facing up or down during shrugs.[/quote]
I always use to just shrug, not too worried about what way I was looking, facing, etc. Again, I got good trap growth from them, but nothing ‘next level.’
At one point a guy who posts around here who’s very credible with his advice recommended keeping the neck tucked… as in chin touching the upper chest or whatever during shrugs. My initial strength on shrugs took a hit, but my mid/lower traps have seen some amazing growth, and it seems to “pinch” the upper traps better as well.
For the record, like it’s been alluded to a few times before, I think working with different techniques is important in trap training.
Sometimes I will load 500+ on a BB and do “twitch shrugs” / “extreme blinking” as my partner and I joke about sometimes. Then sometimes I’ll lower it down to 455 or something and do massive drop sets of like 455/405/315/225 or something like that. Then, other times I’ll just get on the HS shrug (which only holds like 5 pps unless you modify it) and work on slow, rhythmic full ROM shrugging. As far as I’m concerned hitting them hard no matter what the technique (while obviously going as heavy as possible) will reap results.[/quote]
Ok. I’ll try it. Although I thought I heard about neck issues when you don’t look straight. I have been trying to switch it up. Been doing bb shrugs, drop sets, db shrugs, machine shrugs, bb holds and plate shrugs. They are growing but not near what size I want. Thanks for the info too.
[quote]SSC wrote:
That, and before a year or so ago I never realized how important tucking the neck when shrugging is.[/quote]
GREAT advice!
tucking the neck allows a full contraction,traps aren’t stopped from neck.
thanx.
Like everyone else has said, shrugs work best for me.
I did see a guy in the gym with huge traps and asked if he does anything special n he said all he does is dead lift, never hits them directly.
Everyone is different i guess but like other people have said hang cleans really cause them to be sore.
So, yeah, just wanted to say I’ve trained traps maybe 5 times directly in my life.
Deadlifts (primary contributor to my trap growth)then upright rows and even heavy laterals have contributed to growth. Posting a pic, my traps are small.
Deadlifted 2 days ago, traps are still on fire.
Looking damn good, Austin.