Trap Help

Training Bodybuilding
21

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]Aaargh wrote:
Everytime someone open thred like this, everybody is running in telling how easy it’s to get big traps. It’s like telling ‘drinking water is good for you’, yet nobody seems to know answer for the real question about LOWER AND MIDDLE traps.

World is filled with big upper traps, yet there’s so many weak backs there.

Lower and middle traps (i kown it’s not different muscle, i like to drink water) should be trained differently?!

[/quote]

Gee, I could have sworn I wrote the words “rows” in there as well.

Just a hint, but you may want to see who has pics up before taking advice. If they have no back, quit listening to them.

Your middle and upper traps are activating with any rowing movement that would involve the angle from when your arms are straight in front of you to when they are down in a shrug position.

Hammer Strength makes great back equipment. They helped my back get bigger than most of the people who seem to be on the “rack pull” bandwagon all of a sudden.

Heavy shrugs and rows work. Deadlifts are a great exercise for some people also. Why do we need to rewrite that?[/quote]

X, he’s a troll. Don’t waste your breath…

22

[quote]Aaargh wrote:
Everytime someone open thred like this, everybody is running in telling how easy it’s to get big traps. It’s like telling ‘drinking water is good for you’, yet nobody seems to know answer for the real question about LOWER AND MIDDLE traps.

World is filled with big upper traps, yet there’s so many weak backs there.

Lower and middle traps (i kown it’s not different muscle, i like to drink water) should be trained differently?!

[/quote]

No.

Heavy deadlifts, rack pulls and rows.
It’s not rocket science.

23

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]Aaargh wrote:
Everytime someone open thred like this, everybody is running in telling how easy it’s to get big traps. It’s like telling ‘drinking water is good for you’, yet nobody seems to know answer for the real question about LOWER AND MIDDLE traps.

World is filled with big upper traps, yet there’s so many weak backs there.

Lower and middle traps (i kown it’s not different muscle, i like to drink water) should be trained differently?!

[/quote]

Gee, I could have sworn I wrote the words “rows” in there as well.

Just a hint, but you may want to see who has pics up before taking advice. If they have no back, quit listening to them.

Your middle and upper traps are activating with any rowing movement that would involve the angle from when your arms are straight in front of you to when they are down in a shrug position.

Hammer Strength makes great back equipment. They helped my back get bigger than most of the people who seem to be on the “rack pull” bandwagon all of a sudden.

Heavy shrugs and rows work. Deadlifts are a great exercise for some people also. Why do we need to rewrite that?[/quote]

There is a reason why the rack pull is such a great “thickness” movement ( at least for me ), but I believe I get your point. A lot of people are eager to yell “rack pulls” because some author said it’s the end-all exercise to get massive traps and people believe it. It’s the “rows-for-biceps” story all over again.

24

Man, if you like doing rack pulls, keep doing rack pulls…but it does seem like a fad lately for the generic response to be “deadlifts and rack pulls” instead of SHRUGS which directly target that muscle group like nothing else.

The people I know with real mountains on the backs of their necks usually know shrugs real well. Yeah, deadlifts are a good exercise, but again, if I am looking to hit traps directly why not just do it?

25

I have a question that’s relevant to this thread. Whenever I shrug, my neck will hurt for the next few days. What am I likely doing wrong that is causing this pain? I really try and keep my neck aligned with my spine, without compressing it, but either I’m still doing it anyway or that’s not the issue.

26

[quote]cheeseburger1 wrote:
I have a question that’s relevant to this thread. Whenever I shrug, my neck will hurt for the next few days. What am I likely doing wrong that is causing this pain? I really try and keep my neck aligned with my spine, without compressing it, but either I’m still doing it anyway or that’s not the issue. [/quote]

Look down.

27

[quote]cheeseburger1 wrote:
I have a question that’s relevant to this thread. Whenever I shrug, my neck will hurt for the next few days. What am I likely doing wrong that is causing this pain? I really try and keep my neck aligned with my spine, without compressing it, but either I’m still doing it anyway or that’s not the issue. [/quote]

Try ProfX suggestion…if it doesnt work, it might be a misaligned disk. My neck was a bit out of position from years of sleeping on my stomach, and I’d get neck pain from shrugs and OHP. Couple visits to the chiro along with neck stretches and it’s been A-OK

28

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
These threads pop up seems like every month.

Get your plain old BB shrug up to 495x20…

Long before you get there you will be able to answer your own question and not give a fuck what anyone on the internet says.
[/quote]

Who really needs more than shrugs and rows?

It is like you get an award lately for making this more complicated.

It isn’t like the more exotic the movement the better the results.[/quote]

This is what I’m saying lol.

Adding complication for the sake of it is counter productive. Shit, as you advance you need more complication just to make half the gains you did before.

Enjoy the times when simple still = super effective.[/quote]

This right here.

Do your damn rows. Do shrugs. Get really strong on both of them. Prosper.

29

i do rows twice a week, with an overhand grip, maybe this is why my middle back isnt where i want…perhaps because im using an overhand grip im pulling my rear delts more than i should, i tried the underhand version today and did feel a difference so hopefully this will help

30

[quote]zachb27 wrote:
i do rows twice a week, with an overhand grip, maybe this is why my middle back isnt where i want…perhaps because im using an overhand grip im pulling my rear delts more than i should, i tried the underhand version today and did feel a difference so hopefully this will help[/quote]
The weight you are using and the amount you are eating are much more important than the way your palms are facing.

31

[quote]Silfen wrote:

[quote]zachb27 wrote:
i do rows twice a week, with an overhand grip, maybe this is why my middle back isnt where i want…perhaps because im using an overhand grip im pulling my rear delts more than i should, i tried the underhand version today and did feel a difference so hopefully this will help[/quote]
The weight you are using and the amount you are eating are much more important than the way your palms are facing. [/quote]

Plus, your palms up or down is only part of the story. Observe where your elbows are going, how far from the body they’re positioned throughout the ROM, etc.

32

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
These threads pop up seems like every month.

Get your plain old BB shrug up to 495x20…

Long before you get there you will be able to answer your own question and not give a fuck what anyone on the internet says.
[/quote]

Who really needs more than shrugs and rows?

It is like you get an award lately for making this more complicated.

It isn’t like the more exotic the movement the better the results.[/quote]

Only one way to get anywhere right? Lol

Fwiw, I think imy traps are more engaged by pressing inwards as hard. As I can. Coupling that with the shrug backwards (which is a row with shortened rom) and shrugging up immediately after is a great move.

The entire trap is locked in the whole time vs only upper on regular barbell shrugs.

This shouldn’t replace rows or shrugs, no. But, I think it has its place. In the same way pullovers have for chest. Its nice to have in your head for when you don’t want to or can’t go up in weight.

It isn’t aabout being exotic. Its about know how to throw in new exercises for different situations…as in, injuries…or only having access to dbs due to cages being used…time crunches.

33
34

[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
These threads pop up seems like every month.

Get your plain old BB shrug up to 495x20…

Long before you get there you will be able to answer your own question and not give a fuck what anyone on the internet says.
[/quote]

Who really needs more than shrugs and rows?

It is like you get an award lately for making this more complicated.

It isn’t like the more exotic the movement the better the results.[/quote]

Only one way to get anywhere right? Lol

Fwiw, I think imy traps are more engaged by pressing inwards as hard. As I can. Coupling that with the shrug backwards (which is a row with shortened rom) and shrugging up immediately after is a great move.

The entire trap is locked in the whole time vs only upper on regular barbell shrugs.

This shouldn’t replace rows or shrugs, no. But, I think it has its place. In the same way pullovers have for chest. Its nice to have in your head for when you don’t want to or can’t go up in weight.

It isn’t aabout being exotic. Its about know how to throw in new exercises for different situations…as in, injuries…or only having access to dbs due to cages being used…time crunches.
[/quote]

Pics of your results?

I didn’t think so.

35

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:

[quote]Professor X wrote:

[quote]countingbeans wrote:
These threads pop up seems like every month.

Get your plain old BB shrug up to 495x20…

Long before you get there you will be able to answer your own question and not give a fuck what anyone on the internet says.
[/quote]

Who really needs more than shrugs and rows?

It is like you get an award lately for making this more complicated.

It isn’t like the more exotic the movement the better the results.[/quote]

Only one way to get anywhere right? Lol

Fwiw, I think imy traps are more engaged by pressing inwards as hard. As I can. Coupling that with the shrug backwards (which is a row with shortened rom) and shrugging up immediately after is a great move.

The entire trap is locked in the whole time vs only upper on regular barbell shrugs.

This shouldn’t replace rows or shrugs, no. But, I think it has its place. In the same way pullovers have for chest. Its nice to have in your head for when you don’t want to or can’t go up in weight.

It isn’t aabout being exotic. Its about know how to throw in new exercises for different situations…as in, injuries…or only having access to dbs due to cages being used…time crunches.
[/quote]

Pics of your results?

I didn’t think so.[/quote]

Lol

Right, I don’t have traps at all. They didn’t come in the box when the ups guy delivered me.

36

He didn’t say you didn’t have traps. He simply noted you don’t have any pics up anywhere to prove you have built traps that would actually be impressive to anyone.

If you have Johnny Jackson sized traps, so be it.

I am not against alternate exercises. I am against people without really huge traps acting like more exotic movements are to be recommended FIRST over the shit that actually hits traps directly.

Shrugs work for big traps. No question. Rows work for the rest. No question.

If you want to try tossing weights in the air like a juggler and catching them behind you for trap growth, have it…but for God’s sake, quit acting like that is the first on a list of “MUST DO” exercises to get big traps.

Shrugs, deadlifts, rows. That is the short list of shit that really works.

My pics are right there…without the vampire bullshit.

37

So so angry. Lol

I made a post about traps and why I thonk something I do for them is appropriate. I even agreed that shrugs and rows are very importtant…is this a serious discussion of bbing or high school?

Look, pre exhuasting is never a bad thing is it? That’s how I use trap squeeze shrugs. And hell…ssc even agreed to using a version of what I said.

Eh, its not worth an argument though.

38

[quote]Professor X wrote:

My pics are right there…without the vampire bullshit.[/quote]

39

[quote]Professor X wrote:

I am not against alternate exercises. I am against people without really huge traps acting like more exotic movements are to be recommended FIRST over the shit that actually hits traps directly.

[/quote]

I lol’d at this statement tremendously. I’m sure there are a lot of people without huge traps that are very knowledgeable about physiology/anatomy/diet and training. To narrow it down like you have is sorta ‘self serving’ IMO. Hopefully I’m wrong

40

[quote]xXxJoKeRxXx wrote:
I’m sure there are a lot of people without huge traps that are very knowledgeable about physiology/anatomy/diet and training.
[/quote]

If someone hasn’t built large traps, or trained anyone to having large traps, what do they really know?

You can read every book in the world on how to build a house, but if you don’t build one, or are able to tell someone how to build one, you are shit house builder.

You are new here. This is a more “walk the walk” and less “talky talk” type atmosphere.