Overdoing it with Trap Exercise?? Whatya think?

jcr1

Banned
Just wanted some input and advice on my Trap exercise. I think i may be overdoing cause i get really sore for like 3 days after i do my trap exercises (mainly my traps and neck). And i only do this once a week. Dumbbell shrugs i pyramid up to about 120 130 5 sets. And ez bar shrugs i pyramid up to about 180 and do about 7 sets of those. Been working out for a little over a year now. I do a lot of sets cause my traps R lacking (they are finally getting bigger though)! Am i over training my traps? Whatya think? Lighter weight, fewer sets? And of course i do other shoulder exercises when i am working out shoulders. Just wanna know what ya think about my trap exercises, thanks!
 
haha you answered your own question, if they're catching up to your other bodyparts they are most likely benefiting from the extra effort! Good work!

I really like performing eccentric based deadlifts/rack pulls to get that deep tear in the traps, maybe you could just swap out some lifts to keep things fresh?
 
Yeah well the thing is working them out hard 4 so long they should be bigger. I think my traps have gotten used to the same 2 shrug exercises, possibly. And am limited to exercises as i work out from home. As far as deadlifts that would be nice, but im not a veteran bodybuilder yet and i hear that if you dont have good form u can really mess up your back from those. I really dont wanna end my bodybuilding career short, lol.
 
I was shown a nice trick by a bb at my gym. He holds 2 dumbells in front of his abs like hes getting read to do DB lateral raises, then he shrugs. It definitely hits the traps at a different angle. What about upright rows? They work traps as well
 
cowboy007 said:
I was shown a nice trick by a bb at my gym. He holds 2 dumbells in front of his abs like hes getting read to do DB lateral raises, then he shrugs. It definitely hits the traps at a different angle. What about upright rows? They work traps as well
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Yes i do those as well, thanks 4 the tip though!
 
In my experience traps are one of those muscles that you need to completely destroy with lots of sets and heavy weights. Using wraps also really upped my size and strength drastically. Don't be afraid to hit them from different angles. Traps are on your back technically so I have found it beneficial to do some sets behind the body as well as in front.
 
In my opinion heavy deadlifts and rowing movements will make up the base of your trap training. Shrugs and other isolation movements are then just the finishers for your trap work. Go to any powerlifting meet and you'll see plenty of people with pretty big traps, yet most don't do any more than 2-3 sets of shrugs per week with a moderate weight. They do perform lots of heavy pulls (deadlifts, rack pulls, etc...) and plenty of heavy rowing movements.
If you don't know how to DL correctly, learn how and start deadlifting. If you want other training ideas do an internet search for "The Yoke + Jim Wendler".
 
I wish that was an option 4 me. I workout from home in the second floor guest bedroom. I have the equipment but i really dont wanna put a hole through the floor, lol! Im actually making good progress though with the ez bar and dumbell shrugs and rows- (palms up and down). Im up to 200lbs on the ez bar now. I could prob. shrug more but gravity is a Mother F'er! ha. I find it hard to hold that much weight for so many reps and sets. gravity takes a toll on my shrugs!
 
3 sets really aint crap! BUT.. If you do 3 sets a week for years it adds up, your taps will grow. They will grow slow with those few sets but they will indeed grow!
 
i dont do a lot of direct trap work at all. dl's and rows seem to do the trick for me
 
I guess I'm lucky with traps. Heavy bent over rows and DLs are all they need. Shrugging always seemed like such a boring excersize...
 
Dizmal said:
I guess I'm lucky with traps. Heavy bent over rows and DLs are all they need. Shrugging always seemed like such a boring excersize...
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BLASPHEMY!! j/k, to each their own. My traps are respectably developed, but I have to put in isolated work.
 
Haha, well I did the isolations like shrugs in the past. Once I started doing heavy rows and deads my traps took off. So I just stopped doing shrugs.
 
jcr1 said:
3 sets really aint crap! BUT.. If you do 3 sets a week for years it adds up, your taps will grow. They will grow slow with those few sets but they will indeed grow!
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Are you stupid or something!? My traps grow fast as hell with just 3 sets a week. Of course I do my deads and rows, but that isnt direct trap workout. Everybody's bodies are different, just because your traps dont grow super fast with just a few sets doesnt mean mine wont.
 
Dead lifts are direct traps work. It's not isolated, but it's as direct as saying squats are direct quad work. Other muscles are heavily involved, but the traps are one of the major, MAJOR players in a dead lift.

and to be fair, you never mentioned deads and rows, you just said 3 sets of shrugs, which I found odd myself. Dead, rows and shrugs combined, yes, you have a solid program for blowing up your traps. BB rows tax the traps as well. Your traps begin at the upper/middle of your back, not just around the neck. Deads will actually have a more profound effect on traps then shrugs. You only hit the top portion of the traps with shrugs, Deads hit the other 3/4 portion of the traps and takes the traps stimulation through maybe an 80% greater ROM.

It's all good though, no need to get upset. I'd take your BF% over my traps.
 
VolcomX311 said:
I know people like that. I'm not one of them.
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Don't worry. My back is the only body part on me that appears to be like that. Everything else needs direct work after the compound movments.

Sometimes I wish it was other parts(delts/arms). But being that I like big traps and that I find shrugs so boring. I'm glad my traps do well enough without them.
 
Dizmal said:
Don't worry. My back is the only body part on me that appears to be like that. Everything else needs direct work after the compound movments.

Sometimes I wish it was other parts(delts/arms). But being that I like big traps and that I find shrugs so boring. I'm glad my traps do well enough without them.
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Back is the key for the appearance of beast like size, so consider yourself lucky. Massive forearms are also a good beast body part.
 
I feel your pain as my traps don't seem to want to grow very well. I too have to do a lot of work for them to get any bigger. I would suggest that you do a variety of trap type exercises, and to take from Jim Wendler, on stuff like triceps pushdowns, also be shrugging your traps real hard the whole time. In addition, stuff like upright rows (if your shoulders can handle them), incline shrugs, etc are useful. Don't JUST shrug for traps.
 
I do 3 exercises for my shoulders/delts and my traps grow fine. I keep seeing more and more people listing their routines that are way to much. Like six different exercises per body part, three sets each. More work and precious calories burned than needed. More is not better.
 
SRS2000 said:
In my opinion heavy deadlifts and rowing movements will make up the base of your trap training. Shrugs and other isolation movements are then just the finishers for your trap work. Go to any powerlifting meet and you'll see plenty of people with pretty big traps, yet most don't do any more than 2-3 sets of shrugs per week with a moderate weight. They do perform lots of heavy pulls (deadlifts, rack pulls, etc...) and plenty of heavy rowing movements.
If you don't know how to DL correctly, learn how and start deadlifting. If you want other training ideas do an internet search for "The Yoke + Jim Wendler".
Click to expand...

I agree. Dead-lifts will blow them up. I have exceptionally large traps for my size and I can attest them to dead-lifts. Stack the weight, wear a belt and kill it!
 
I dunno I have to disagree with some here... I here people preach all the time go super heavy on traps..and that may work for them..

but IMO traps are not a large muscle group. I see people all the time with 4-5 plates each side shruging (or rather bouncing) away..with virtually no trap development. so really, what muscles are being worked? legs? calves? delts? In reality look at your biceps or even your pecs..they are a larger muscle group then your traps...can you bench 5 plates? Once again, IMO, Traps need to be isolated and hit hard. I have seen my traps grow far larger from doing shrugs with 225 and having no movement in my body except extreme trap isolation, then shrugging with 495 and honestly looking pretty ugly. I honestly have never seen anyone shrug 500 with PERFECT form. If you like going heavy, thats great...if you get good development, keep doing it. But you might try rotating workouts with extreme isolation on the traps and going super heavy. My days of going superheavy are over.. I have a rod and 6 screws in my back...Surprisingly my surgery has forced me to focus more and more on no movement whatsoever and perfect form...and my traps have actually grown.... Legs are another story, as I am only 16 weeks out from surgery and cant put to much pressure on my back that is needed to work legs correctly...

so for thoose of you that shrug and shrug and get no growth..just reducing the weight a bit and focus on form and being super strict till you feel that burn deep in the muscle. You might be surprised. As I always say "check your ego at the door".. I do have to say i always find it amusing when I am doing strict curls with 40lbs and some 150'lbr pulls up next to me and does his full body curls with 45lbs. sorry, just can't preach Form enough.
 
i used to be 6-7 plate shrug guy.. as i've gotten older, i've lightened the weight, tightened up the form, and my trap size hasn't suffered at all. a medium to medium heavy weight, with nice crisp form, isolating the traps, IMO works as well if not better than going heavy, and leaves you at much less risk of low back injury...
 
Pumpkinhead said:
I dunno I have to disagree with some here... I here people preach all the time go super heavy on traps..and that may work for them..

but IMO traps are not a large muscle group. I see people all the time with 4-5 plates each side shruging (or rather bouncing) away..with virtually no trap development. so really, what muscles are being worked? legs? calves? delts? In reality look at your biceps or even your pecs..they are a larger muscle group then your traps...can you bench 5 plates? Once again, IMO, Traps need to be isolated and hit hard. I have seen my traps grow far larger from doing shrugs with 225 and having no movement in my body except extreme trap isolation, then shrugging with 495 and honestly looking pretty ugly. I honestly have never seen anyone shrug 500 with PERFECT form. If you like going heavy, thats great...if you get good development, keep doing it. But you might try rotating workouts with extreme isolation on the traps and going super heavy. My days of going superheavy are over.. I have a rod and 6 screws in my back...Surprisingly my surgery has forced me to focus more and more on no movement whatsoever and perfect form...and my traps have actually grown.... Legs are another story, as I am only 16 weeks out from surgery and cant put to much pressure on my back that is needed to work legs correctly...

so for thoose of you that shrug and shrug and get no growth..just reducing the weight a bit and focus on form and being super strict till you feel that burn deep in the muscle. You might be surprised. As I always say "check your ego at the door".. I do have to say i always find it amusing when I am doing strict curls with 40lbs and some 150'lbr pulls up next to me and does his full body curls with 45lbs. sorry, just can't preach Form enough.
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I saw a study somewhere that said for traps to grow on most peopel, you would need to stimulate it with the heaviest weight possible..
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The trap is also not a small muscle, but rather a moderate sized muscle..
 
gamer2be08 said:
I saw a study somewhere that said for traps to grow on most peopel, you would need to stimulate it with the heaviest weight possible..
Invalid Link Removed

The trap is also not a small muscle, but rather a moderate sized muscle..
Click to expand...

DANG that pic is hardcore, didnt know the trap muscle was that big!!
 
Deadlift and then without rest, immediatly superset into shrugs. Maybe try working directly on your traps every other week.
 
Pumpkinhead said:
I dunno I have to disagree with some here... I here people preach all the time go super heavy on traps..and that may work for them..

but IMO traps are not a large muscle group. I see people all the time with 4-5 plates each side shruging (or rather bouncing) away..with virtually no trap development. so really, what muscles are being worked? legs? calves? delts? In reality look at your biceps or even your pecs..they are a larger muscle group then your traps...can you bench 5 plates? Once again, IMO, Traps need to be isolated and hit hard. I have seen my traps grow far larger from doing shrugs with 225 and having no movement in my body except extreme trap isolation, then shrugging with 495 and honestly looking pretty ugly. I honestly have never seen anyone shrug 500 with PERFECT form. If you like going heavy, thats great...if you get good development, keep doing it. But you might try rotating workouts with extreme isolation on the traps and going super heavy. My days of going superheavy are over.. I have a rod and 6 screws in my back...Surprisingly my surgery has forced me to focus more and more on no movement whatsoever and perfect form...and my traps have actually grown.... Legs are another story, as I am only 16 weeks out from surgery and cant put to much pressure on my back that is needed to work legs correctly...

so for thoose of you that shrug and shrug and get no growth..just reducing the weight a bit and focus on form and being super strict till you feel that burn deep in the muscle. You might be surprised. As I always say "check your ego at the door".. I do have to say i always find it amusing when I am doing strict curls with 40lbs and some 150'lbr pulls up next to me and does his full body curls with 45lbs. sorry, just can't preach Form enough.
Click to expand...

The whole of the traps covers half of your back. Not a big muscle group? The reason dead lifts are so much more effective then shrugs is because deads take tax the traps in a greater ROM. The traps primary function is shoulder girdle retraction, which you stimulate with the the ROM in the dead lift. Shrugs only tax their very minimal function of shoulder girdle elevation. The traps are a HUGE muscle group.

That said, a lot of people perform shrugs wrong. They simply lift their shoulders, as oppose to pulling the entire shoulder girdle up.
 
cowboy007 said:
I was shown a nice trick by a bb at my gym. He holds 2 dumbells in front of his abs like hes getting read to do DB lateral raises, then he shrugs. It definitely hits the traps at a different angle. What about upright rows? They work traps as well
Click to expand...

Interesting...Thanks for the tip.
 
VolcomX311 said:
The whole of the traps covers half of your back. Not a big muscle group? The reason dead lifts are so much more effective then shrugs is because deads take tax the traps in a greater ROM. The traps primary function is shoulder girdle retraction, which you stimulate with the the ROM in the dead lift. Shrugs only tax their very minimal function of shoulder girdle elevation. The traps are a HUGE muscle group.

That said, a lot of people perform shrugs wrong. They simply lift their shoulders, as oppose to pulling the entire shoulder girdle up.
Click to expand...

nicely stated Volcom
 
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