Author Topic: shrugs (Read 2537 times)

Bluto · « **on:** March 23, 2008, 06:08:36 PM »

bros

you do your shrugs with shoulders or with back?

im thinking of adding smith shrugs behind the back to my workout, anyone got any results with it? i currently do to the front and with dumbbells

and yes i believe i need to work traps directly

webcake · « **Reply #1 on:** March 23, 2008, 06:55:39 PM »

Quote from: Bluto on March 23, 2008, 06:08:36 PM

bros

you do your shrugs with shoulders or with back?

im thinking of adding smith shrugs behind the back to my workout, anyone got any results with it? i currently do to the front and with dumbbells

and yes i believe i need to work traps directly

Me too.

Normally i do them with back, as they get pretty warmed up with rows and other exercises, so i feel i should do them. But right now im actually doing them twice a week (i consider my traps a weak part), so im gonna see if they respond to a higher volume training style. Oh and the second time i train them is with shoulders.

Obvious Gimmick · « **Reply #2 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:19:00 PM »

thanks for this thread Bluto.

My traps SUCK! when doing DB shugs, i bring my shoulders to my ears but i have friends who do the 'rolling' thing from front to back. any thoughts on which works better?

also how many sets do you guys do?

chaos · « **Reply #3 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:34:43 PM »

Quote from: airosol on March 23, 2008, 07:19:00 PM

thanks for this thread Bluto.

My traps SUCK! when doing DB shugs, i bring my shoulders to my ears but i have friends who do the 'rolling' thing from front to back. any thoughts on which works better?

also how many sets do you guys do?

Why do your traps suck? Do you want them taller or thicker?

candidizzle · « **Reply #4 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:40:45 PM »

i really like doing shrugs with the standing calf machine.

i do traps with shoulders. sometimes before, sometimes after. if i do them before, i go straight to the side delts then do front delts after, if i do traps after, i start out with front delts then side delts. rear delts always last. i dont need any more rear delts.

Obvious Gimmick · « **Reply #5 on:** March 23, 2008, 07:48:05 PM »

Quote from: chaos on March 23, 2008, 07:34:43 PM

Why do your traps suck? Do you want them taller or thicker?

thicker. straight ahead, they look ok, but a side view will reveal shitocity

chaos · « **Reply #6 on:** March 23, 2008, 08:02:27 PM »

Quote from: airosol on March 23, 2008, 07:48:05 PM

thicker. straight ahead, they look ok, but a side view will reveal shitocity

Use the smith machine at an angle, if you have one, lean into the angle.
That will bring the weight up with the "meat" of the trap, the thick slab of muscle on your upper back.

If you don't have that smith machine, put your hands 6-8 inches apart in front of you using a barbell, lean forward slightly, that will also work.

powerbomb · « **Reply #7 on:** March 23, 2008, 09:00:11 PM »

I heard the rolling method is bad for your shoulders from several people. Anybody found any proof of this. I usually do dumbell shrugs and its gotten my traps pretty tall and thick but I think its also part genetics for me.

E N A N T H A T O R · « **Reply #8 on:** March 23, 2008, 09:03:14 PM »

Quote from: airosol on March 23, 2008, 07:19:00 PM

thanks for this thread Bluto.

My traps SUCK! when doing DB shugs, i bring my shoulders to my ears but i have friends who do the 'rolling' thing from front to back. any thoughts on which works better?

also how many sets do you guys do?

Don't roll, up squeeze, down. I go heavy db.

JasonH · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2008, 02:35:02 AM »

Quote from: Bluto on March 23, 2008, 06:08:36 PM

bros

you do your shrugs with shoulders or with back?

im thinking of adding smith shrugs behind the back to my workout, anyone got any results with it? i currently do to the front and with dumbbells

and yes i believe i need to work traps directly

I do them with shoulders. I already do enough exercises for back and don't want to add in any more. I tend to do upright rows after my delt work and then seated hammer shrugs - it's the only way I can seem to isolate them properly - I gave up barbell shrugs as I found I was prone to cheating with them although I'll still use the dumbells from time to time.

Bluto · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2008, 03:27:28 AM »

yeah i wouldnt roll. dont think its good for the shoulders and seem unneccesary.

Obvious Gimmick · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2008, 07:42:09 AM »

Quote from: chaos on March 23, 2008, 08:02:27 PM

Use the smith machine at an angle, if you have one, lean into the angle.
That will bring the weight up with the "meat" of the trap, the thick slab of muscle on your upper back.

If you don't have that smith machine, put your hands 6-8 inches apart in front of you using a barbell, lean forward slightly, that will also work.

sweet. ill try it today. thanks

mass 04 · « **Reply #12 on:** March 24, 2008, 08:49:50 AM »

I work them two days a week. 4 sets of db shrugs on monday with shoulders and 3-4 sets of behind the back shrugs with back on Thursday.

jpm101 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2008, 09:54:59 AM »

Training traps with the back seem a more logical combo. They tend to work together as a complete unit.

If anyone has a good designed trap bar, than might try using that. No chance it will rub against the body and produce a drag. And the hands are in a more natural position (thumbs forward) for better lifting ability.

If just a regular bar than try different hand positions. Extra wide (to the inside collars) attacks the traps from another angle and also can produce a better stretch. Close grip shrugs (4 to 8 inches apart.. as Chaos suggested) also are another way to change the angle of the lift. Try putting chalk/powder on the bar (and you) which may help to reduce any drag of the bar. One arm DB shrugs (alternate each arm) are also good.

One of the better pre-exhaust trap combo's are regular BB shugs followed right after (no rest) by up-right rows or Hi-pulls. Partial shrugs in a power rack can also give very massive traps. Traps, by themselves, are a very powerful short range muscle group. So should be trained heavy. Good Luck.

tonymctones · « **Reply #14 on:** March 24, 2008, 11:36:19 AM »

HEAVY HEAVY DEADLIFTS

, If your not doing deads that would be number one from my viewpoint, I know this maybe bad for your shoulders but power cleans are great for them as well as your back, also upright rows...again i know horrible for your shoulders.

chaos · « **Reply #15 on:** March 24, 2008, 08:57:47 PM »

Quote from: airosol on March 24, 2008, 07:42:09 AM

sweet. ill try it today. thanks

Hey, how'd it go? Are you dead? $:-\$

heavyNbasic · « **Reply #16 on:** March 24, 2008, 10:19:42 PM »

Deadlifts have been awesome for my trap thickness, from top to bottom. When not doing deads on a regular basis, i like dumbell shrugs with my chin tucked in (head down), and arms at sides. I'll do a few sets of these, then a few straight up barbell shrugs. Sometimes I'll jump on a t-bar row station (the one with the pad against the chest) and shrug on that. It gives you a different, but good angle to work from. Hits b/w the shoulder blades a bit more.

If I had to pick one exercise, I'd go with deads (forget the straps, and use chalk).

smaul · « **Reply #17 on:** March 25, 2008, 03:56:24 AM »

Clean and jerks.

CalvinH · « **Reply #18 on:** March 25, 2008, 09:17:30 AM »

I do traps with shoulders and I never do the same exercise twice in a row.

If anyone wants to try a great trap workout try this,
using dumbells start with a weight you can shrug for 20,then immediately grab a lighter dumbell like a 35lb.start from the top of your shrug{traps up near your neck,not relaxed}lower the weight no more than an inch to 2 inches.do 12 of these then rest.

thats your 1rst set.then continue your sets working with higher weights with your first part of the set.always keep a light weight for the "squeeze"or second part of the set.

I usually start with 80's then work my way up to 130's.obviously the number of reps with the heavy weight go down but not the number of reps with the "squeeze" part of the set.

let me tell ya this is a workout that gives your traps a KILLER pump

obviously this takes time and it's not something you would do every trap workout but it works great for me!

thewickedtruth · « **Reply #19 on:** March 25, 2008, 03:05:51 PM »

traps don't need alot of work if you do alot of pulling or heavy back work... but if you don't then doing 1 exercise like heavy barbell shrugs up as heavy as you can go or do some higher rep stuff with dumbells for say sets of 50 or up to 100 reps is more than enough for traps. They're not that big of a muscle group in the scheme of things...

want a big neck..

do more deadlifts.

The Squadfather · « **Reply #20 on:** March 25, 2008, 03:42:30 PM »

Quote from: thewickedtruth on March 25, 2008, 03:05:51 PM

traps don't need alot of work if you do alot of pulling or heavy back work... but if you don't then doing 1 exercise like heavy barbell shrugs up as heavy as you can go or do some higher rep stuff with dumbells for say sets of 50 or up to 100 reps is more than enough for traps. They're not that big of a muscle group in the scheme of things...

want a big neck..

do more deadlifts.

squat too, people underestimate how much heavy squats add to neck size.

Mega Man · « **Reply #21 on:** March 25, 2008, 10:09:11 PM »

One of my favorite exercises for traps is Upright rows....squeezing for a couple seconds at the top!

I have pretty good traps....I've read that you should train the body part they way it was designed to work....

The trap basicly hold your arms up all day....and are designed to be worked for long durations....I'm sure early humans had to carry stuff long distances like sticks for a fire or buckets of water from wells.......

So it said to stimulate the traps for rapid growth...higher reps work better...

Once I started doing higher reps for my traps with perfect form and squeezing at the top...I saw a big improvement.

Another example is you abs...they hold you upright all day....show high reps for abs works better

webcake · « **Reply #22 on:** March 26, 2008, 04:06:13 AM »

Right now im doing about 4-5 sets of heavy db shrugs (10-15 reps) then right after i grab a light set of db and do upright rows with them. You can really squeeze at the top. Feels good.

JasonH · « **Reply #23 on:** March 26, 2008, 04:27:37 AM »

Quote from: Mega Man on March 25, 2008, 10:09:11 PM

One of my favorite exercises for traps is Upright rows....squeezing for a couple seconds at the top!

I have pretty good traps....I've read that you should train the body part they way it was designed to work....

The trap basicly hold your arms up all day....and are designed to be worked for long durations....I'm sure early humans had to carry stuff long distances like sticks for a fire or buckets of water from wells.......

So it said to stimulate the traps for rapid growth...higher reps work better...

Once I started doing higher reps for my traps with perfect form and squeezing at the top...I saw a big improvement.

Another example is you abs...they hold you upright all day....show high reps for abs works better

Good advice - I like it.

My traps suck. One of my worst bodyparts and they've no height to them at all - all I do for them is shrugs and only recently I've started upright rows. I'll concentrate more on squeezing and higher reps as I'm willing to try anything now.

jpm101 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 26, 2008, 08:42:50 AM »

One of my favorite exercise is also up-right rows. A upper body mass builder when applied correctly. It gets blamed for a lot of injuries, but truth be told the guy's who has trouble are usually doing it wrong. With a little wider hand spacing, up-rights attack the delt's , as well as the traps.

If you have no height to the traps, chances are you were born with a lower muscle structure for the traps. Like being born with high lats and calves. Can always improve what nature gave you, but not to the extent of having better muscle inserts for those high traps. Another example may be that some people can do benches and get great upper pec development with half trying. But most trainee's will struggle with benches, inclines, flys, etc and still find the upper pecs lagging. Good Luck.