Thread: Trap Exercises - Any Alternates to Shrugs

Reverse flys

Do you have a trick to take the delts out of it?

I've always done those for rear delts.

Deadlifts, hang cleans, high pulls and snatches. Forget about isolation bullshit. Use compounds and you get more for your money. Although one good exercise is the face pull on a cable.
PushandPull, reverse flyes concentrate more on the rear head of the deltoid a little more than the traps. Some indirect work is involved, but the exercises above are far more superior.

Originally Posted by omerta2010

Do you have a trick to take the delts out of it?

I've always done those for rear delts.

If I do use them it's generally as a finishing touch where the rear delts have been pre-exhausted so that the traps are forced to become more involved. So on occasion I'll do a few sets after pull-ups or rows.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

Deadlifts, hang cleans, high pulls and snatches. Forget about isolation bullshit. Use compounds and you get more for your money. Although one good exercise is the face pull on a cable.
PushandPull, reverse flyes concentrate more on the rear head of the deltoid a little more than the traps. Some indirect work is involved, but the exercises above are far more superior.

I agree, but sometimes muscles are stubborn and isolations are worth a try.

Originally Posted by juggernaut

Deadlifts, hang cleans, high pulls and snatches. Forget about isolation bullshit. Use compounds and you get more for your money. Although one good exercise is the face pull on a cable.
PushandPull, reverse flyes concentrate more on the rear head of the deltoid a little more than the traps. Some indirect work is involved, but the exercises above are far more superior.

I'll second all the above compound lifts, especially hang cleans if you're looking for traps.

upright rows work good for me if u dont have a fucked up shoulder. do strict and 10- 15 reps with a modest amount of weight. imo

Originally Posted by Phineas

I'll second all the above compound lifts, especially hang cleans if you're looking for traps.

Actually, hang cleans are solely responsible for me not being able to fit into a 19" dress shirt collar anymore.

Here's a nice exercise I enjoy on my first day:

5x5
hang clean+front squat+push press...

Originally Posted by unclem

upright rows work good for me if u dont have a fucked up shoulder. do strict and 10- 15 reps with a modest amount of weight. imo

It's not a popular exercise here, but i've had fantastic results using upright rows. I also used a similiar rep/weight range as you've described.

Originally Posted by PushAndPull

It's not a popular exercise here, but i've had fantastic results using upright rows. I also used a similiar rep/weight range as you've described.

Done correctly, I agree.

Try doing shrugs on an incline if you have a standing incline bench available.

http://www.elements4health.com/image.../latshrugs.jpg

Sort of like this guy (I would even go slightly more up right) but it's best to use a bench that allows you to grab a barbell and firmly support yourself with feet on a stand so that you can execute heavier weight. When doing heavy shrugs in a completely up-right position (the traditional way) your back takes a severe load that's why you feel it. When on an incline as such in the photo you'd be surprised how much load is released from your back yet you can still go heavy if you are careful and use correct form.

shrugs are finishers . . that most people do poorly . . upright rows MFer . . or cleans etc

Originally Posted by CaptainNapalm

Try doing shrugs on an incline if you have a standing incline bench available.

http://www.elements4health.com/image.../latshrugs.jpg

Sort of like this guy (I would even go slightly more up right) but it's best to use a bench that allows you to grab a barbell and firmly support yourself with feet on a stand so that you can execute heavier weight. When doing heavy shrugs in a completely up-right position (the traditional way) your back takes a severe load that's why you feel it. When on an incline as such in the photo you'd be surprised how much load is released from your back yet you can still go heavy if you are careful and use correct form.

This should do the trick, and it's the weight on the spine that was giving me issues.

juggernaut: thanks and I'll maybe have to work my way up to your suggestions once I feel I can stabalize enough to handle the movement.

TheCapt'n: your correct sir, they are finishers but even as a finishing exercise I wasn't able to make them grow until I went heavy.

Upright rows are part of my shoulder routine already so I'm good to go on that.

Thanks to all for the great advice.

Surprised no one has said this yet but how about farmers walks?

Rack Pulls, Farmer's Walks, Overhead Walks, and Hise Shrugs as a finisher is the trap session of the gods.

Originally Posted by omerta2010

This should do the trick, and it's the weight on the spine that was giving me issues.

juggernaut: thanks and I'll maybe have to work my way up to your suggestions once I feel I can stabalize enough to handle the movement.

TheCapt'n: your correct sir, they are finishers but even as a finishing exercise I wasn't able to make them grow until I went heavy.

Upright rows are part of my shoulder routine already so I'm good to go on that.

Thanks to all for the great advice.

Start with a pcv pipe filled with sand.