Thread: trap question

I train traps with shoulders... What movements do you do for back?

My traps seem to develop decent without additional training, although I've added two sets of shrugs onto my back workout.

I find that doing deads hit my traps good as hell. But I still do smith machine shrugs.

im on gopros routine if your familiar with it

Originally posted by plouffe
I find that doing deads hit my traps good as hell. But I still do smith machine shrugs.

Hope you gent's don't mind if I butt in, I'm one of the old farts but haven't been around in quite a while.

You're absolutely right about deads for your traps plouffe. The extra sets of shrugs are a good idea if your traps are lagging but be carefull, you don't want them to get too big and overshadow your delts. Steve Reeves had arguably the most perfect body in history and he always emphasized that the delts should be more prominent than the traps. (You can throw every bit of that out if you're going for the massively thick powerlifter look. Work your traps as hard as you possibly can.)

Deadlifts always leave me aching....I hurt when I train my traps as well, but I always find the pain goes away after a quick warm up set, traps know whats coming!!!!!

I'm starting to work my traps twice a week. Once with back and then again 3 days later with shoulders. Just love doing those heavy shrugs (325+), seated high cable rows and cable upright rows.
Starting to see some good definition and growth.
Anyone else have any suggestions???

I hit my traps seperately - usually on my back days but on occassion on shoulder day. I don't feel anything in the traps on deadlifts - probably becuase I can't deadlift anywhere as much as I can on isolation movements with traps. I usually use the smith machine for traps and load up a fair amount of weight. I have no idea how much weight the smith bar contributes but I load up 4 plates to warm up , and then do sets by increasing 2 plates at a time (8-10 reps) till i stall out at about 3-4 reps at 12 plates (total 540 lbs). At about 10 plates and above I need to sit on the bar facing away from the machine to get the necessary leverage and and use my legs to get the bar up to near waist level. Frankly, I have not felt any pain though in a long time and I think I am more at a mechanical plateu that is limited by my finer/medium frame physiology rather than muscle strength. I know I could go more but it just is physically hard to hold on to the bar without losing grip even with lifting straps.

OD

Dang!!! 12 plates, that's a crap load. I weigh 290 and have been starting out with 3 and stepping it up 10-15lbs per set. Maybe I'll try and go a little heavier today since I'm doing back, they should still be pretty fresh at the end of my workout

mostang - maybe you misunderstood . I don't do 12 per side. I do only 6 per side at my max (12 total). I am only at 195 lbs on the scale so this is a little challenging since I really have a frame that is more like a swimmer. But this older guy in my gym that is about 62 routinely does 16 plates total ( 8 per). But he is built like samson and has a stockier frame that can support that much weight. It's amazing to watch this guy. His traps pump up like a balloon on the first set and he looks absolutely like the hulk when you compare before and after.

-OD

Some people get by on deadlifts only, you could try it for a couple weeks and see.

That's what I meant, 6 per side. But your doing it on the smith machine? With shrugs I wouldn't see much of a difference btwn smith and standing at the squat rack and doing it since it's such a small controled movement.
I did some today after a medium back workout and only put on 335. I could only get 3 sets of 10 before I dropped to 225 and did another set of 8 holding each rep for 3 secs.

I can't even imagine doing nearly 600lbs and I even weigh in at 290 at 6'6"

It's all in the head - the muscles can do it trust me. Just see past the pain and it happens.

-OD

Originally Posted by OceanDude

I hit my traps seperately - usually on my back days but on occassion on shoulder day. I don't feel anything in the traps on deadlifts - probably becuase I can't deadlift anywhere as much as I can on isolation movements with traps. I usually use the smith machine for traps and load up a fair amount of weight. I have no idea how much weight the smith bar contributes but I load up 4 plates to warm up , and then do sets by increasing 2 plates at a time (8-10 reps) till i stall out at about 3-4 reps at 12 plates (total 540 lbs). At about 10 plates and above I need to sit on the bar facing away from the machine to get the necessary leverage and and use my legs to get the bar up to near waist level. Frankly, I have not felt any pain though in a long time and I think I am more at a mechanical plateu that is limited by my finer/medium frame physiology rather than muscle strength. I know I could go more but it just is physically hard to hold on to the bar without losing grip even with lifting straps.

OD

Hey OceanDude when you said you were doing 6 plates per side, that was for deadlifts, right??
What I was taliking about was just plain old shrugs.