Upper traps don't train them!!

[AASynergist]

I never train in isolation upper traps e.g. dumb bell shrugs etc. I don’t like the big traps no neck physique.

for example - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/photo/data/2/medium/65222ruhl18go.jpg

I figure my upper traps get plenty of work with other exercises albeit mostly isometrically. My question is this does anyone else not perform isolation upper traps exercises and for those of you who do am I being a moron (feeling I might get flamed on this one).

 

[Dlove]

That picture of Markus Ruhl I think has been photo cropped a little, lol. I mean he is a German Bull but not that bad.

Good ? though If were on the same page I was wondering the same thing leaving the gym this morning.

Are you asking if you dedicate a day in the gym to only working Traps? I like big traps and a thick neck not like your pic up there but, lol. Truthfully Deadlifts seem to have brought out my traps more than shrugs or upright rows. I usually hit shrugs at the end of back workouts and upright rows in with chest workouts. Barbell Shrugs behind the back freakin rock. I was reading a thread on here month back and Gator suggested it to someone so I tried them as well since I never had. Its hard to use the barbell cause it keeps hitting your ass, so i used the smith and it felt great. I was going to go in the gym tommorow and do something like this.

4 sets behind back shrugs
3 sets upright rows
3 sets DB Laterals to the side

That would be a pretty effective Trap workout. Anxious to hear others opinions on this.

 

[AASynergist]

That picture of Markus Ruhl I think has been photo cropped a little, lol. I mean he is a German Bull but not that bad.

Good ? though If were on the same page I was wondering the same thing leaving the gym this morning.

Are you asking if you dedicate a day in the gym to only working Traps? I like big traps and a thick neck not like your pic up there but, lol. Truthfully Deadlifts seem to have brought out my traps more than shrugs or upright rows. I usually hit shrugs at the end of back workouts and upright rows in with chest workouts. Barbell Shrugs behind the back freakin rock. I was reading a thread on here month back and Gator suggested it to someone so I tried them as well since I never had. Its hard to use the barbell cause it keeps hitting your ass, so i used the smith and it felt great. I was going to go in the gym tommorow and do something like this.

4 sets behind back shrugs
3 sets upright rows
3 sets DB Laterals to the side

That would be a pretty effective Trap workout. Anxious to hear others opinions on this.

No I am not asking if you dedicate a days training to upper traps. I never actually train them specifically in mind in any workout. I do not do upright rows or shrugs for example. Like you said I feel that they get a good enough workout with exercises like deadlifts. I feel that they are inproportion to the rest of my physique without adding specific upper traps exercises.

 

[tman55]

Deads are enough for me

 

[AASynergist]

Deads are enough for me

Dude if thats you in your avatar then the proof is there for everyone to see.

 

[Dlove]

Im quessing you dont work calves or forearms either? Keep in mind making the smaller bodyparts stronger helps assist in strength increases on major bodyparts and your compound exercises. I was in a rut and wasn't getting any stronger on the bench so I tried something as simple as training my forearms for 10 minutes at the end of every workout needless to say it helped me get stronger. The traps are vital in bench strength so working them might not be a bad idea. I naturally have big traps and a thick neck too for 6 3 but im also 280lbs. I just focus harder and go with more intensity on my weaker body parts then I do on my bigger body parts. Thats how I keep proportioned and it's worked rather well. Everyone has strong points and weak points, IMO you shouldn't just all out stop working your strong points.

 

[Mudge]

Ruhl is leaning over, there is no Photoshop work there. Deads do not do enough for me, never have. Everything requires direct work on me, forearms if I want them to grow (much), neck, traps - etc.

 

[mikea]

Never train them but prob my favorite bodypart, rack deads, deads etc... hell of a lot better then doing isolation work. Goes for all bodyparts actually.

Big traps are bad ass, make you look really strong!

 

[AASynergist]

Im quessing you dont work calves or forearms either? Keep in mind making the smaller bodyparts stronger helps assist in strength increases on major bodyparts and your compound exercises. I was in a rut and wasn't getting any stronger on the bench so I tried something as simple as training my forearms for 10 minutes at the end of every workout needless to say it helped me get stronger. The traps are vital in bench strength so working them might not be a bad idea. I naturally have big traps and a thick neck too for 6 3 but im also 280lbs. I just focus harder and go with more intensity on my weaker body parts then I do on my bigger body parts. Thats how I keep proportioned and it's worked rather well. Everyone has strong points and weak points, IMO you shouldn't just all out stop working your strong points.

It may be a case of this is just a bodypart that I do not to have to work isolated. As for not working calf and forearm. Dude I work my tits off doing calf but have to admit I should do my forearms more.

When you say traps are important for bench work if your talking chest exercises I would be interested in a further explanation.

 

[Dlove]

When you say traps are important for bench work if your talking chest exercises I would be interested in a further explanation.[/QUOTE]

Alright heres the key. You wanna squeeze your traps in together and hard down on the bench and power the bar back up with the lats and the back of the traps by doing so you will get more power out of your bench. Stronger traps yields stronger bench. When you squeeze them in together you will notice they will come out more and therefore their flexed and helping assist for more power. You really have to squeeze them in together. This is a really tough thing to explain but easy to show. Little off note but two more tricks to get more strength out of your bench is drive with the balls of the feet. #2 when lowering the bar to the upper abdominals turn the elbows in, then when you power back up slowly turn them back out. Doing this also gets the traps involved for more power in the press. These practices takes some getting used to but when you get them down brother it will put benching in a whole new light. Just for shits and giggles try doing some behind the back shrugs on the smith after your back workouts and see if your bench goes up. It will. Hope I didn't confuse the shit out of ya.

 

[mikea]

hmmm i would concentrate on squeezing the shoulder blades together, your traps should follow.

Also benching is a compound movement so yeah having strong muscles that are utilised are gonna give better results.

For me traps help get a better arch and keep it at the lift.

 

[AASynergist]

Just for shits and giggles try doing some behind the back shrugs on the smith after your back workouts and see if your bench goes up. It will. Hope I didn't confuse the shit out of ya.

Fair enough I'll give it a go thanks for the advice.