I like nice high flies with a good contraction. Seems to get my traps pretty good.
MESO-Rx
Anabolic Steroids
Shrugs are a waste of time!!
- Thread starter Morefyah
- Start date
Biggest tip I could give anyone to get huge traps is to just do plate shrugs with a 45 in each hand. Squeeze and pause at the top, you can't pause with a bar loaded to the gills with plates.
The trick is to hold whatever you're pulling in as close of a straight line from the traps as possible. If I drew a line straight down your body from your traps you'd see that the grip of a 45lb plate close to the legs falls closest in line with the traps. Dumbbells make the hands stick out more, a barbell puts a different grip on it, the most natural way to do them is to hold a 45 lb plate at sort of a 45 degree angle on top against each quad. Shrug up till the traps come to ear level , pause for 1-2 seconds and then lower as far as the traps will stretch down. You'll know you're doing them right when they get hard around rep #15.
The trick is to hold whatever you're pulling in as close of a straight line from the traps as possible. If I drew a line straight down your body from your traps you'd see that the grip of a 45lb plate close to the legs falls closest in line with the traps. Dumbbells make the hands stick out more, a barbell puts a different grip on it, the most natural way to do them is to hold a 45 lb plate at sort of a 45 degree angle on top against each quad. Shrug up till the traps come to ear level , pause for 1-2 seconds and then lower as far as the traps will stretch down. You'll know you're doing them right when they get hard around rep #15.
Savagesteve
Member
Don’t know if it was you or someone else in another thread but I read this a while ago and have made it my go to for traps since. Needless to say I have to go up a shirt size to keep from looking like I’m wearing a crop top.
I've mentioned it before on here
Savagesteve
Member
Well thank you because it definitely works. Pretty much the only trap exercise I do.
Me too, with 1 arm db upright rows thrown into the mix lately. Just a light dumbbell like a 25lb will light the traps up. I found u can pull it higher and backwards more at the top as opposed to hands on a bar. It takes out that shoulder pinch when using a barbell and I can really feel the 1 arm raises better
Test_Subject
New Member
Heavy deads and above-the-knee rack pulls with a pause at the top for the win.
I also do that with both arms using rope on cable and pulling up. Feel the burn!
DeathDefier
New Member
Big traps are built by heavy deadlifts
Fattest_animal
Member
Deadlifts, rack pulls, ear-level db lateral raises, OHP, cage press, bb shrugs, db shrugs, using the butterfly style when swimming...
These are all things that I feel help with the traps.
These are all things that I feel help with the traps.
Plenty of variety for traps days.
Fattest_animal
Member
I feel my traps have the best pump when I do ear-level db lateral raises. I squeeze my shoulders/traps as tight to my body as possible and then do the lateral raises.
I obviously can't maintain that posture for every reps on all sets, but I enjoy the feeling.
I obviously can't maintain that posture for every reps on all sets, but I enjoy the feeling.
I loved what @Demondosage suggested earlier which was holding a 45lb plate in each hand and shrugging then with a squeeze and hold at the top for 10sec. Some of the 45s at my gym have handles in the edges of the plates for easy pickup.
Savagesteve
Member
None of ours have handles
The handle is a cutout with a grip so you can hold the 45 easily and not all the plates at my gym have that.None of ours have handles
MisterSuperGod
New Member
I'd do that with the plain ones..helps grip strength too.Pinch grip them sumbitches!
Savagesteve
Member
I do, don’t have a choice lol.Pinch grip them sumbitches!
I'd love pinch gripping and shrugging the old-school iron plates not the rubber coated octagonal ones my current gym has.
You ever seen that press where ppl squeeze 2, 45's together? Like a chest press where you have to squeeze inward the entire time
