Shrugs how often is everyone doing them?

[Biggerp73]

Traps are one of the sickest muscles you can have. One of the most powerful looking muscles. Big traps that pop up off the shoulders up the ears is the difference between looking big and looking like a true bodybuilder.

 

[UnholyAlliance]

I do dumbbell shrugs for should day as part of the routine.

 

[Doitagain]

There are no overdeveloped traps.
Only underdeveloped shoulders

 

[Brock456]

I do them on shoulder day.

 

[Mufasa123]

Traps are one of the sickest muscles you can have. One of the most powerful looking muscles. Big traps that pop up off the shoulders up the ears is the difference between looking big and looking like a true bodybuilder.

Agreed. Where there are traps, there is strength and power. That is the rule.

I see a guy with quads and no hams/hips/glutes or delts/pecs but no traps...that reeks of all show and no go - never wrong either.

 

[pistonpump]

Started doing them again. After back. 3 sets barbell and 3 sets on neutral grip seated machine.

 

[juggy38]

Are there really humans on anabolics with underdeveloped traps?

I literally focus Kaioken x100 to not use any traps on shoulder and back movements, and they just grow at the rate along my shoulders and heavy pulls.

 

[b-boy]

if you have overdeveloped traps, never see anyone doing traps, why would you choose to directly target them?
I haven’t done a shrug in years and my traps are bigger than 90% of my lifting friends just from deadlifts and heavy backwork.

Overdevelop traps are a dysfunctional muscle group that can inhibit effective back engagement… I wouldn’t recommend doing anything for them in isolation if they are already over powering

I use to work traps once a week on Fridays (shoulders, traps, calves). I use to have overly developed traps, I then heard I believe it was Neil Hill talk about not getting the traps so developed that it hunches you forward with your posture, that's EXACTLY what mine did which is counter productive to bodybuilding which you want to be upright and wide and you can't properly do that with overly huge traps pulling you forward.
Pic is when I was around 250 lbs and shrugged very heavy weight and deadlifted all the time you can see im natural hunched over slightly due to my traps

 

[Elvia1023]

Traps to me make someone look powerful. Look at Johnny Jackson and you see them popping out and it makes him look like a beast. I do PPL and pretty much train my traps every PULL day. Different rep ranges and techniques. Obviously you want to lift heavy but I think many overdo the weight on traps and it prevents them using the most effective ROM. There is a place for everything but you want moderate weight were you can get your traps to your ears and slowly down again. Occasionally I will blast them with some over the top weights with a more limited ROM just for fun.

I usually do 2-3 sets to failure for 1-2 movements (2-3 total sets). Right now I am doing drop sets most days and that's because I like to perform different rep ranges to failure and you can fit 3 failure sets into a few minutes and that's them done for the day. I like to pick weights were I am failing in the 6-10, 12-15 and 25-30 rep ranges. Occasionally I pick up 2x 20kg plates and do AMRAP (or 100 reps).

The most common movements I do are barbell shrugs (front and behind the back) and smith shrugs (front and behind the back). I often superset both and may even perform drops sets so 3pps front then back, 2pps front then back and 1pps front and back. Although it's usually just 2-3 total sets to failure so I may just do front, back and front. DB shrugs (kelso shrugs too) are another one and I like to do them standing or seated.





BBoy just posted and I completely agree. I don't compete so it doesn't bother me and I just like having big traps. Although I have gone through periods of not training them because they overpowered everything and I didn't see the need but I enjoy training them now so they have been done weekly for a while now.

 

[st114]

I really blew up my traps using unconventional shrugs. IE, zercher shrugs and hise shrugs on the calf raise machine, the former for low reps, and the latter for high reps

 

[b-boy]

I really blew up my traps using unconventional shrugs. IE, zercher shrugs and hise shrugs on the calf raise machine, the former for low reps, and the latter for high reps

Hise shrugs on the standing calve raise machine is my favorite trap exercise

 

[beastmode121]

0 days

 

[Biggerp73]

I use to work traps once a week on Fridays (shoulders, traps, calves). I use to have overly developed traps, I then heard I believe it was Neil Hill talk about not getting the traps so developed that it hunches you forward with your posture, that's EXACTLY what mine did which is counter productive to bodybuilding which you want to be upright and wide and you can't properly do that with overly huge traps pulling you forward.
Pic is when I was around 250 lbs and shrugged very heavy weight and deadlifted all the time you can see im natural hunched over slightly due to my traps
View attachment 178399

Idk you look wide as a house and those traps look sick

 

[Nike22]

I do them once a week with delts but my traps are my most lagging body part. 4 sets of bb shrugs with drop sets on the last set.
Should I try doing them 2x a week? How many sets per week do you recommend for a hard gainer in this area?

 

[qbkilla]

I do them once a week with delts but my traps are my most lagging body part. 4 sets of bb shrugs with drop sets on the last set.
Should I try doing them 2x a week? How many sets per week do you recommend for a hard gainer in this area?

First make sure your hitting them right check Mike Van wycks YouTube video. From there I'd maybe look at intensity techniques and overload. If that's present try playing with frequency, volume, etc imo

 

[fredmac82]

I do not do any exercises directly for traps. My traps are developed enough for my body and they get worked indirectly with my shoulder and back workouts. No need for me to hit them directly.

 

[comedycentral]

I found better development and connection with wide grip upright rows to lower chest height.

 

[Doitagain]

I found better development and connection with wide grip upright rows to lower chest height.

That's odd, the narrower the grip the more the trapezius muscles are involved.

 

[qbkilla]

That's odd, the narrower the grip the more the trapezius muscles are involved.

Wide grip hits more side delt right?

 

[TheOtherOne55]

you can always tell how massive someone is (and I mean jacked, not obese) by the size of their traps, calves and forearms. You can wear a baggy ass clothes and just see those and instantly know.

I was not blessed with a thick neck or great traps…I remember being a skinny necked 15 year old playing HS football and thinking, “I need to change this.” And surprise, my traps are one of my best body parts now.

DB shrugs by your side
BB shrugs in front of your body
Chest supp t-bar row shrugs
Standing calf raise shrugs
Paused reps and frequency all worked for me