How much are you shrugging?

[YoungExec]

Never maxed it out, not an exercise I do alot.

 

[Reno911]

For me traps have always been kinda like the first line of defense in sketchy situations- bars back in the day, late nights at Waffle House, and just shady situations in general. Like a cobra coiled for attack just their presence has stopped situations before they started.

Unfortunately when I started having neck issues a few years ago it limited my trap work. Prior to that I always did higher reps- usually quite a few sets of 315 for 35-40 using the McDonald bar so to not smash the junk.

Since my green light to train after my fusion, I started at 135 for like 20. Now almost 4 months in I do 1 set of 135 for 40 then sets of 185 for an easy 35. I think I'm going to go up to 225 soon and see how it feels.

I laugh when I saw this pic. It was last spring when I got the MRI for my neck. Hoping to get them back to that point someday even if I need to use lighter weight and more volume.

 

[3BILLS]

yea I am there for awhile for shoulders its really a lot of shoulder presses as my left shoulder does not allow me to do flys. some days I can do front raises some days I can't but if I do its 3 sets
I do barbell presses 3 sets
I have been getting away with doing rear delts on the pec machine which is usually 4 sets total
then I do dumbell presses 3 or 4 sets
then after I do traps I use this machine at the gym which is basically another shoulder press for 3 sets
all is real slow and controlled and a lot of repetition as its really the only thing I can do to feel like I actually worked them.
I had shoulder surgery and was out for about 11 months last year so shoulders/traps are all light weight slow and controlled. This is probably not how I would train if my shoulder was fine. Though I am pretty sure the weight I use on shoulders that everyone on this site has several women at their gym that use more weight than I do. ive said this before and ill say it again I am probably the use the least weight out of anyone on the site and I am not bragging about that.

That's ok man.. not always about the weight. Especially for side rasies. Have you ever tried using bands for side and front movements?

 

[cage99]

My traps are little over developed compared to my shoulders so I don't train them very much, but I still do shrugs now and then. I agree with what bboy said, slow and controlled, squeeze not just up, but also back (I lean forward a 5-10 degrees). I also really like doing them Yates style, with dumbbells, slightly bent forward, bending the elbows a bit to get extra ROM and hit the mid part of the trap as well not just the upper part.

Originally, my traps got huge from just deadlifting.

I do the exact same thing. Using a slight angle leaned forward. I picked up these lil gadgets for doing dumbbell shrugs. Work great! Might pick up the barbell row ones too…

Trap-Ez Hooks

Trap-Ez Hooks are created from 304 Stainless Steel and designed to help with the performance of weightlifting. Hooks come in three sizes designed specifically for deadlifts, bent-over-rows, and shrugs. Discounts are available.

www.trap-ez.com

Cage

 

[b-boy]

Bboys traps looked great back in the day in that picture, and i will assume they still look like that on him (I dont know)

Why on GOD'S green earth would you think my traps still look like that...LOL I'm 52yrs old now, I weighed 213lbs this morning, I was 252lb fucking sauced up in that pic.
Don't get me wrong my traps are still good for 52yrs old but no where to the level in that pic. However I do train traps EVERY Friday with shoulders and calves.

 

[Elvia1023]

I am nothing special but I am fairly happy with my traps. I have always trained them hard because I like the look of bigger traps. I cover up all the time but even with clothes on bigger traps look like you have a powerful physique imo. I couldn't care less if I shrug 1pps or 7pps the look is what I wanted in the past. As I posted these days I don't push the weight and usually settle between 2-3pps. Although some days I go even lighter. I get so much more out of moderate weight for traps then I ever did with really heavy weight. My form with very heavy weight was never bad (it was good) but as posted above if you are loading the bar up the ROM and the squeeze won't be anywhere near as good compared to a more manageable weight. I like to do a mixture of weights, techniques and rep ranges for all movements though.

I always liked doing barbell shrugs behind my back and to the front and would do 2 working sets of each most workouts. Although these days my fav exercise are Zercher Shrugs and I do them every PULL day now.

 

[Fit2Serve]

heavy shrugs is the biggest regret of my bbing life
i was prob at my strongest... on anadrol... i rarely even did shrugs but was in between sets and feeling beast mode and shrug bar was near by and loaded (loaded heavier than i'd normally do but meh i didnt want to take the time to take plates off) so did a few sets with it. went home and later that eve my wife starts to shave my back and says oh wow you have a bone poking out of your shoulder!?
freaking seperated my own shoulder doing shrugs!? whats f'ed up is i didnt even feel it. no pain. def pain now tho. 7 years later...
dont do heavy shrugs! in fact during my competitive 10 or so years i NEVER did em. imo no a huge reason to. do deads... and rows...

 

[stackdizzy]

Why on GOD'S green earth would you think my traps still look like that...LOL I'm 52yrs old now, I weighed 213lbs this morning, I was 252lb fucking sauced up in that pic.
Don't get me wrong my traps are still good for 52yrs old but no where to the level in that pic. However I do train traps EVERY Friday with shoulders and calves.

Well whatever you could say that back was on any bodybuilder that's out even now and no one say he has problems with back. Thats awesome!!

 

[stackdizzy]

That's ok man.. not always about the weight. Especially for side rasies. Have you ever tried using bands for side and front movements?

Not since pt but that is actually a great idea and will start doing them next shoulder workout. Thank you for the suggestion!!

 

[Aikman56]

For whatever reason, my traps stay even, or even a little ahead of, everything else with no direct attention…probably years of deadlifting before my L5/S1 went ass-over-teakettle.

 

[3BILLS]

 

[Fit2Serve]

I am nothing special but I am fairly happy with my traps. I have always trained them hard because I like the look of bigger traps. I cover up all the time but even with clothes on bigger traps look like you have a powerful physique imo. I couldn't care less if I shrug 1pps or 7pps the look is what I wanted in the past. As I posted these days I don't push the weight and usually settle between 2-3pps. Although some days I go even lighter. I get so much more out of moderate weight for traps then I ever did with really heavy weight. My form with very heavy weight was never bad (it was good) but as posted above if you are loading the bar up the ROM and the squeeze won't be anywhere near as good compared to a more manageable weight. I like to do a mixture of weights, techniques and rep ranges for all movements though.

I always liked doing barbell shrugs behind my back and to the front and would do 2 working sets of each most workouts. Although these days my fav exercise are Zercher Shrugs and I do them every PULL day now.

reminds me of my most muwc lookin great

 

[Mufasa123]

Those are high pulls. Old school movement. Was the core of Bill Starr's famous article on increasing deadlift without deadlifting.

Its a great movement. Traps pull up and back and respond very well to dynamic movements (hence why straight vertical shrugging isn't optimal for them and why so many have success deadlifting or OL to build traps). Power Shrug I mentioned is just a shorter version of this starting above the knee.

 

[Doitagain]

Those are high pulls. Old school movement. Was the core of Bill Starr's famous article on increasing deadlift without deadlifting.

Its a great movement. Traps pull up and back and respond very well to dynamic movements (hence why straight vertical shrugging isn't optimal for them and why so many have success deadlifting or OL to build traps). Power Shrug I mentioned is just a shorter version of this starting above the knee.

Straight vertical shrugging never did anything for my traps.
This is how I use dumbbells. Made all the difference in the world for me.

 

[Hatchet]

One guy at the gym, tall and lanky, puts on 3-4 plates, and does spastic "chicken neck, shoulder circles" with it.
Moves his head back and forth while doing tiny circles. Looks retarded and has zero traps.
I feel it best while sitting, head FWD a bit and using heavy dumbbells. Nice, slow, hold at the top, lower slowly.

Trap shrugs are not a Powerlift, focus on the small muscles that they are and do them properly...

 

[iwantmass]

When you see a small guy with no traps doing rack shrugs with tons of weight moving it half a. Inch 100 mph lol Doing pathetic reps not coming anywhere near a peak shrug contraction. Lol

This is the first thing that came to mind go me, when I saw this thread. Not to state that this is tbomz, but shrugs seem to be the most sloppy exercise I see tiny ppls abuse in the gym

 

[fisther69]

Heaviest I go is 2 plates on a smith machine..behind the back..super slow. With a slight lean forward

 

[Cv215]

225-275 max. I herniated c6-c7 abour 4 years ago and while its improved, if im not careful pain and symptoms will come back very very fast so i have to take great care with shrugs

 

[Shelby]

No comment, just a pic. Crazy neck & traps (Art Atwood)

 

[luki7788]

this topic motivated me to start doing heavy shrugs again lol