Trap size for back thickness

[MrWannabe]

Obviously over all development is key but I think the number 1 contributer to a massive physique is a huge, thick back and I think the major component to a thick back is huge thick traps, not high above the shoulders making you look like a no neck bull but lower in between and around the scapulae. So what is the key to developing the traps like this. Should it be basic - dlifts, power cleans. How about rowing movements for getting between the shoulder blades with close/underhand grips. Or how about isolating with shrugs or maybe even upright rows(which I dont like). I try to do basic movements, I do a lot of rack dlifts but can not push too hard with these movements as I am coming back from some back trouble (discs).Just wanna hear what you all do to get your trap/back thickness.
Peace.

 

[tflexxin]

shrugs behind the back pull pretty good and always make me sore. Seated dumbell shrugs also, making sure to pull the elbows back slighly at the top to squeeze the traps.

 

[dwayno]

as well as shrugs I go upright rows when I hit shoulders

--keep a close grip to hit your traps more, wider grip to hit lateral delts

 

[need2bhuge]

MrWannabe, do shrugs on the T-bar row or chest supported row machines...this will target your mid traps and rhomboids which is what you were initially looking for.

 

[The Real Mako]

MrWannabe, do shrugs on the T-bar row or chest supported row machines...this will target your mid traps and rhomboids which is what you were initially looking for.

I love that idea.. i have always done seated-shrugs with d-bells, behind the neck b-bell shrugs and hammer strength seated shrugs but i love the idea of seated hammer rows machine for shrugs.. i will get right on those mate and keep you all posted

 

[MrWannabe]

yeah, I like the idea of doing shrug movements on some kind of row machine, that will get right in between those shoulder blades. What do you think works best for size development shrugging movements or basic with Dlifts, etc...
Peace.

 

[Big Bapper]

Shrugs Dorian Yates style. Hold the D/bells at your side standing. Tuck your chin into your chest with your head foward and squeze the traps and of course the Daddy "O" of all exercises for traps deadlifts.

 

[WARLORD_123]

I got introduced to the idea od power shrugs along time ago by a good buddy who had some serious trap growth. He saw me doing light weight shrugs with slow full range of motion and tld me that i would never develope thick traps in that manner. So he showed me his style of the power shrug, using straps after the weight gets too heavy. Basically you get a slight bend in your knees and drive up with your legs similar to a push press which gives momentum to the bar and use a shorter range of motion. this has allowed me to knock out sets of shrugs with over 500 pounds in this manner. Using this in conjunction with lighter sticter full ROM shrugs helped build my traps.

I recently added the rack deadlifts that I picked up on this board the other day and I love em. So know I do them first, power shrugs second, and then some light strict shrugs as a burnout to finish em off. makes my traps hurt for days

 

[Nssca]

Obviously over all development is key but I think the number 1 contributer to a massive physique is a huge, thick back and I think the major component to a thick back is huge thick traps, not high above the shoulders making you look like a no neck bull but lower in between and around the scapulae. So what is the key to developing the traps like this. Should it be basic - dlifts, power cleans. How about rowing movements for getting between the shoulder blades with close/underhand grips. Or how about isolating with shrugs or maybe even upright rows(which I dont like). I try to do basic movements, I do a lot of rack dlifts but can not push too hard with these movements as I am coming back from some back trouble (discs).Just wanna hear what you all do to get your trap/back thickness.
Peace.

I disagree with the back as key. I think its massive legs. no massive bodybuilder ever became big with small/ average legs. Until the legs are built the rest of the body will not reach full size potential.

 

[DOGMA]

I could do shrugs till the cow's come home and it never gave much growth but once I started rowing with heavy weight they grew very well. I would say bent over rows with the oly bar works best at least in my case.
I think genetics play's a big part as well kinda like calves of the upper body.

 

[gooey]

I have done this.....

I get on the smith machine and use what most people would say is bad form, I round my back and mimic the top end of a deadlift. I only go down to just at th knee or slightly below it. My focus is to spread my shoulder blades apart goin down. The upward movement I focusing on pulling up the weight with my middle upper back and less with my lower while using a slight rowing motion to pull my shoulder blades together. At the top I do the same as a deadlift I lean back and and squeeze my shoulder blades together. Also I have been experiementing with the Hammer Str "lunge, power squat" rack. Many people do stiff leg'd deads on these also. On back day I use these as my partial deads. Facing outward from the machine, I use a wide stance (as possible), I grip on the ends of the handles so I can make sure I can pull it up and back when I get to the top, I also put my feet out a little farther so when I pull up I feel the tension mainly in my upper back, and not my lower back.
gooey

 

[gtj220]

I say Deadlifts, and have you noticed the trap development of a good olympic lifter.

 

[MrWannabe]

DaRooster - Yeh no doubt, no one is going anywhere in bodybuilding without developing their legs to a high standard, it gives you a solid foundation, helps contribute to overall development and helps to give you strength for all other types of exercises. So as far as training I think that legs should be a main focus in developing a physique because of this. From a visual perspective you gotta have the back though, not forgetting that you better have some legs under that upper body as well. All the pros have pretty decent legs, it seems the thing to give a bodybuilder the edge these days is a huge thick back - Haney, Yates, Coleman. I am not a competative bodybuilder - would need to put on about 40 more lbs to do that!!! but even away from a competition stand point having a massive upper body/back in my experience overshadows the legs. My friend (not competative) weighs 220-230 at 5'5". He hardly uses gear and for what he is hes a solid ball of muscle but no one gives him any credit or even thinks hes at all impressive, reason being that he carries all his weight in his legs- thats his genetics. If he could get that mass in his legs up to his back I guarantee people would be wowed by this guy, for some reason I think we just notice the upperbody more. When I see someone with good legs but just an OK upperbody they are just OK, I see someone with a very impressive upperbody and poor legs they are still impressive in your mind even though you know their legs suck, its psychological it makes an impression in your mind when a male has a lot of mass in the upper body. I wish I had more mass on my upper body, my genetics are for legs - good strength and size but my upper body is not to that standard, so I am in that not too impressive category I spoke of, that shit sucks. My upper body is not that bad but I wanna add a whole lot more mass upstairs so back to the thread, wanna get a huge thick back, how are you guys doing this. Peace. And thanks for all the replies, yeh olympic lifters have huge backs/traps, basic exercises sure build mass.

 

[bgmke7]

I could do shrugs till the cow's come home and it never gave much growth but once I started rowing with heavy weight they grew very well. I would say bent over rows with the oly bar works best at least in my case.
I think genetics play's a big part as well kinda like calves of the upper body.

i have to agree with dogma here about genetics.sorry guys but if you dont have big traps most likely your not going to.im always asked what i do for my traps and i just say nothing special,its one of those body parts for me that just grows.i have even been told to stop training them cause they are just out of balance with everything else.you never see someone with poor calf developement come back years later with huge calves.i have done everything under the sun for my calves but they wont grow like i want them to.
later

 

[MrWannabe]

bgmke7 - u spare a cc of blood, gonna throw it in with my next shot of cyp...

 

[punk]

I do lots of heavy deads. The traps run from the neck all the way down behind the lats and connect down towards your lower vertabre. Deads and hanging cleans tend to hit the whole muscle for me.

 

[AWN2004]

Full dead lifts seem to make my middle back so sore for several days after I do them. Its the kind of soreness that you really strive to get in my opinion at least for me. I have tried other movements but nothing hits the middle back like that (at least for me) like full deads. The only Ive been doing as of late is putting a pause at the top and slowly putting the weight back down. You have to go a little lighter but holy smokes does it blast your back.

 

[bgmke7]

bgmke7 - u spare a cc of blood, gonna throw it in with my next shot of cyp...

no problem,(you got big calves?????) i will trade 1cc of my blood for 1cc of yours

 

[MrWannabe]

I do lots of heavy deads. The traps run from the neck all the way down behind the lats and connect down towards your lower vertabre. Deads and hanging cleans tend to hit the whole muscle for me.

What exactly are hanging cleans, thanks for the replies people.

 

[need2bhuge]

I think he is talking about hang cleans which are just a modified version of a power clean(olympic lift). In the hang clean the bar is held just above knee level and takes out a lot of drive that the legs produce and relies more on the back. For overall back size I would definitely have to go with deads! They hit the erector spinae group, the full traps, rhombiods, and I'm sure engage the lats and serratus to an extent. I would hit the lats seperatre from deads beause they won't grow with just deads.