Huge Traps?

[AdamJM]

Anyone got a really killer workout for traps? I've tried a lot of things, and mine are pretty strong, they just sure as hell don't want to grow.

[Todd]

Have you tried heavy-ass deadlifts??? Besides being an awesome back exercise, this is what makes my traps grow.... I don't do anything else directly for my traps and they are pretty big...I don't do shrugs, upright rows or anything else for them...just heavy deads!

[Gaffer]

Dead's and Barbell shrugs are doing it for me at the moment. When I asked the same question a while back Fudo said go real heavy (like Todd has suggested) and I'm now doing BB shrugs with 375lbs.

[Lee J B]

Yes I agree about the deadlifts, serveal times I have done my traps on back day, what gets mine going is heavy upright rows to get the warm, then very heavy BB shrugs... sometimes in the 2 - 3 rep range never going higher than 4 and then to finish them heavy deadlifts, which is then my back warmup ... so it all works out quite good.

[ebon00]

Originally posted by AdamJM
Anyone got a really killer workout for traps? I've tried a lot of things, and mine are pretty strong, they just sure as hell don't want to grow.

I've taken a tip from Christian Thibaudeau and adapted his 'Power Look' trap program. It has kicked my ass like nothing has before. The outline is like this, you do the workout on your back day (if you have two back days in a week choose the first of the week).

Partial Havorek Complex - a triset of snatch-grip high pulls, clean-grip high pulls and bent over rows. I do the high pulls from the hang to hit the traps harder.

Block power clean - to take out a part of the technical problems of the clean, you start froma pair of blocks that set the bard just below your knees (I use two bumper 45s on top of each other for blocks). Concentrate on pulling hard.

Overhead shrugs - check the exercise description thread for info on this one. Just search for overhead shrug and it should pop up. There's a pic and everything. Killer trap exercise.

Snatch grip deadlift - the wider grip forces you to work harder to keep your scapulae back which makes the exercise more back that glute/ham/quad. Watch the form and make sure the lower back doesn't take over too much.

Here's the program:

Partial Javorek Complex 3 tri-sets/6 reps of each exercise
Block power clean 3 sets of 5 reps
Overhead shrug 1 set of 15-20 reps
Snatch grip deadlift 2 sets of 8-10 reps

This WILL make your traps grow. Weird thing is, you won't get much of a pump during the workout and the traps recover fairly quickly between sets but the day after your first workout you'll realize what your traps need to grow.

[Hazukidojo]

Traps are the weirdest muscle. Some people work them all the time, and they don't get much bigger. I am convinced traps are one of those genetic muscles. They can get big to a certain level with work, but the people with the biggest ones are just like that already. I don't do anything but shrugs, and I have huge traps, and I dont know why. However, my deltoids aren't that big, but deltoids seem to be alot easier to develop.

[Todd]

Some people have a higher number of white muscle fibers in different muscle groups, which can make that particular muscle group easier to respond to intense training than other people with less muscle fibers in the same muscle group. You just need to train smart and intensely....there are ways to make up for being less genetically gifted in certain areas!

[Darrin]

Try doing Upright rows, to chest level, hands close in to pecs, then Shrugs, full range, imediately after, keeping reps from 8 to 12, going to failure on each set (and holding each rep for @2 seconds). Only 90 seconds between sets here, and hang on to the last Shrug set until you can't hold it up anymore! No cheating - just use the proper amount of weight, otherwise all sorts of other muscles take up the slack defeating your trap isolation.
I've done this routine for 2 mo.s now, and damn the little f***ers are growing!!!

[d_corn2000]

Funny you guys mentioned doing deadlifts. For traps, I was doing upright rows and shrugs on shoulder day. I was doing deadlifts on back day. I went heavy on the deadlifts and my traps hurt more from that, then they ever have on shoulder day.

[Todd]

yep, deadlifts (if done heavy enough) are an amazing exercise for traps....like I said before, I don't do shrugs or anything else for my traps...just deadlift heavy...and mine experience pain (and growth) like never before when doing all those shrugs etc...simply incredible!

[goloid]

i agree with Hazukidojo

my traps get big easily

i know people who do 3 times the trap work i do and mine are still bigger


my calves on the other hand......