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Things besides shrugs for traps

CaffeineandKilos

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So I've done all the trap variations you could make a YouTube clickbait title with over the years... I've got, less than ideal trap genetics, they're gay.

Anyone find any off the wall exercise not really known for trap growth, that you feel helped grow your traps?
 

BigarmsAL

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Honestly I stick with barbell shrugs with heavy ass weight 5 to 600 lbs then lower weight after 2 sets something like this

600lbs-12x-2x
495-15x-2x
405-20x-2x
315-25x-2x

And so forth till you get down to just the bar and if you’re feeling beastly that day start back up from 135 all the way to 600
 

BigarmsAL

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Honestly I stick with barbell shrugs with heavy ass weight 5 to 600 lbs then lower weight after 2 sets something like this

600lbs-12x-2x
495-15x-2x
405-20x-2x
315-25x-2x

And so forth till you get down to just the bar and if you’re feeling beastly that day start back up from 135 all the way to 600
If they aren’t growing after that then just forget it lol
 

CaffeineandKilos

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Honestly I stick with barbell shrugs with heavy ass weight 5 to 600 lbs then lower weight after 2 sets something like this

600lbs-12x-2x
495-15x-2x
405-20x-2x
315-25x-2x

And so forth till you get down to just the bar and if you’re feeling beastly that day start back up from 135 all the way to 600
Lol sweet Jesus 600lb shrugs
 

EpicFlash

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There are 2 parts to the trap movement. Let’s call it the lift and the squeeze.
The lift is best antagonized with starting heavy weight moving. (Heavy shrugs is a good example)
The squeeze is what happens at the concentric “top” of movement. For me, medium DB shrugs with arms at side or even slightly anterior (shoulders back) to shoulder focusing on the top in a squeeze hard. 60-70 lbs should be plenty.
This is not any exact science, just my experience with training traps.
 

Luxferro

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Nothing (and I truly mean nothing) has exploded my traps like heavy farmer’s walks COUPLED with Lu raises. Lu raises are the fucking GOAT of all exercises IMO. This shit will blow up your side delts, rear delts, and traps like none other. Best part is that it’s such a difficult movement that you can use lighter weights and achieve excellent mass building results with minimal risk of injury. These are also an AWESOME shoulder prehab exercise. I have legitimately not had ONE shoulder injury or aggregation since doing these daily.

Lu raises are so named after Lu Xiaojun who invented the exercise AFAIK. He’s considered to be one of the best if not THE best of Olympic weightlifter. Based in China OFC.
 

CaffeineandKilos

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Lo
Nothing (and I truly mean nothing) has exploded my traps like heavy farmer’s walks COUPLED with Lu raises. Lu raises are the fucking GOAT of all exercises IMO. This shit will blow up your side delts, rear delts, and traps like none other. Best part is that it’s such a difficult movement that you can use lighter weights and achieve excellent mass building results with minimal risk of injury. These are also an AWESOME shoulder prehab exercise. I have legitimately not had ONE shoulder injury or aggregation since doing these daily.

Lu raises are so named after Lu Xiaojun who invented the exercise AFAIK. He’s considered to be one of the best if not THE best of Olympic weightlifter. Based in China OFC.
Lol I got mad fucked up shoulders so Lu raises absolutely messed me up when I did them.

Totally forgot about farmers walks... I'll start incorporating those into my leg days again
 

atrain86

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Racked dead lifts was a game changer for me building traps. I still shrugged but on back day I used the racked deads
 

Donuts

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I know this is an old thread but my traps blew up when I started doing:
- heavy rack pulls
- shrugs standing under a stand up calf raise machine. Stand under it and shrug, squeeze and hold.
 

Skippy0101

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Ive personally have had more luck with heavy movements instead of the long time under tension movements.

Farmer Walks/Suit case carry
Heavy Dead Lifts
Heavy Sand Bag Holds (bear hug)
Any horizontal type Row with a scapular retract before each rep
Incline YTWLs with scapular retraction before each rep
Any Olympic style heavy pulls. Clean pull, Snatch pull, Lasha Pull
 

Lee_48157

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Dead’s, Trap focused upright rows, rack pulls, farmer walk is probably one of my favorites, I can hit traps pretty good w some behind the neck pull-downs, idk what it’s called but hammer strength makes a unilateral row that hits the traps hard if you place the seat so it favors them, shrugging when she asks “how long you’re gonna be at the gym?” Lol

Honestly traps have been one of my best body parts so I haven’t dedicated any focus towards them in about a year.
 

Scooter1182

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So I've done all the trap variations you could make a YouTube clickbait title with over the years... I've got, less than ideal trap genetics, they're gay.

Anyone find any off the wall exercise not really known for trap growth, that you feel helped grow your traps?
Hold bar over your head and shrug your shoulders up towards your ears. Look up on you tube. You don’t need much weight either.
 

Astro95

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Rack pulls and heavy shrugs. I see a lot of guys who are strong doing shrugs with 50s and shit, that’s doing nothing. Obviously everyone’s strength is different, but you really gotta load em up, that’s why rack pulls work as they’re more of a compound movement that allows you to load em.
 

Aoi_611

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Heavy deadlifts and RDLs I’ve found to work well. I can’t remember where I saw it, but I recall reading a study that horizontal pulling activates them as well.

Between some kind of heavy deadlift variation and horizontal pulling that seems to be enough to work them, unless you’re trying to specifically bring them up.
 
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