help with trap growth

[atlas]

i have a problem building my traps up. i have tried using heavy weight and light weight. they have grown on my back but the do not grow in the front. i have a long neck so my traps have long way to go. does anybody have any suggestions for me.

[stryker]

do you do deadlifts

[Pablo escabar jr.]

You could try holding a weighted barbell behind your back and do shrugs like that, any variation could really help. also deadlifts, and cleans could help out as well.

Pablo Escabar Jr.

[MR2U]

what worked for me was to do dumbell shrugs with a straight up- down shoulder movement while keeping your head up looking at the cieling looking up is the most important part of this movement,start with 30lb set of 20 work in ten pound increments until you reach the huns for 20 do this exercise to finish your shoulder workout.

[Snowblind]

Originally Posted by stryker

do you do deadlifts

Exactly....deads will make your traps grow big time. I do deadlifts and have never done shrugs, and my traps are plenty big.

[atlas]

thanks for the input guys. does anybody else have anymore suggestions?

[Pimp C]

Any rowing movement will help with trap develepment. Your traps are there to rotate your shoulders back, not move up and down.

[shortz]

I am guessing that 3/4 of the reason people can't build traps is because of poor form when doing shrugs and lack of dead lifts. Watch yourself in the mirror. If you are using too much weight, most guys will stick their head forward, making it feel like they are shrugging, when really they just look stupid.

A great alternative to doing damaging upright rows is doing reverse upright rows. Use a curl bar...you don't need much weight at all...hold it behind you. You want to shrug, then pull up slightly with your arms and squeeze. Just tonight I used two 10lbs plates on each side of a 25lbs curl bar and used good form and got a nice feeling from it.

[shortz]

Originally Posted by Pimp C

Any rowing movement will help with trap develepment. Your traps are there to rotate your shoulders back, not move up and down.

I don't understand what you're saying here. It sounds like you have this backwards. The traps are there to help support your shoulders when hold heavy weight. The LAST thing you want to do is roll the shoulders when doing shrugs...you simply move them like you're trying to touch your shoulders to your ears.

[mking]

Keep your head down when you rep out.

[BHerks]

upright rows is what kills mine, and shrugs standing straight up looking foward, no leaning or tilting. those are the only 2 exercises i do directly for traps and they are plenty big on my 230# frame.

[occam]

Not a single Ann Rand joke yet?