# Cant seem to hit my Traps??



## rsvmad1 (Sep 7, 2012)

No matter what I cant hurt my Traps, tried a few different things like shrugs with 30kg in each hand, bar bull up, etc.

I have a set routine and try to work only a couple of muscles a day concentrating on smashing them muscles as much as poss and leaving them muscles to repair before going at them again (normally 3 days) I can hit every muscle in my body but why not my Traps?

9 weeks in to gym/in to my 3rd week of my cycle.

Thanks


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2013)

Do you deadlift?


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

Heavy rack pulls hit my traps more than deads do for some reason, I do both.


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## rsvmad1 (Sep 7, 2012)

shotgun said:


> Do you deadlift?


No mate I could give it a go though, any good for traps? thanks pal


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## steviethe spark (Oct 17, 2010)

Am I right in saying u just started the gym 9 weeks ago and ur on a cycle already?


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## rsvmad1 (Sep 7, 2012)

Smitch said:


> Heavy rack pulls hit my traps more than deads do for some reason, I do both.


Tried rack pulls mate but they only seem to hit my other back muscles and fore arm, thanks pal


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2013)

rsvmad1 said:


> No mate I could give it a go though, any good for traps? thanks pal


yes mate give it a try.its also 1 of the bestes moves there is.should be in every bodies routine


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## Poke (May 31, 2012)

Upright rows, laterals, deadlifts, farmers walks, shrugs all when performed correctly with propper form will hit your traps.

I suggest you look on some ytotube videos to make sure you are doing propper form.

When you do shrugs dont just pull the weight directly up with you shoulders like this { I } (vertically) but pull the weight up with your shoulders at an angle like this { \ } as if you are facing this way >

Lol the weirdest way to describe it but there you go.


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## rsvmad1 (Sep 7, 2012)

steviethe spark said:


> Am I right in saying u just started the gym 9 weeks ago and ur on a cycle already?


yea set routine for 9 weeks, going to gym on and off for a few years


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## Brook877 (May 16, 2012)

Heavy shrugs and deadlifts are the answers your looking for IMO.

Heavy shrugs, with bd's or a loaded bar, lots of them and full range of movment, if you can't feel it I'm guessing your doing the movment too quick, slow it down, pause at the top, you should have your shoulders somewhere up near your ears.

But..



rsvmad1 said:


> 9 weeks in to gym/in to my 3rd week of my cycle.


Really? You've been to the going to the gym for 6 weeks befor starting a cycle?


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## rsvmad1 (Sep 7, 2012)

shotgun said:


> yes mate give it a try.its also 1 of the bestes moves there is.should be in every bodies routine


thanks pal appreciate it


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## rsvmad1 (Sep 7, 2012)

Poke said:


> Upright rows, laterals, deadlifts, farmers walks, shrugs all when performed correctly with propper form will hit your traps.
> 
> I suggest you look on some ytotube videos to make sure you are doing propper form.
> 
> ...


haha thanks mate some good tips appreciated


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## rsvmad1 (Sep 7, 2012)

Brook877 said:


> Heavy shrugs and deadlifts are the answers your looking for IMO.
> 
> Heavy shrugs, with bd's or a loaded bar, lots of them and full range of movment, if you can't feel it I'm guessing your doing the movment too quick, slow it down, pause at the top, you should have your shoulders somewhere up near your ears.
> 
> ...


thanks for the info mate.. yes 6 weeks in to a set routine but ive been going to the gym on and off for a few years


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## ClarkyBoy (Sep 24, 2012)

Upright rows and shrugs, lots and lots of shrugs. Super heavy


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## Poke (May 31, 2012)

Lots of tren will also give you some traps lol


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## Gary29 (Aug 21, 2011)

Super heavy shrugs, really slow and squeeze and hold for a second or two at the top of the movement, will have your traps on fire. You should be doing deadlifts as well anyway.


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## Thunderstruck (Sep 20, 2010)

Smitch said:


> Heavy rack pulls hit my traps more than deads do for some reason, I do both.


Deffo this for me too, makes my traps hurt like ****, but also hits everything in my back at same time. I used to find it tough to get doms in traps, not anymore with this beast of an exercise. Very heavy, big contraction up top, cant go wrong. :thumb:


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## Tinytom (Sep 16, 2005)

Heavy is not always the answer. Most people don't fully isolate their traps by retracting the shoulders prior to lifting on DB shrugs.

The other method is to lean ever so slightly forward on bar shrugs so that the top of the traps are at the very top of the movement on lifting.

There's a video on my journal showing a seated DB shrug.


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## J1mmyc (Mar 25, 2012)

Power Shrugs give them a go brought my traps on a treat in the past 6 months I do 200kg plus heavy rest pauses


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## mozzwigan (Apr 20, 2012)

rsvmad1 said:


> No matter what I cant hurt my Traps, tried a few different things like shrugs with 30kg in each hand, bar bull up, etc.
> 
> I have a set routine and try to work only a couple of muscles a day concentrating on smashing them muscles as much as poss and leaving them muscles to repair before going at them again (normally 3 days) I can hit every muscle in my body but why not my Traps?
> 
> ...


same as me lol, i deadlift as some guy said, but they don't get sore ever! FARMERS WALK IS THE WAY FORWARD FOR US!


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## NoGutsNoGloryy (Jan 7, 2013)

rsvmad1 said:


> Tried rack pulls mate but they only seem to hit my other back muscles and fore arm, thanks pal


sh!t technique sh!t form sh!t posture...


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## Bear2012 (Jan 19, 2012)

Side lateral raises hit mine a treat as do db upright rows.

Deadlift never hit my traps thou and reverse pec dec destroys my traps further down the back


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## James s (Sep 18, 2010)

Poke said:


> Upright rows, laterals, deadlifts, farmers walks, shrugs all when performed correctly with propper form will hit your traps.
> 
> I suggest you look on some ytotube videos to make sure you are doing propper form.
> 
> ...


Like this ?


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## Poke (May 31, 2012)

James s said:


> Like this ?


Yep


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## IGotTekkers (Jun 6, 2012)

I don't hit traps much and mine are fairly good. I do deadlfits once a week and on the top of 3 or 4 of the deadlifts I do a shrug. And then maybe set off side lateral raises or 2


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## James s (Sep 18, 2010)

Poke said:


> Yep


The guy has some great content, I gave this way of hitting them a go and it was very effect (for me) also his squat method.


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

Upright rows made my traps so big I had to stop..

Seriously they went ridiculously out of proportion.


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## Poke (May 31, 2012)

L11 said:


> Upright rows made my traps so big I had to stop..
> 
> Seriously they went ridiculously out of proportion.


Was probably the high androgen suppliments lol


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

Poke said:


> Was probably the high androgen suppliments lol


I don't know what that means, but it sounds gay.


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## Fatstuff (Mar 2, 2010)

Poke said:


> Was probably the high androgen suppliments lol


He's natty


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## Goosh (Jun 24, 2012)

James s said:


> Like this ?


Started doing this with my shoulders flys (the pinning move) and I've noticed my rear delts come out a lot more and this has affected my traps (I suffer from lack of traps). Gonna try this vide tomorrow at the gym as it makes perfect sense.


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## Poke (May 31, 2012)

Fatstuff said:


> He's natty


Dat der craze


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## Carbon-12 (Feb 26, 2013)

All I ever did was barbell shrug with 20kg on each side plus the 20kg bar. One of the personal trainers showed me an exercise where you basically get two plates (20kg for example), you do 10 reps then you hold contracted for 10 seconds, after the ten seconds you do another 10 reps then hold it contracted for 20 seconds. Have a break afterwards and repeat once or twice and your traps will be sore.. Mine were sore for 2 days after that


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## ClarkyBoy (Sep 24, 2012)

cgospodinov said:


> View attachment 129974
> 
> 
> All I ever did was barbell shrug with 20kg on each side plus the 20kg bar. One of the personal trainers showed me an exercise where you basically get two plates (20kg for example), you do 10 reps then you hold contracted for 10 seconds, after the ten seconds you do another 10 reps then hold it contracted for 20 seconds. Have a break afterwards and repeat once or twice and your traps will be sore.. Mine were sore for 2 days after that


Did he tell ya to shop at River Island for your gym gear as well fella?  haha


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## Carbon-12 (Feb 26, 2013)

ClarkyBoy said:


> Did he tell ya to shop at River Island for your gym gear as well fella?  haha


Haha nuh mate, I actually think he's decent trainer although just qualified


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## Carbon-12 (Feb 26, 2013)

ClarkyBoy said:


> Did he tell ya to shop at River Island for your gym gear as well fella?  haha


Haha nuh mate, I actually think he's decent trainer although just qualified


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## ClarkyBoy (Sep 24, 2012)

cgospodinov said:


> Haha nuh mate, I actually think he's decent trainer although just qualified


They are very few and far between a decent PT in a gym I find. Only ever met one who knew his stuff in the years I've been training.


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## roadwarrior (Apr 29, 2006)

Just hold a weight for a very long time. Shrugs are a waist of time. When you go shopping just carry it home. Push a wheel barrow for a long time. It's the holding and endurance of holding that will build your traps up. But it's truly genetics if you will ever get outstanding traps.


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## RalphWiggum (Jul 12, 2013)

I do shrugs sitting down with about 30-34kg for 15 reps, really squeeze my traps at the top. Also I find that cleans and facepulls really make them grooooow!


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## Xbigdave79 (Mar 30, 2012)

James s said:


> Like this ?


Thanks for putting this vid up , I have just tried these today in the gym and can really feel them :thumbup1:


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## KBizzle (Mar 21, 2011)

*Imagine trying to squash an orange inbetween your shoulder blades when you shrug the weight.*


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## ebasiuk1 (Jul 22, 2009)

incline bench, knocked up two notches

facing against the incline chest facing incline

use dumbbells and really squeeze

can hit them perfectly


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## DiscSupps (Oct 26, 2012)

Why not speak to our Fitness and Nutrition Advisor, Scott for free to get some good advice on how you can work this muscle


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## Carlsandman (Aug 30, 2012)

I've been alternating between heavy low rep, light high rep shrugs for a few months now. Heaviest I'm doing is 110kg for 10-12 reps, 6 sets with my trap bar, next time I do them I'll do 60kg for 15-20 or failure for six sets. Weird thing is, it's the light high reps that seem to work them harder. Noticed a difference.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

KBizzle said:


> *Imagine trying to squash an orange inbetween your shoulder blades when you shrug the weight.*


Would a peach work? I'm not keen on oranges.


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