Traps....

[beastboy]

I've been told that traps are like abs in that they need to be hit a few times a week to grow.....any truth to this or just another myth? I ask because it seems my traps are lagging and I am wondering if I should train them more......

 

[Heavy Weight Champ]

I do shruggs every 5 days and mine are pretty big, people say they actually dwarf the rest of my upper body. Upright rows and lateral raises work them a little also.

 

[Lord_Suston]

Between Shrugs and deadlifts you shouldn't have to do any more. But if you really need more trpas then do them on Legs and shoulders and even on back. I hit them after Squats and Deads so much that I almost never have to more than two sets twice a week to see results, The only problem with traps is they are very strong, so I do sets of 20-25 with dumbells....

 

[gettinlarger]

yeah bro, just do them like once-twice a week and work them heavy. they are enormously strong muscles, so they can lift a lot. along with shrugs and deads, try some T-bar rows. thats when you stick a barbell into a corner and stack the weight on the opposite end, and, well, row. i seem to feel it in my traps.

 

[ballast]

My traps seem to respond well to a more frequent volume than any other bodypart.I've used routines that hit my traps 3 times per week with good results.Also, look at the traps of olympic lifters at the collegiate and national levels.Most are very well developed.These lifter's routines are made up of 2-3 trap-involved exercises(cleans,snatches,pulls,shrugs) performed 3-4 times per week on average.

 

[needsize]

I always had really small traps until I started deadlifting really heavy. I deadlift heavy sets of 5, 1x per week, and do 3-5 sets of higher rep 8-10 shrugs afterwards. Training like this once a week has worked great for my traps, they've gone from pathetic to impressive.

 

[110%]

i only do direct work on my once a week with shrugs at the end of my back day for 4 X 10, and they have definitely been one of my bodyparts to grow most quickly. i also get some indirect work with them on back day with deadlifts first in my routine, this is why i do my shrugs on back day b/c i did deadlifts and i feel doing them on back day i get a much better pump. i also get some indirect work with them on shoulder day with upright rows, though i dont think you should be doing them any more than 2 days a week in which you do direct work for your traps being the primary muscle worked. also though you said like abs, i hope your not doing abs 5 days a week, i dont think this is necessary either, but that is a whole diff debate haha.

 

[b fold the truth]

I never work my traps, but they do get hit hard from all fom all of the events. Start doing heavy farmers walks...they will make them grow.

B True

 

[beastboy]

Thanks for all the advice...I'm just starting deads so hopefully that helps......

 

[Phenotype X]

The trapezius muscle is a small muscle composed of other surrounding muscles which fill up the traps. Since these are all small they respond easiest (get sore easiest) and they heal pretty quickly, like that of the abs and calves.