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 Training Discussion Board
 looking for a good trap isolation exercise
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| Author | Topic: looking for a good trap isolation exercise | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder 
Posts: 54 |
What is a good trap exercise that really isolates the traps? thanks     | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 117 |
dumbell shrugs on back day, upright rows on shoulder day. Traps respond to heavy weight so I go as heavy as possible w/dbls. Also I have a trap bar in my home gym that takes olympic plates but is in the shape of a triangle. This is my favorite because my dumbells only go to 100's. This bar can take a total of 450lbs, plus it doesn't rub against your leg. It cost me $125.00 but worth its weight in gold. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 52 |
Barbell shrugs, with heavy weights. Usually, I do the first two sets without straps. Once I get to three plates I use straps; otherwise you tend to lose your grip and are more focused on not dropping the bar instead of working traps. Most important thing with shrugs is form. Bring your shoulders up as high as you can and hold them briefly before you stretch back down. Make sure you can extend your arms all the way down without touching the rack for the best stretch possible. Sometimes, depending which gym I'm at, I stand on an aeroboic step to make sure I get a good enough stretch. Also, there are some great shrug machines out there that isolate traps. I sometimes use them also. Seated or standing. But I think you get the most benefit from a barbell, because it forces you to keep the bar straight, and work both sides evenly, and it also forces you to stabilize your legs. Be careful of your back when your weights get real heavy. | ||
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Cool Novice 
Posts: 43 |
Naturally, my traps are one of my worst bodyparts, but they've really came along in the past couple of years or so. Heavy barbell shrugs should be the cornerstone of trap training. When I say heavy, though, I mean EXTREMELY heavy. These guys are right, traps only respond to big poundages and low reps.(I believe no more than 6-8 rep for working sets) Always use wraps on the meat sets...you won't be able to grip the bar if you're going heavy enough to incur growth. I suggest a belt here too because these can be very taxing and dangerous for your lower back. If you have a spotter, have them pull you to the top of your range of motion after you have reached failure and try to hold the weight with your TRAPS ONLY for a few seconds (static contraction) and then, as slowly as possible lower the weight, taking full advantage of the negative...this will do wonders for them. You won't feel an awesome pump doing these, but you will feel the soreness the next morning. I always finish them off with a couple sets of moderate weight dumbbell shrugs to get a good pump and flush them full of fresh blood. No bullshit on either of these exercises either...straight up and down...don't worry about any of this rolling your shoulders crap. You're working traps, not delts. ------------------ | ||
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Novice 
Posts: 9 |
If you're looking for an exercise you may not have tried yet, consider this one. It is by no means superior to the standard shug, but it's a nice change up to perhaps stimulate different fibers. First, stand at a standing calf raise machine with the pads on your shoulders. Then, get set, and simply shrug your shoulders upwards. Now, grip is not a limiting factor in the amount you can shrug. For men with especially large traps, this exercise is pretty limiting. But, if your traps aren't very large, you can get a decent range of motion in an unfamiliar exercise. The only downfall is that the pads may cut circulation to your brain and heart by pinching the carotid artery and jugular vein on the peak contraction of the exercise. No, you won't pass out, but you might feel a little more light headed than you'd hoped for. Give it a try the next time you're bored with shrugging a dumbell. The other exercise I've found that works great is shrugs behind the back on the SMith machine. This is a great exercise that stimulates primarily the middle and lower trapezius. It's a different range of motion, and will no doubt his some untouched fibers if you're unfamiliar with the exercise. Hey, we all want Yates or Coleman-like middle and lower traps! | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder 
Posts: 462 |
I really do not believe in doing isolation movements at all. If you do heavy deadlifts, cleans, high pulls, etc...you will have big traps. B True | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 258 |
I recommend Heavy Barbell Shrugs. Your traps get worked from a lot of compound movements like shoulder presses, rows, pulldowns, squats and deadlifts. I only recommend one trap exercise, that's all you really need. If you do upright rows, I recommend using dumbells, because barbells put a lot of stress on your rotators. At least that's what I've noticed. ------------------ Check out http://pub30.ezboard.com/bhitsgymofbodybuilding -HB- | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 57 |
Barbell shrugs after neck work with a head /neck brace.Feels like my head will explode.Beautiful! ------------------ | ||
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Pro Bodybuilder
Posts: 549 |
BB Shrugs (front and back), seated DB shrugs, Upright row on smith machine (concentrating on traps, front and back) If your grip isn't that strong try shrugging on the standing calf raise machine. |
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posted December 19, 2000 11:17 AM