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 Training Discussion Board
 Barbell shrugs. and Trapezius
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| Author | Topic: Barbell shrugs. and Trapezius | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder 
Posts: 1048 |
do you folks use a double overhand-grip or a over/under grip like in deadlifts? I've noticed that I can handle a little more weight with over/under grips (in "powercage") what do you guys do? my gym only goes up to 110lbs so it's not heavy enough for shrugs. btw: I do shrugs on with my back workout because the traps actually have fibers running in 3 different directions, straight up and down (shrugs), backwards (rows), and *slightly downwarda (chins, pulldowns). I do shrugs after back, does anyone think it would be a good idea to "pre-fatigue" the traps with shrugs before I begin the rest of my workout? ------------------     | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder 
Posts: 139 |
Traps are one of those muscles that crave heavy wieght. Because of this I started doing shrugs twice per week. On back day I use a triangle bar I bought and go as heavy as I can for 10 reps. On shoulder day I do only dumbells. I have the same problem in that my dbls only go up to the 100's. What I do is hold each rep for 3-5 seconds for a total of 12-15 reps. This gives me a heavy day and high rep day for shrugs. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 670 |
When I do heavy shrugs, I use an opposite grip as it is stronger. I also do 1/2 upright rows on the smith to the front and back, emphasising the trap squeeze at the top. Try these they only need a light weight and will hit them better than heavy shrugs. I did heavy shrugs on their own for years with db, bb, frame, press machine, smith, everything and nothing hit them more directly. Another good one is to use the standing calf machine on its lowest setting and just stand on the floor, shrugging the pads up. This involves no grip at all and is good when the grip is weak after a heavy back workout. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 605 |
I use a grip where both of my hands are palms facing me. Make the exercise as hard as possible. If you insist on doing an over/under grip...switch your hands after every set. B True | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 113 |
I use an over grip on shrugs. Although I have never tried under hand shrugs and certainly will. Why don't you use a barbell with plates on a squat rack? Then you can go as heavy as you want. One gym I go to the squat rack is too high to get a good stretch when I lower the bar down, so I stand on an aerobic step for a little additional height and stay right in the squat rack. [This message has been edited by Hot Bod (edited January 08, 2001).] | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 67 |
Yeah, I love doin' mine on a squat rack too. I naturally have no traps and they grow very slowly but now they're one of my best bodyparts. I stayed with extremely heavy overhands with straps but I've always done mine on shoulder day. I know that anatomically it makes more sense to do them with back, but I've always gotten a much better trap pump with shoulders. I instictively chase a great pump, what can I say? The preexhaustion with back sounds like a good idea. I do a lot of sets on back day and lot of different exercises. That's another reason I prefer to hit traps with shoulders...it evens out my weekly workload a little better. When I say "traps", I'm refering to upper traps. A lot of back exercises will hit your middle and lower fibers, so I do upper traps with delts, because I never got a good pump in them doing conventional back exercises. Another technique that helped my uppers tremendously was doing ultra heavy negatives with free weight overhand barbell shrugs. I take a weight that I can only perform 1 or 2 good-form reps with by myself and then have my spotter help me on the concentric for another 4 or 5 reps while I try to maintain as slow of a negative (eccentric) as possible. Don't know if I really answered your question, but I hope I helped some. ------------------ | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1048 |
quote: thanks for the response. hey, do what works (about traps on shoulder day). ------------------ | ||
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Cool Novice 
Posts: 35 |
for myself,i prefer doing shrugs w/ my grip facing me.my gym offers me 180 lb db's and beleive me when i say that the grip goes fairly quick when hanging on to these suckers!!!i train traps w/ back as well,but only do 1 set to failure w/ 180's(usually 6-8 reps).traps respond nicely to heavy weight...but be cautious...they can also throw off your shoulder development by making them look smaller in proportion to the traps...harder to build bould shoulders than traps...for me anyway.i keep trap exercises to a minimum.my .02$ worth. ------------------ | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1418 |
I've always used an overhand grip. I do them on shoulder day. | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 638 |
hehehe, Valdez you read his month's issue of Flex didn't you. ------------------ "how much can you really know about yourself if you've never been in a fight?" Tyler Durden | ||
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Cool Novice
Posts: 19 |
It sounds like I'm one of the few that still does old-fashioned, cross-over grip shrugs with an olympic bar(I do go with the thicker bar if available because it disperses the pressure in my hands). I don't know if it's considered heavy or not, but I work up to around 500lbs for 6-8 reps. I don't use straps because a strong grip benefits me in arm wrestling. Anyway my traps have responded well, though the're not in the "Goldberg" category yet. | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 271 |
Armsports, what exercises do you do for arm wrestling and how many times a week do you do them?  | ||
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Cool Novice
Posts: 19 |
Tony 72, as you probably know, success in arm wrestling is determined more by technique,leverage, and speed than by strength and size. Hence I've been beaten by much smaller guys and defeated some giants because looks really are deceiving in this sport. Having said this I lift more than most, since looking powerful is important to me also. I do 2-3 forearm workouts per week, and I am particularly fond of the Cybex 4-way machine(allows for wrist flexiox/extension and ulnar/radial flexion/extension), hammer curls, wrist curls and false-grip reverse curls. I also do heavy curls, front delt and pec work(for powerful inward rotation). I try not to neglect any bodypart as strength imbalances have caused me injury problems in the past. I do no special exercises for grip,etc. as I am a firm believer in "practice makes perfect". | ||
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Amateur Bodybuilder
Posts: 271 |
Thankyou for your information armsports.... I appreciate it, Anthony | ||
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Elite Bodybuilder
Posts: 1048 |
quote: nah but I wiped my ass with it when I was done looking at the pictures. ------------------ |
All times are ET (US) | |
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posted January 08, 2001 02:51 AM
"BITCH! You can't do this to me!" Silvio