I just read a very similar Bill Starr article in Milo about traps. I love training these hard and heavy.
Huh, well "tarps" definitely aren't and the idea that one muscle is the most important is like trying to determine the most important wheel on your car. Yeah I read this a few days ago it was pretty good I'm surprised that traps aren't consider aesthetically valuable to the general lifting community.
Saw a guy doing shrugs super-duper heavy in a cable machine today, and then walked straight over to the dumbbells and started doing shrugs with those. He had like 10 sets of shrugs and then went home. I raged inside - i hate shrugs. Can anyone tell me what they are for? EDIT: Ok. I get it. I read the article, and then find out what they're for. I iz stupid.
This is an Atlantis shrug/deadlift machine. If your gym has one (or something similar), do unilateral shrugs on it. Freakin' great.
I was once told that the Traps are very crucial to the power of punches and the speed of combinations aside from the core. Does anyone have any knowledge that supports or disproves this?
Traps are part of the shoulder girdle so strong traps contribute to having strong, stable and healthy shoulders (and upper back). This means you have a strong base to launch your punches from. You also need a strong back to decelerate and bring back your punches after you've thrown them. I wouldn't say traps are any more crucial than other muscles though.