How do you folks train your traps?

[Baby Hanma]

... That doesn't involve Olympic lifts or their heavy pulling variations?

I trained a friend with how to do clean pulls before. He never truly learned it. I have a new friend whom I tried teaching the clean pull on. He didn't learn it either.

I'm sure on our, like... Fourth training session, I'd be able to teach them the clean pull to where they'd do it properly from then on. But if I'm gonna be a personal trainer soon, I'd have to resort to something that's far easier for my clients to learn. So no clean pulls, but they would likely want to train their traps.

What do you got? Good old fashioned shrugs gonna be enough? My traps are bigger than most and I never do shrugs. Just my clean pulls.

And yes, I am the janitor in my gym, but I'm now also doing some sales representative hours on top of that. My next step is to get my certification and start a career as a personal trainer, first in this gym and then in other gyms.

Just for you all to note, I teach lots of people how to do a proper squat all the time. It's the clean pulls that are messing me up. They bend their arms too quick, man. And their hips don't extend. lol. Lots of issues. lol

But again, how do you all train your traps?

Thanks.

 

[maximus__]

To fix your clean pull teaching issue start with snatch pulls. Same movement, wider grip and people naturally keep their arms straighter and use hip drive to overcome the wider hand position with heavy weights.

Shrugs, carries and just general deadlifts build them indirectly enough for most. My personal favourite is dumbell snatches but that's just the same idea as clean pulls. Anything where you stabilize a heavy weight in a farmers walk or overhead seems to cover them off well enough without too much direct work.

 

[KnightTemplar]

Trap Bar Deadlifts. The clue is in the name.

 

[Baby Hanma]

To fix your clean pull teaching issue start with snatch pulls. Same movement, wider grip and people naturally keep their arms straighter and use hip drive to overcome the wider hand position with heavy weights.

Shrugs, carries and just general deadlifts build them indirectly enough for most. My personal favourite is dumbell snatches but that's just the same idea as clean pulls. Anything where you stabilize a heavy weight in a farmers walk or overhead seems to cover them off well enough without too much direct work.

Hey, your dumbbell snatches recommendation caught my attention. Do you think kettlebell cleans (or dumbbell cleans if kettlebells are not available) are just as good?

The last thing I want is to recommend upright rows when its basically factual nowadays that upright rows will mess up your shoulders.

 

[Baby Hanma]

Trap Bar Deadlifts. The clue is in the name.

Do you think we should shrug at the top for it?

 

[KnightTemplar]

Do you think we should shrug at the top for it?

I don't, but then I'm not training specifically for Bodybuilding. Just all-round health and strength. But there's nothing to stop you trying that if you want to focus on the traps as much as possible.

 

[maximus__]

Hey, your dumbbell snatches recommendation caught my attention. Do you think kettlebell cleans (or dumbbell cleans if kettlebells are not available) are just as good?

The last thing I want is to recommend upright rows when its basically factual nowadays that upright rows will mess up your shoulders.

Anything works. Kettlebell cleans are harder to teach than a barbell clean pull or dumbell snatch. Kettlebell cleans have a high technical proficiency. Dumbell cleans just feel awkward.
I prefer snatches with a dumbell because it's easier to teach and people will naturally do the shrug part to get the weight overhead. A dumbell high pull is a progression to that movement.

Upright rows aren't magically going to do anything worse for your shoulders than any other movement. It's just an exercise.

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

Anything works. Kettlebell cleans are harder to teach than a barbell clean pull or dumbell snatch. Kettlebell cleans have a high technical proficiency. Dumbell cleans just feel awkward.
I prefer snatches with a dumbell because it's easier to teach and people will naturally do the shrug part to get the weight overhead. A dumbell high pull is a progression to that movement.

Upright rows aren't magically going to do anything worse for your shoulders than any other movement. It's just an exercise.

I've heard upright rows, Smith machine, and barbell shrugs internally rotate the shoulders. It's not something you'll necessarily feel a year or two or even 5-10 years from doing it. Dumbbell shrugs just feel better.

 

[maximus__]

I've heard upright rows, Smith machine, and barbell shrugs internally rotate the shoulders. It's not something you'll necessarily feel a year or two or even 5-10 years from doing it. Dumbbell shrugs just feel better.

Why are ypur shoulders internally rotating a bad thing? It's a movement available to that joint.

If you only ever did dumbell shrugs you would also potentially cause over use injuries.

 

[vision1]

If you only ever did dumbell shrugs you would also potentially cause over use injuries.

This
Upper traps are overstimulated already for any serious lifter. If you're lifting to get big, then do what you want to do, but imo most athletes should avoid shrugs.

 

[Mr Mojo Lane]

Why are ypur shoulders internally rotating a bad thing? It's a movement available to that joint.

If you only ever did dumbell shrugs you would also potentially cause over use injuries.

Shoulder impingement

 

[Koya]

OHP work the upper traps to a sufficient degree.

Not sure it's what your looking for tho

 

[Baby Hanma]

OHP work the upper traps to a sufficient degree.

Not sure it's what your looking for tho

It's something to keep in mind. Thanks.

 

[ProEra]

Overhead press and shrugs with the 45 pound plate for high reps

 

[mixmastermo]

... That doesn't involve Olympic lifts or their heavy pulling variations?

I trained a friend with how to do clean pulls before. He never truly learned it. I have a new friend whom I tried teaching the clean pull on. He didn't learn it either.

I'm sure on our, like... Fourth training session, I'd be able to teach them the clean pull to where they'd do it properly from then on. But if I'm gonna be a personal trainer soon, I'd have to resort to something that's far easier for my clients to learn. So no clean pulls, but they would likely want to train their traps.

What do you got? Good old fashioned shrugs gonna be enough? My traps are bigger than most and I never do shrugs. Just my clean pulls.

And yes, I am the janitor in my gym, but I'm now also doing some sales representative hours on top of that. My next step is to get my certification and start a career as a personal trainer, first in this gym and then in other gyms.

Just for you all to note, I teach lots of people how to do a proper squat all the time. It's the clean pulls that are messing me up. They bend their arms too quick, man. And their hips don't extend. lol. Lots of issues. lol

But again, how do you all train your traps?

Thanks.

Why don't you ask this guy

But seriously though, I do think having big traps is cool as hell. Even when fully clothed, wearing a suit, etc. they are noticeable and will let everyone know you are jacked

 

[maximus__]

Shoulder impingement

Any similar movement can impinge the shoulder. If you do nothing but those exercises sure, but that could be said about anything.

 

[maximus__]

Why don't you ask this guy

But seriously though, I do think having big traps is cool as hell. Even when fully clothed, wearing a suit, etc. they are noticeable and will let everyone know you are jacked

I believe the answer there is PEDs and copious amounts of them.

 

[SocraticMethod]

I believe the answer there is PEDs and copious amounts of them.

 

[NoSmilez]

I don't have PED traps but they are there. I think it's probably due to my lateral raise and face pulls form being less optimal. It just becomes a trap exercise for me or my traps take over. Oh yea I also do a lot of heavyish goblet squats. I can feel by traps firing when I do sets of 10-12 with 100-120 lbs of weight.

I don't do any shrugs. I think shrugs are useless. It takes too much weight to get stimulation and it is easy to go so much that the form or the ROM is stupid. I also see a lot of little guys doing it and they don't really get anything out of it. The only time I see it work are for the really big fellows that are already on gear.

 

[ChickenBrother]

I don't do any shrugs. I think shrugs are useless. It takes too much weight to get stimulation and it is easy to go so much that the form or the ROM is stupid. I also see a lot of little guys doing it and they don't really get anything out of it. The only time I see it work are for the really big fellows that are already on gear.

+1

I did shrugs at the end of my workouts for a long time (with both dumbbells and the Hammer Strength machine) and it did jack shit for my traps. I think traps are like calves and are largely genetic. Juiced or not, starting from whatever you've got, you build them over time with the big lifts like DL, BOR and farmers carries.