How to Build Massive Traps

By Jason Ferruggia

When it comes to the question of how to build big traps the discussion starts and finishes with deadlifts. This incredible mass builder will pack huge slabs of beef on your traps faster than just about any other exercise there is. Just look at powerlifters and you will see that there is simply no way to avoid building huge traps when you do a lot of deadlifts.

While the deadlift is the king of trap building exercises, an argument could be made that Olympic lifts are equally as effective. I would tend to agree if not for the fact that Olympic lifts are harder to teach and learn than deadlifts are, which moves them down to second on the list. Everyone can do at least a partial range deadlift properly. Not everyone can clean or snatch properly.

Finally, you have shrugs. While it seems like a very simple and straight forward movement there is actually a great deal of confusion over how to build big traps with shrugs. Nobody seems to be able to agree on how they should be done. On one hand you have the camp that says you need to go as heavy as possible and do partial reps, just heaving the weight up. Then there’s the camp that says you need to go light and get a full range of motion, trying to get your shoulders as close to touching your ears as possible and hold it there for a second.

Who is right and who is wrong?

They both are.

To understand where the answer truly lies lets again take a look at the athletes with the biggest traps: power lifters and Olympic lifters

Powerlifters have huge traps because of all the deadlifts they do. Deadlifts are heavy, period. There is no shrugging movement at all, in fact. Olympic lifters lift relatively lighter weights explosively and with a range of motion that does indeed have them bringing their traps to their ears.

Looking at these two groups, what does this tell us about shrugs and the proper way to do them?

Quite simply, what it tells us is that the best way to get huge traps is to deadlift and Olympic lift. Bottom line.

BUT… what if you can not do either of those exercises due to back or shoulder problems or just want more variety in your trap training routine? Then you have no choice but to shrug. Traps are the most important, intimidating and impressive bodypart there is and you can’t walk around with none.

So then, exactly how do you do shrugs and which camp is right? They both are. Sometimes you should go heavy for low reps, cheat the weight up and don’t worry about getting an extreme contraction at the top. Then on another day of the week go lighter for higher reps with a complete range of motion and exaggerated contraction and hold at the top.

Another option is to do both variations in one workout. You could start with a lighter weight, doing 10-12 reps, bringing your shoulders as high as they can go. With each set add more weight and work your way down to the point where you can only get five partial reps with a little cheat at the end. You could start with the heavier sets first and lighten them as you go.

Deadlifts and Olympic lifts should always be your first answer to the question of how to build big traps. But sometimes and in certain situations, shrugs can be very effective as well. Just make sure to go straight up and down and don’t roll your shoulders forwards and backwards; that’s for nitwits who don’t have a full understanding of how gravity works.

Train hard,

Jason Ferruggia

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more How to Build Muscle Fast tips, check out http://www.musclegainingsecrets.com/

How to build HUGE traps like a Strongman

Listen to me interview Strongman Carlos Blackman about gaining mass, grip strength and keg exercises for conditioning.

Also, listen up for his secret for building HUGE traps!

PLate Pinch – Grip Exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Forearms,grip

Other Muscles Worked: Back,traps, Legs

Equipment: Wrist Roller

Mechanics Type: Compound

Tips: The simplest way to train your pinch grip is to grab two wide-rimmed plates and put them together with the smooth sides facing outward. Now, put your thumb on one side, fingers on the other, and lift! The mark of a man with an excellent pinch grip is to be able to do this feat of strength with two, 45lb wide-rimmed plates. I assure you, it’s much more difficult than it sounds. You can also try this using four, 10lb plates. Just try to hold them as long as possible.

bodybuilding.com

Trap Bar Shugs – Back Exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Upper Back

Other Muscles Worked: traps

Equipment:Trap BAr

Mechanics Type:Compound

Position the bar on the power rack so that you can easily un-rack it into the starting position. Grip the bar with your palms facing in, slightly narrower than shoulder-width. Place your feet about shoulder-width apart and fully extend your arms. Keeping your abs and lower back tight, shrug the weight up towards your ears as high as you possibly can. Squeeze your traps at the top of the movement, pause briefly, and then lower the bar back into the starting position.

CriticalBench.com

Barbell Shrugs – Back Exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Upper Back

Other Muscles Worked: traps

Equipment:barbell

Mechanics Type:compound

Position the bar on the power rack so that you can easily un-rack it into the starting position. Grip the bar with your palms facing in, slightly narrower than shoulder-width. Place your feet about shoulder-width apart and fully extend your arms. Keeping your abs and lower back tight, shrug the weight up towards your ears as high as you possibly can. Squeeze your traps at the top of the movement, pause briefly, and then lower the bar back into the starting position.

Taken from Criticalbench.com

Dumbbell Shrugs – Trap Exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Upper Back

Other Muscles Worked: traps

Equipment: Dumbbells

Mechanics Type:Isolation

Stand straight up holding a pair of dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing inwards. Keeping dumbbells “hanging”, shrug your shoulders up as high as possible. Pause at the top of the movement, then lower dumbbells back down. Repeat.

Taken From Muscleandstrength.com

FacePulls – Upperback Exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Traps

Other Muscles Worked: Rear delts Biceps

Equipment: lat pulldown machine,or bands

Mechanics Type:Isolation

This is a great exercise to develop your upper back. Using a high pulley or lat pulldown machine, attach a triceps rope and pull towards the face/forehead. Make sure you squeeze your upper back towards the end of the movement and pull the rope apart. This exercise should be done for higher reps (12-20).

Taken from Elitefts.com

Scarecrows – Upper Back Exercise

Main Muscle Worked: Traps, Rear Delts

Other Muscles Worked: Biceps

Equipment: Cable Machine

Mechanics Type:Isolation

Well developed rear delts will help to keep your shoulders balanced and help to prevent a lot of shoulder injuries and rotator cuff problems. Very often the front delts are strong from lots of pressing movements (bench presses, overhead presses, etc.) so they over power the rear delts.

Strong rear delts will also help to improve your strength in exercises such as the bench press. With a strong well developed upper back you will be more solid on the bench and be able to generate more power. They will also help your squat because the bar is placed across your upper back. By having big strong rear delts and traps you will be able to stabilize the bar better and not hunch over in the squat. Just look at anyone who has a big bench press and / or squat and you will see that they also have well developed rear delts and upper back muscles.

Here are are some exercises that will target your rear delts and upper back. You should incorporate these exercises into your workouts. I usually do at least a 3 sets of rear delt work every workout as part of my warm up. I also work my rear delts after chest, shoulder, and back workouts.

Since this is a small muscle group you should train with fairly light weights and do higher reps, between 10-20 reps per set. Focus on feeling the muscles working with each rep.

Lee Hayward.com