Traps

[JJ88]

I apologize if this is a topic that has been discussed a lot, but is it necessary to have dedicated exercises in your routine to the Traps?

I have read and been told that traps get worked when doing any kind of deadlift and also on shoulder day as a secondary muscle to some lifts.

[BigJosh]

I currently don't do 'direct' trap work. Just heavy deadlifts. And my traps are growing still.
This isn't to say that direct trap work isn't beneficial. I would most certainly see more trap growth if a threw in a few sets of shrugs in every week.
So, you are asking if direct work is necessary if you are doing deads. My answer is no, not necessary, although it can be beneficial.

[Aurik]

Traps get worked when doing lots of different back and shoulder exercises, including (but not limited to) deadlifts, rack pulls, military / overhead presses, overhead squats, and power cleans. Is it *necessary* to do direct trap work to make them grow? No, especially not if you have some of the above exercises in your routine. However, it won't hurt to do a few dedicated trap exercises in your routine, just don't overdo it.

[TRVEESO]

Are your traps getting sore with your other workouts? If they're never sore, theyre not getting worked a whole bunch..

[MC]

Soreness is not always a sign of how hard a muscle has been worked.

[TRVEESO]

Maybe not, but it's a good rule of thumb. If youre always walking around with no DOMS then it may be a sign of not enough work or intensity.

[TwistedMind]

Look for progression, not soreness.

[TRVEESO]

I suppose I have always thought about it in that sense since I rarely wake up the morning after without some degree of soreness from the previous day's lifting...

[MC]

Maybe not, but it's a good rule of thumb. If youre always walking around with no DOMS then it may be a sign of not enough work or intensity.

Emphasis on "may be a sign".

New exercises can cause soreness. New routines can cause soreness. You can do a new exercise with light weight to ensure proper form and be sore without training half as intensely as you have with another similar exercise and felt no soreness at all.

Chasing DOMS is a recipe for failure and can cause frequent routine changing (another recipe for failure).

Before last week (when I switched one cable attachment for another) my arms had not been sore from direct work in 5 months. Never any DOMS. They still got a lot stronger and they still grew like crazy.

You simply don't have to be sore all over to be growing.

[Steve]

Maybe not, but it's a good rule of thumb. If youre always walking around with no DOMS then it may be a sign of not enough work or intensity.

I rarely ever have DOMs.

I work hard, and with great intensity. I just don't overkill sets. My goal is to lift more via progression and to stimulate with heavy weight.

Just in case anyone thinks I don't train hard, 2 weeks ago I hit a new rack pull of 765, and a new dumbbell bench press PR using 150's.

[madjinx]

Maybe not, but it's a good rule of thumb. If youre always walking around with no DOMS then it may be a sign of not enough work or intensity.

or it may be a sign that you have good nutritional habits and/or take BCAAs intra w/o.

Most of my body never gets DOMS, but everything is still growing.

[MC]

or it may be a sign that you have good nutritional habits and/or take BCAAs intra w/o.

Most of my body never gets DOMS, but everything is still growing.

And aren't you sad to be enlightened to the fact that you're doing it wrong?

[madjinx]

And aren't you sad to be enlightened to the fact that you're doing it wrong?

its why I cry myself to sleep.

[Cuckoo]

I currently don't do 'direct' trap work. Just heavy deadlifts. And my traps are growing still.
This isn't to say that direct trap work isn't beneficial. I would most certainly see more trap growth if a threw in a few sets of shrugs in every week.
So, you are asking if direct work is necessary if you are doing deads. My answer is no, not necessary, although it can be beneficial.

Agreed.

Soreness is not always a sign of how hard a muscle has been worked.

And agreed.

To give the horse one last kick...I have rarely gotten DOMS on the routine I'm on now, and have seen increases in both strength and growth (ex. quads +1" since I started). It's a common misconception that I once had, but have since found out otherwise.

[fatboyjay]

my traps are huge cause I work. My job has caused me to be strong and grow pretty big. Now that I'm lifting for health I've done shrugs and they get my traps to swell but even at 200lbs I can still shrug so I think your heavy repetitive lifting will work them suckers.

[JoeH1080]

Throw in a few sets of barbell upright rows on back or shoulder day. Its a good compound lift for traps and shoulders thats easy to do and effective.

[BigJosh]

Throw in a few sets of barbell upright rows on back or shoulder day. Its a good compound lift for traps and shoulders thats easy to do and effective.

I find it extremely ironic that someone complaining about shoulder pain here:http://www.muscleandstrength.com/for...-bursitis.html,
is recommending someone do upright rows. Upright rows are known to cause shoulder impingement.
On top of that they really aren't a trap exercise.

[MC]

Upright rows are one of the worst exercises you can do, unless you want shoulder injuries.

Repped, Josh.

[raypoconos]

Upright rows are one of the worst exercises you can do, unless you want shoulder injuries.

Repped, Josh.

I won't argue that point at all --- I believe that exercise is what led to my shoulder blowout years ago! Even when I think about doing them my shoulder hurts!

As for the original post - I always did shrugs and I currently do shrugs - 3 working sets. My grip has always been the limiting factor so my forearms get a great workout at the same time. As with any muscle you look for progression.

Now for a question -------
It has been so long since I have had traps (just restarted working out after 10+ years) -- do they grow from the neck out, from the shoulders in or evenly across? Mine seem to be starting at the neck and I don't recall seeing them that way before - i thought it was a more even growth (looks kind of dumb at the moment).

[JoeH1080]

I find it extremely ironic that someone complaining about shoulder pain here:http://www.muscleandstrength.com/for...-bursitis.html,
is recommending someone do upright rows. Upright rows are known to cause shoulder impingement.
On top of that they really aren't a trap exercise.

I am not trying to start anything so dont get me wrong, but I feel the need to defend myself a bit after this post. First off you wont find any complaining in that thread, just asking if anyone else had been through something similar. Second off, upright rows dont hurt my shoulder in the least. If that particular exercise has a bad history then that is news to me, but they dont cause me any discomfort. Lastly, this very site lists upright rows as working the traps primarily.
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exe...right-row.html

EDIT: Okay after doing a bit of research I see what you are saying about upright rows being risky. I had no idea they never bothered me at all. Guess I will be doing shrugs until I can consult my doc about it. So I guess for what its worth, thanks for the tip?

[MC]

...

Now for a question -------
It has been so long since I have had traps (just restarted working out after 10+ years) -- do they grow from the neck out, from the shoulders in or evenly across? Mine seem to be starting at the neck and I don't recall seeing them that way before - i thought it was a more even growth (looks kind of dumb at the moment).

I am a beleiver in muscle memory. Sounds like they are just filling back out and re-growing.

A lot of guys here recommend doing both barbell and DB shrugs to get good growth (tadolfi is one). Others will say just deadlift. I don't deadlift, so I do shrugs. I am also limited by my grip strength. I think my traps are decent.

EDIT: Okay after doing a bit of research I see what you are saying about upright rows being risky. I had no idea they never bothered me at all. Guess I will be doing shrugs until I can consult my doc about it. So I guess for what its worth, thanks for the tip?

If you have an injured shoulder (I have) one of the first evaluatory positions a PT may place your arm in is the top movement of the upright row. That position causes impingement. Do cable face pulls if you like a similar movement or just shrug as heavy a weight as you can hold.