HOW TO BUILD BIG TRAPS: COMPLETE TRAPS WORKOUT FOR MASS
No other muscle screams “power” quite like thick, tall traps do.
When paired up with a set of well-developed shoulders, traps make a huge contribution to your overall physique, particularly if you want to look as big as possible underneath a regular shirt.
What is the most effective way to build huge traps?
In order to structure a proper traps workout for maximum gains in overall mass, there are 3 separate movements you’ll want to include in your routine…
The First Is A Basic Barbell Deadlift…
There’s really no other exercise out there that packs as much raw size onto your upper back like a basic deadlift will. Just take a look at any serious powerlifter and you’ll quickly see what I’m talking about.
Not only are deadlifts the most effective way to build huge traps in the shortest time, but they also work a ton of other major muscle groups in the process as well.
This includes your spinal erectors, lower back, quads, hamstrings, glutes as well as many other smaller supporting muscles.
It might not feel like your traps are working very hard during the actual exercise, but they’re actually being heavily activated on every single rep, and there’s a good chance you’ll feel it the next day.
Deadlifts are an extremely demanding and intense lift to perform, but the rewards are well worth it.
Go with 2-4 sets of deadlifts using a rep range of 5-7.
The Second Is A Shrugging Exercise…
Shrugs can be performed using a barbell, dumbbells, a smith machine or even cables and are a great way to really isolate those upper traps for added thickness.
Make sure to perform this exercise using a full range of motion by lowering your shoulders as far down as you comfortably can and raising them up as high as possible on every single rep.
Execute these correctly and your traps should feel like they’re on fire by the end of the set.
Perform 2-3 sets of shrugs utilizing a slightly higher rep range of 8-10.
The Third Is A Face Pull…
Although these are a less common exercise, your trap workouts are not complete without a few sets of face pulls added to the mix.
These are basically a row that is performed using a rope attachment and pulled towards your face.
Not only do face pulls stimulate your trap muscles heavily, but they also bring into play your rear delts and other smaller muscles of your upper back as well.
Most bodybuilders have an imbalance between their chest/front delt development in comparison to their upper back/rear delt development (which can easily lead to shoulder injuries), and face pulls help to directly counteract this imbalance while building trap thickness at the same time.
For maximum stimulation, focus on driving your elbows outward as you row the weight in, and squeeze your shoulder blades together at the end of each rep.
2-3 sets of face pulls for 8-10 reps is a great way to finish off your workout.
Your Complete Workout To Build Huge Traps
So, that’s everything you need to know in order to structure the most effective trap workouts possible for adding the most size and thickness in the shortest time.
Also keep in mind that your traps will receive a lot of indirect stimulation on top of this during your shoulder and other back training as well.
Let’s put it all together now…
Barbell Deadlifts: 2-4 sets of 5-7 reps
Shrugs (Barbell, Dumbbell, Smith Machine Or Cable): 2-4 sets of 8-10 reps
Face Pulls: 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps
I would recommend performing this workout 1-2 times per week and pairing it up with your lat or shoulder training.
Or, if you really want, you can simply perform a dedicated trap day on its own, though this is usually not going to be the most efficient training route.
Focus on progressive overload by adding more weight to the bar on these exercises over time and you’ll be adding brand new trap size and thickness every single week.
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