Shrugs, heavy or light??

big in vegas

big in vegas

MuscleChemistry Registered Member
Do you guys go heavy on shrugs or light and a lot of reps?? I used to lift heavy with them, but now I've found that if I keep it at a moderate weight and squeeze each rep and do a lot of them I tend to respond better.
 
I like the reps and getting a good squeeze at top usually not over 315 for 15 reps. My traps are my easiest muscle to grow also unlike my puny little 16 1/2'' b'S. LOL
 
crash said:
I like the reps and getting a good squeeze at top usually not over 315 for 15 reps. My traps are my easiest muscle to grow also unlike my puny little 16 1/2'' b'S. LOL
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My arms look big because I have a decent peak, that's my only saving grace, so I'm right there with you
 
I used to always do light to heavy for 5-6 sets with the heaviest weight being about 365. This always seemed to work well although it didn't give me huge traps, but they're decently big. After laying off from my gallbladder surgery, I was doing exercises like lateral flyes with 30-35lb dbs, and I was finding my traps sore the next day besides my shoulders. And damned if they didn't start growing bigger. So now I've been combining lateral flyes with my shrugs (done with a lighter weight for higher reps), and my traps are bigger and thicker than they've ever been in only 3 months. Kind of funny because all my collared shirts now sit higher, so the width of my shoulders and height of the traps pulls long sleeves up enough that the cuffs don't come down to my wrists anymore. I'm going to have to get some new shirts with longer sleeves.
 
I use to go heavy with low reps, but now I do tend to go lighter and more reps 8-12. Now I'm trying to go easy on the joints, but I'll still pile on the weight every once in a while just because.
 
MonkeyWrench said:
I use to go heavy with low reps, but now I do tend to go lighter and more reps 8-12. Now I'm trying to go easy on the joints, but I'll still pile on the weight every once in a while just because.
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lol...your'e still a young f*&k MW. There is something to be said about low weight high reps though. Check out Wesley Inman's YouTube videos. He has a unique way of doing shrugs using a 45 lb. plate in each hand and doing sets of 20 with a long squeeze at the top. He is a strong man competitor, and his traps are pretty big.
 
I will on occasion just load up a bar and instead of shrugging it, I will stand there and hold it stretching the traps by simply holding onto the heavy weight
 
honestly I think it depends on genes, I have good traps and either way I do them nothing different really happens other than when I do them every wk I get a split going down them like in the direction of neck to shoulder, they start separating. I don't like doing these super heavy bc I will get knots that lead to huge headaches, however like I said either way they stay good sized
 
I like using SMith machine, I stanf behind the bar and shrug for 10-15 reps, reason is that your traps are behind your shoulders hence the bar in back of me.

Not to hijack, but anyone here use a trap bar? I see one on EBAY would love to have, its not a chinzy cheap piece of crap like some are, its home made at a fab shop that specializes in weight equipment. I'll see if I can post the linky
 
BEASTZ6 said:
lol...your'e still a young f*&k MW. There is something to be said about low weight high reps though. Check out Wesley Inman's YouTube videos. He has a unique way of doing shrugs using a 45 lb. plate in each hand and doing sets of 20 with a long squeeze at the top. He is a strong man competitor, and his traps are pretty big.
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ive got a lot of respect for wes and was once part of this forum..that exercise is good and very different..i will start to do them again when my ham is fully healed as i found it pulled my hams to much..but i do very much like that exerise in fact let me embed it here..

i cant lift heavy on DB shrugs as my right shoulder is shot and cant get a good squeeze at the top..but i do like rear smith machine..and can some times load up on as well.where DB i just cant ever..<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nM1onefXf3g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Hell I do both sometimes we do heavy on barbell and sometimes we go light and then work our way up the dumbells from 75's to 120's
 
ditto , it depends on how I feel that day. I like to do same volume either way, like either heavy for 30-60 reps or light 60-120 reps (db's and machine)
 
I start with higher reps with 2 plates, and keep adding a plate until I get to six plates. That's the end of the road for me. Then I bump back down to 3 plates and do 7 sets of 10 with 30 seconds rest in between. Barbell only. I often see guys looking up in the air like they are squatting and I have no idea why. Look down when you are shrugging and you might be surprised how much higher and more fully you can contract the muscles.
 
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charliebigspuds said:
ive got a lot of respect for wes and was once part of this forum..that exercise is good and very different..i will start to do them again when my ham is fully healed as i found it pulled my hams to much..but i do very much like that exerise in fact let me embed it here..

i cant lift heavy on DB shrugs as my right shoulder is shot and cant get a good squeeze at the top..but i do like rear smith machine..and can some times load up on as well.where DB i just cant ever..<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nM1onefXf3g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
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I've been doing his style of trap training and it's actually been working for me
 
Wes has some really good tips in his videos, cool dude too. Wonder if he will ever come back around here?
 
I just did barbell shrugs last night after months of heavy machine shrugs that go to about 6 plates and db shrugs with 140's. I didn't do them for months because I was off cycle but I finished my last two set of 495 for 10 and I can feel those traps from the top all the way down the entire trap muscle. I miss the real heavy weight
 
BEASTZ6 said:
lol...your'e still a young f*&k MW. There is something to be said about low weight high reps though. Check out Wesley Inman's YouTube videos. He has a unique way of doing shrugs using a 45 lb. plate in each hand and doing sets of 20 with a long squeeze at the top. He is a strong man competitor, and his traps are pretty big.
Click to expand...

True, I remember when Wes posted info on his trap routine here, and his traps were huge.
 
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