# traps and neck



## Diesel (Mar 13, 2005)

im lookin to thinckin up my neck and build up my traps, not just for looks but more importantly when tucking the head down into tyou pads to make a good solid tackle you need a good solid neck and souldr base so as not to get hurt,
anyone know some good exercises to improve these two muscle besides shrugs?


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## ORACLE (Mar 13, 2005)

Some gyms have machines that work the neck muscle real good.


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## Diesel (Mar 13, 2005)

yeah we usta have one but we got rida it, right now im doing boxing style neck raises, and srugs from different angles ill give it 4 weeks and see what happens


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## ORACLE (Mar 13, 2005)

Some gyms have a strap that goes around your head and you can hang a weight from it.  When i wrestled we would do alot of bridges and that buildes up real good neck strength


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## Freejay (Mar 13, 2005)

Do Dumbell shrugs.  I also like to use a smith machine.  I hold the bar behind my back and shrug the weight.  Another popular exercise is upright rows with a straight bar.


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## ORACLE (Mar 13, 2005)

Freejay said:
			
		

> Do Dumbell shrugs.  I also like to use a smith machine.  I hold the bar behind my back and shrug the weight.  Another popular exercise is upright rows with a straight bar.



Freejay's avatar is shrugging...lol


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## Diesel (Mar 13, 2005)

lol thanx guys advice apreciated


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## y4old2004 (Mar 13, 2005)

add upright rows!


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## Diesel (Mar 13, 2005)

ight thanx bro


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## heavy (Mar 15, 2005)

Bro, My traps have grown insanely in the last few months from doing real heavy barbell shrugs. What I do is this; grab a couple 45lb plates, and just shrug them for a good 50 reps, a few sets of that just to pump up the traps real well. Once your traps are pumped, hit up 4-8 sets of heavy ass barbell shrugs. Switch up the reps scheme, high rep, and low rep. Once your done, and winded like crazy and your callouses are ripped to shreds, hit up a couple high rep and low rep dumbell shrugs.  Before you know it, youll have a couple a mount everest peaks straddling your neck.


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## Freejay (Mar 16, 2005)

I'll give that a shot!  I need a little work there.


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## Nomad (Mar 16, 2005)

Agree w/Heavy that heavy Barbell Shrugs should be a staple, but since you are playing ball nothing beats putting on mass to the upper back, rear dealts as well as helping w/your functional strength like Power Cleans.  Also deads & partial deads...I wish I spent much more time when I was younger on the big compound exercises...those will help you the most but in most gyms they are endangered exercises 

my 2 cents


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## Bizarro (Mar 16, 2005)

is it typical to do power cleans on leg or shoulder days?


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## Nomad (Mar 16, 2005)

a lot of routines will have PCleans on leg day.  Personally my squat or Clean will suffer (depending on what I do first) when done on the same day.  I usually put the movement on a upper body day or on a more specific split (Back)  

If you incorporate on Back day do them first in the workout.  Also stay ~5reps per set (5x5) or even 8x3 will work well & tax the shit out of you


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## Bizarro (Mar 16, 2005)

nomad05 said:
			
		

> a lot of routines will have PCleans on leg day.  Personally my squat or Clean will suffer (depending on what I do first) when done on the same day.  I usually put the movement on a upper body day or on a more specific split (Back)
> 
> If you incorporate on Back day do them first in the workout.  Also stay ~5reps per set (5x5) or even 8x3 will work well & tax the shit out of you




Ive never really done power cleans but they appear to be a terrific all-around exercise.  I looked at this page for some instruction:  http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/pclean.htm

Couple questions:  1.  should the weight be curled up with your biceps onto your shoulders?  2.  How do you prevent lower back injury (I have to be careful even when doing squats with my bad lower back)?


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## Bizarro (Mar 20, 2005)

Anyone?


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## LITTLEME (Mar 21, 2005)

after you bring it up to your waist you quickly snap it up to your shoulders mean while in the same motion you also lower your body to try to get under the bar as your are snapping it up. make sense


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## Bizarro (Mar 24, 2005)

LITTLEME said:
			
		

> after you bring it up to your waist you quickly snap it up to your shoulders mean while in the same motion you also lower your body to try to get under the bar as your are snapping it up. make sense



Yes thanks.


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