KILLER TRAPS

Most bodybuilders want a pair of impressive traps. Traps is short for trapezius. Most bodybuilders believe that the traps are the muscle groups only seen from the front, like on this picture. But the fibers of the trapezius run in three different orientations and, therefore, can be divided into three sections: upper, middle and lower part. Bodybuilder, also the recreational want impressive traps. Powerlifters and weightlifters are just concerned in functional traps, they want traps that generate enough power to lift impressive weights.

"Killer Traps," along with a broad chest and big biceps, are one of the major signs that "that guy must work out."

If you trapezius is a lagging muscle groups, you are lucky cause you might or might not know, that muscle-groups react differently to anabolic androgenic steroids, and the trapezius grows more than most muscle groups.

That is a positive thing, but can also be bad, since the trapezius muscles are also involved in our posture and can cause back pains and neck pains.

First let me explain about the difference in adaption to training and steroids. A lot of what we learn from this study is already known by us iron addicts. Still it is very interesting to read Anders Erikssons dissertation from the Umeå University: “Strength Training and Anabolic Steroids: A comparative study of the vastus lateralis, a thigh muscle and the trapezius, a shoulder muscle, of strength-trained athletes”.

The trapezius muscle, localized in the neck and shoulder region. In daily life, the trapezius muscle is involved in arm movement by regulating the scapula by stabilizing and lifting up the shoulders. In myalgia, the painful areas are often located to the trapezius muscle in the neck and shoulder region. A comparison between the vastus lateralis and the trapezius muscles have shown that human neck and limb muscles differ in many aspects. These differences include androgen receptor content, nerve supply, muscle fiber composition, capillary network and mitochondrial organization. Further, men and women differ significantly in the morphology of the trapezius muscle. While men have a clear variation in fiber type composition and fiber size between different regions of the muscle, none of these variations are seen in the females. In addition, the cross-sectional areas of both type I and type II fibers are considerably smaller in the female muscle.

Strength training is widely used to increase performance in sports with high physical demands. The use of drugs such as anabolic steroids among athletes is a well-known phenomenon, and the effects of these drugs on physical performance documented.

The studies presented in this thesis focused on the mechanisms of muscle fiber hypertrophy in the vastus lateralis and the trapezius muscles of strength trained elite athletes. The main hypothesis was that the muscle adaptations to strength training and anabolic steroids are muscle specific.

The hypothesis was proven by the research, muscle groups reacts differently to anabolic androgenic steroids, and trapezius grows more than most muscle groups. The adaptation processes differ between muscles, supporting the concept in the Umeå muscle research group that each muscle is unique.

It’s not only that type I and type II fibers differ considerably in male and female muscle There are also big Individual variations. In both the vastus lateralis and the trapezius muscles, type I fiber frequency varied from 22% to 63% and type IIA fiber frequency varied from 13% to 78%.

Before I continue with the traps first….

The main results of this interesting study

** Strength training increases the muscle fiber cross-sectional area, which is further increased by anabolic steroid usage. Among power lifters, there is no effect of anabolic steroids on fiber type distribution.

** The number of nuclei per fiber is higher in both the vastus and trapezius muscles among power lifters using anabolic steroids compared to power lifters not using anabolic steroids.

** Among power lifters who have withdrawn from anabolic steroid usage and training for several years, the number of myonuclei per fiber is higher in the trapezius compared to the vastus lateralis muscle. In addition, in the trapezius this group has a higher number of myonuclei per fiber compared to active elite trained power lifters, even if the active lifters are using anabolic steroids.

** Power lifters using, or having used anabolic steroids display a higher than normal proportion of fibers with internal nuclei.

** In active power lifters, anabolic steroids have no further effect on the number of satellite cells per fiber. After withdrawal from anabolic steroid usage, a lower number of satellite cells per fiber is observed compared to the active athletes in vastus lateralis.

** High mechanical stress inflicted upon muscles results in increased proportion of split fibers, which can be interpreted as disturbed regeneration.

** High intensity resistance training increases muscle strength and banned substances such as testosterone and anabolic steroids can enhance the training effects. The studies on muscle cell morphology presented in this thesis reveal that anabolic steroids and testosterone increases muscle fiber size and adds more nuclei to the muscle cell.

** The adaptation processes differ between muscles, supporting the concept in the Umea muscle research group that each muscle is unique.

**Based on the morphological appearance of muscle sections from doped and non-doped power lifters, we conclude that testosterone and anabolic steroids enhances the hypertrophic effects of training without adding new features.

** The addition of myonuclei by training and doping appears to be longer lasting in some muscles than in others. This can be due either to differences in genetic expression or muscle utilization. Although some of the morphological changes induced by testosterone and anabolic steroids are very long lasting, perhaps life-long, the response is muscle-specific. It is very likely that these changes are beneficial for physical performance. The findings and conclusions in this thesis raise questions regarding relevant suspension times for athletes caught with banned substances in the body. This might also be true for the phenomenon we call Muscle Memory.

But how do you go from looking like a pencil-necked desk jockey to an all-star athlete? Below are three exercises to help you build big trapezius muscles.

Barbell Shrug

Start by holding the bar with an overhand grip just outside of your thighs. With knees slightly bent (not locked out) and arms straight, lift your shoulders as high as possible. Hold the contraction for a full second, and then lower the bar back to the starting position. The barbell shrug provides resistance against elevation of the scapula, therefore targeting the upper region of the trapezius. The upper trapezius is the muscular structure of the back which can also be seen from the front of an athlete, spanning from the collar bone up towards the neck.

The shrug can also be performed with a set of dumbbells, or at a cable station with a low pulley. Some prefer the dumbbell variation due to greater freedom and range of motion (ROM). Higher reps work well, so four sets of 12-15 reps is recommended.

Seated Dumbbell Shrug

Sit upright on a 90-degree bench while holding two dumbbells at your sides with arms fully extended. Keeping your core tight and chest high, shrug the dumbbells up and squeeze your traps. Hold for a full 1-2 second count, and then lower your arms back down. Again this will be a higher repetition movement so stick with four sets of 12-15 reps.

Overhead Barbell Shrug

The overhead barbell shrug is an advanced shrug variation. Not only will it contribute to the growth of your traps but it will actually help to strengthen your core as well. Start by holding a barbell overhead as if you had just completed a military press. While keeping the core tight, contract your traps and elevate the shoulders. Squeeze the top position for two seconds, then slowly release. The advanced nature of this movement necessitates starting with a light weight and slowly increasing only when your form is perfect. Three sets of 10-12 reps are great for this exercise.

When asked to show your traps you will most likely hit a most muscular pose and not a rear double biceps, right? Why not? Because in the rear double bi you are showing more of your traps than in the most muscular.  The traps are made up of the upper, middle and lower regions and having all these three regions developed are an absolute must. What is visible from the front when you do a most muscular pose is the upper trap. Having balanced development will greatly enhance your rear poses (see picture below).  The traps indeed make up a large portion of your back musculature

Trap training Mistakes

Rolling the shoulders while shrugging

Many bodybuilders roll the shoulders while shrugging.  Some roll the shoulders to the back and some to the front. I have also seen people alternate between forward and rear rotations while shrugging. This is a waste of energy and you potentially risk injury while doing this. The shrugging movement is simple, straight up and down.  The direction of resistance in the standing barbell or dumbbell shrug is straight down, meaning the direction of the pull is straight down. Therefore to derive maximum benefit from the shrug you must pull opposite resistance, which is straight up (no rolling). By rolling the shoulders you are assuming that the direction of resistance is coming from the front, which is not correct. I invite you to check the video below of Bio-mechanics expert Doug Brignole (a former NABBA Mr. Universe and Mr. America and who placed 7th at the 2012 NABBA Mr. Universe +50 masters)

The narrow grip Upright Rows

The upright row is a traditional movement for the traps but it's not the best exercise that you can do for your this muscle. It is not a good trap exercise as there are definitely better exercises. The majority of the movement is done by the arms and forearm and the remaining 10% is an incidental shrugging movement. So why not put the effort in a 100% shrugging movement? Additionally, upright rowing with a narrow grip puts the shoulder joint under a lot of stress. While I've never had shoulder issues with narrow upright rowing (they actually consist 25% of my trap training, for variety purposes) I know many others who have injured their shoulders with it (a lot having to do with use of excessive weight as well).

A much safer version of the upright row is the wide grip upright row. This is more of a side deltoid movement rather than a trap movement.  There will still be some trap involvement due to an incidental shrugging motion in the movement. Use a shoulder grip width and pull up to the sternum (middle chest) area. Superset with side laterals for developing the side deltoid (great for width).

Shrugging for traps (not ego).

Many bodybuilders shrug with excessive weight, causing them to move only a few millimeters.  Sometimes if you watch them you don't really see any movement in their shoulder and you wonder what they are working. Please don't do this. It does a lot to your ego to show people you are holding 150+kg in your hands in the rack but you don't realise that you are cheating on yourself. It is useless showing people that you are shrugging so much weight when your trap development looks as if you don't do any trap training at all.

In some countries you can be forced to a doping test if you are too muscular to be natural according to a police officer. Sweden is such a country. From the newspaper:

Man arrested for having big muscles

Tomislav Boduljak’s big interest is weight training and living a sporty wholesome lifestyle. He’s 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 275 lbs. Late one night in Stockholm he got into a conversation with a female assistant police officer.

According to Boduljak, 27, the police officer was pleasant at first, but changed her attitude when he said he worked out. Saying his muscles were ‘abnormal’, she said he must have used drugs.

“I asked if she didn’t think it possible that I work out a lot and eat well. She said that if someone looks like me, she assumes they have taken drugs,” he told Metro.

Despite Boduljak’s assurances that he didn’t use steroids, she forced him to go to the police station and give a urine test. In her report, the officer said he had “unusually large muscles, particularly large arm muscles, which are a sign of steroid use.”

The doping test was (of course) negative. And the translation of the police report above is probably a misquote. The Swedish article says that the muscle group the police officer reacted to was Tomislav’s large trapezius…

What is likely to have happened is that the assistant police officer has gone through a lesson in “how to identify AAS-doped individuals based upon muscular appearance”. Eager to test the (newly?) gotten knowledge theory met harsh reality. The individual tested negative for doping. With more experience the officer wouldn’t have suspected Mr. Boduljak of doping based upon his appearance… But the theory behind looking specifically at the trapezius muscle is sound. As you could read above in the quotes of the Swedish study.