Are tight traps causing you shoulder pain? Are weak traps making your shoulder hurt?
Let me guess, you’ve been told that to eliminate your shoulder pain that you needed to incorporate lots of rear delt work, lat work, and stretching, right?
Well, how is that working out for you? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Listen, all this stuff is good and all, but it’s essentially worthless if you have piss poor trap development. In the end, the traps are the ultimate controllers of your shoulder girdle health.
I once heard a quote by Bill Starr, and he said that if you can bench press 300lbs that you should at least be able to shrug 500lbs. Well, this kind of shocked me because I was benching 300lbs and shrugging 300lbs during that time period. Clearly, there was a definite weaknesses that needed to be addressed.
So I took Bill’s advice, and started hammering my traps to death. Surely enough, just as Bill predicted, my shoulder pain immediately dissipated.
I’m not going to get into the science of why this works, because you would get bored of this article and leave.
Nonetheless, training your traps to eliminate shoulder pain works, because it’s backed up by science and has real world testimonials to prove it.
So if you’re looking for an easy to read, and practical solution to defeating the shoulder pain trap through the training of your traps, then you’ve stumbled across the right article.
So let’s get straight to business now, shall we?
1- Utilize Power Shrugs
The power shrug is obviously the most important traps exercise because it allows you to move the most amount of weight possible and will give you the most precise indicator of true traps strength. I recommend doing 5×5 on these with short rest intervals, as this will allow you to hit your traps in a heavy fashion while simultaneously getting that “bodybuilder effect” of the low rest intervals and “the pump”.
Plus, you get the next bonus of being out of the gym quickly.
By the way, make sure you strap up on these because if you don’t your grip is going to fail. Don’t try to be a tough guy that’s gonna go raw raw raw, because you will regret it.
2- Utilize High Pulls
The high pull is truly a phenomenal exercise. It’s like a power upright row, which really overloads your traps.
I learned it from my friend Philippe when he told me that by incorporating them twice a week into his training routine that his traps grew tremendously within a month’s time.
I asked him to show me some pictures, and man I gotta tell you that he was not joking. So I decided to copy what he did, and low and behold I soon was unable to wear schoolbags.
3- Utilize Power Snatches
This isn’t really a traps exercise, but indirectly it is. You must essentially high pull it past your head, which ends you up in an overhead position. This accomplishes two things.
First, you get the power upright row effect, which activates your traps, and secondly you have your arms overhead which helps stabilize the shoulder girdle, which not only indirectly builds your traps, but also strengthens the rotator cuff.
Pour Conclure
In sum, boys and girls, the combination of these three exercises will eliminate your shoulder pain. I recommend you rotate these exercises as often as you can, as this will prevent accommodation and will build complete general strength. Train your traps 2-4x a week, and you will be thanking me in about a month from now.
Your man,
-Alexander Leonidas
If this has helped eliminate your shoulder pain, please let me know here!
I was skeptical at first, but after trying your tips my shoulder pain is completely gone!
I am like freaking out right now man,
Thanks for some other great article.
Was researching for some time before finding your post. Very helpful. Keep up the great writing.
So you think weightlifting is the answer?
Hmm, I suppose you’re right given the proposed arguments.
This article saved my shoulders!!!
yeahhhhhhhhhhhh
R.I.P. Bill Starr
Excellent article. I’ve implemented your techniques and my posture has significantly improved.
Good tips my man!