Hey, what's up guys?
I'm Scott from MuscularStrength.com and today we're going to continue the only two
Exercises you need for muscle growth series and talk about traps
Now if you missed any of the previous videos in this series as always I will link to them in the end screen
But it's actually much easier to find them all on my app by searching only two in the article section now
I'll be the first to admit that my traps have never been my strong suit
All right?
But even without being
genetically blessed I've been able to see a lot of improvement over the last few years because I started to filter out all the
Bullshit and adopt techniques that actually work and guys in order to grow your traps they need heavy weight and
Volume but performing only shrugs isn't going to cut it
Traps are not like other muscle groups
They need punishment and they can handle a lot of it
The problem with shrugs and similar exercises is that they're not challenging enough. Yeah, you might be able to shrug
225 pounds for reps
but that's about half of what your traps can actually handle and if you're
Experiencing little to no growth then I bet this concept is starting to sink in but don't get frustrated
Just get ready for two exercises that when done properly
Will result in traps growth. Exercise one is the above-the-knee rack pole and you're gonna do five sets of five reps
Resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets and for this exercise
It is crucial that you set the barbell to the proper height
This is a stretch exercise. So the initial pull should be as short as possible
So you can put all your energy into lifting as heavy as you can
Also, be sure to pause and really feel the stretch on each repetition
Don't just lift and then slam the weights back down immediately
Now
There has been a lot of debate on YouTube as to whether or not rack pulls actually work
Certain know-it-all "Fitness experts" have made
Scientific videos on why science says they're not that effective for traps growth
But the funny thing is is that all the people who talk about rack pulls being very beneficial for growth
Seem to have much bigger traps and the people who are saying that they don't work.
I wonder why
It's kind of like when your out of shape
Friends tells you that you go to the gym too much and that you're gonna over train and hurt yourself
It's like dude. Just get out of my face. All right
Rack pulls are a
Phenomenal exercise that can and will lead to serious traps growth
Especially as you become stronger and stronger over time and the main reason
Why they're so effective is because they're forcing your traps to handle a huge load
Guys, if your traps didn't activate on this exercise your shoulders would rip right out of their sockets
All right. Something has to be holding them in place
Also, keep in mind we get the most muscle damage during the stretch portion of the negative and that's basically what the entire
exercise is
But Scott don't shrugs give you the same stretch some of you might be asking
Well, it's like this if you can shrug 225 for 8 reps
But you can rack pull 500 pounds for 6 repetitions
Which do you think is going to cause the most damage for growth? But be warned guys if you've never done this before
You need to start light and work your way up. In fact from the first time you try this exercise
To even about the fourth or fifth time
you'll notice huge jumps week to week and how much weight you can handle so be very cautious and be very safe and
Now before we jump into Exercise 2
If you're enjoying this series and would like to see more videos to help maximize your training
Let me know by tapping that like button and leaving your comments below
Exercise 2 is gonna be the upright row and you're gonna do 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps
Resting only 30 to 60 seconds between sets
Okay before I even say anything
Enough with the this is bad for you garbage
Where is this information even coming from is there somebody on YouTube making click bait videos pointing out
How common exercises are bad for views? I really don't get it
I've seen 10 times more people tear bicep tendons dead lifting or rip their chests in half
barbell bench
pressing than I've seen dudes being rushed to the hospital because they did an upright row
Okay doesn't make any sense guys if you do any
exercise wrong
"Gonna have a bad time"
So let me do my job and teach you guys how to maximize the benefits of this exercise
With proper form and stay injury free. I wouldn't tell you to do something that I thought was going to hurt you
It's not my style
Shoulder impingement only happens when you grab the barbell with your hands close together
This is a form of ego lifting. Yes
You can lift more weight this way
But the funny thing is you might be lifting more but you're engaging your traps less which is why you're getting injured
proper form requires a wide grip just outside of shoulder width and
Then you drag the barbell up your torso to your neck while pulling your elbows back
Then you control the negative and repeat for reps by having a wider grip
We're taking our shoulders out of the dangerous internal shoulder rotation position
And we're actually able to engage the traps properly. This is because the upright row
Forces your scapula to elevate and retract at the same time
Which is the exact function of your traps and a quick tip to help those of you who might be
experiencing shoulder pain from past injuries and possible improper form
I want you to grab a resistance band and do shoulder breakers between sets guys
If you have tight shoulders this will literally change your life. Just get 10 to 12 repetitions before and after each set
Anytime you're doing a movement that involves the shoulder joint. Trust me. This will become your new best friend at the gym
And if you guys enjoy my straight to-the-point approach to teaching fitness
Let me know by commenting below and show your support for me by downloading my app.
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And as I said in the beginning you can jump to the article section and search 'Only two'
To find the rest of the videos in this series in one place
And you can even add them to your favorites list in the app
So that you can do these workouts every week and get a quick refresher on what proper form is for the movements
I promise to always do my best to help you all reach your goals and it's a promise that I've kept since
2009 and as always more good stuff coming soon
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