So you Want Traps? - My Top 5 Exercises For Building Them 

Hey guys here are the timestamps. 1. Farmer's Walk 1:29 2. Rack Pulls 3:28 3. Front Loaded Carry 4:35 4. Shrug Variations 6:57 5. Incline Y Raises 9:00 Give me some likes or just do whatever you want.

"Higher weight than you want to, for higher reps then you want to." Words to live by. 😉

#1: *Farmer's carry/walk* a. Very very heavy for short distances. b. Moderate weight at moderate distances. c. Super light for a walk (400/800/600 meters). #2: *Rack pulls and its variations* , from mid-shin and upwards (deadlifts are good but rack pulls great). Pause at the top/lock-out. High reps. Heavier than you want to. Variations: farmer' walk implements, car deadlift, block pulls. #3: *Front loaded carry/walk* Keg carry, bearhug sandbag carry, Husafell stone, Atlas stone; even bearhug plate carry. Anything that you carry in front of you using a bearhug style. Walk extremely long distances at a heavy weight. #4: *Shrugs and its variations* Brian doesn't do shrugs. Pause at top. Don't jerk the weight. Variations: BB behind the back, BB in front, BB overhead shrug #5: *Incline bench prone Y plate raise* Pause at top Supersetted with Face pulls Use the first three regularly.

I tried building traps with all of your methods and still haven't caught the raccoon digging in my garbage. Help.

Those aren't traps, they are national landmarks.

Brian doesn't look like John Cena....John Cena looks like Brian! Get it together people...

Strength & Performance come first, looking like you lift comes second. Good content, keep it up Brian.

don't foget about 5gallon buckets. $2 at any store that sells paint or lumber, got handles for carrying and a smooth body for front loaded-carries. fill em with anything from water, to dirt, to rocks, wet rocks, children, concrete.

I always warm up with a stone throw. From there i do a window jump to get my explosiveness up. I then bear hug a big HD-tv and carry it all the way home. Sometimes i even get in some sprints while doing it!

I just added those “Y making things” to my workout, right after some rack pulls, and man you we’re right

cause seriously, who doesn't have a car lifting apparatus??

hey man I just stumbled across your Channel tonight and I am freaking glued to it. you are showing me a hell of a lot of things that I never knew about and also things I can do while I'm at work. I also really like how you are promoting the importance of compound movements and using your whole body in the exercise rather than isolating because that's exactly how I love weight training, through compound movements. I also do a lot of physical labor on the farm and it work and everything you were showing me is truly fascinating me. Thank you bro for your videos and I'm definitely going to keep watching

or... just always carry all the groceries at once

I wanted to thank you for this video. After my typical upper back workout, I did a farmers carry with 45lb plates for a couple laps around the gym. The burn was amazing!

im so happy i found your channel through Omar. You definitely deserve more subs man. Real and true content. No bullshit here

It's never boring to watch your videos till the end. Also I'm more and more convinced to drop isolation movements. so, Many thanks for your vids and the ton of info. Best channel by far!

Brian, i start follow you! i m new on ''lifting'', i really enjoy your videos, thx for tips and sharing! (sry for my english)

T bar row with the wide attachment is by far the best trap exercise ive experienced

1st video of yours I've watched, excellent info! I'll be watching regularly. Thank you!

Just came across your channel, and was browsing your video's and really like this one. I currently don't have farmers handles, but tried grabbing some plates and holding them to my chest and walked up and down the hill in front of my house. Definitely fried my traps AND grip. Going to be implementing the rack pulls into my back day too!

I incorporated some of these into my workout after watching this video and my traps were burning the next day. Thank you!

"If you can't find something heavy at your gym you probably need to find a better gym" lol

Love your channel I can really see the effort and the heart you put into it!

AWESOME video man, thanks for sharing the knowledge.

Ya when I first started doing farmers carries for 30-45 second sets (as heavy as my grip would allow) my upper back was destroyed after every workout. Another exercise that has a similar effect for me is Romanian/stiff-leg deadlifts with extra emphasis on keeping your shoulder blades retracted back THE WHOLE TIME. This also has the added benefit of destroying the rest of your posterior chain.

The only type of shrugs that have ever worked for me are really heavy power shrugs. Take a barbell with something that's a decent deadlift weight for you, with straps because you're not going to hold on to it otherwise, and do ugly power shrugs. There won't be a pause, it's too heavy for that but it absolutely fries your traps!

I love how u put in options that people would never normally think of, awesome stuff man!

Love your channel man! It's inspiration and helpful tips topped with an amazing attitude. Your channel deserves way more subscribers!

"so you want shoulders?" next!

you remind me of the old elliot hulse, in a good way of course

Thanks bro! always enjoy your videos..keep them coming!

I love your channel man. Good work. Mentor to many. Thanks for your work

I love dropping the weight after farmers walk and having my arms start raising on their own.

A wise manlett once told me the best way to build traps is, and I quote " heavy ass rack pulls above the knee with a five second pause" He was right. Praise lord Alex, God of alphaness!

did heavy rack pulls Friday and could move all weekend. awesome! can't wait to do them again this week.

Awesome video Brian. I really liked that you explained why the carries are so good at building the traps and upper back. Your level of knowledge and attention to detail is really above and beyond.

notification squad wasssuuuup

However, bottom line is that to build traps, you need heavy weight that will stretch the traps for a relatively long period of time. All of his recommended movements do that. Reason for the importance of the stretch is that even you are not actively contracting the muscle through a range of motion, the muscle is still firing like crazy to hold the weight. You're doing many little micro contractions. But because the traps are very strong muscles, you need heavy ass weight.

I totally love your videos! I believe the rack pulls have helped me with traps and strength. I also found my traps (mid and upper) grow from bent over rows. Thank you for your videos!! Awesome ! I really learned a lot!

Very informative video, Brian! Keep up with the good work, dude!

I used to think bodybuilding was life. until I came across this channel. and realise how silly bodybuilding is. and performance is much better then bodybuilding.

this video was just flying weights. where is Brian I can't see you lol

Great list. Power cleans are one of the lifts that fries my traps the most as well.

great video as usual big guy, at least a few times a week i get asked about or a comment about my traps and all i do i 4 heavy sets when i train shoulders and either heavy rack pulls and/or barbell rows, that being said great advice from the coolest guy on youtube

Nube question here... how do you determine your 1 rep max with the farmers walk? Do you carry as much as you can over 10 yards? 20?

Jeff would be disappointed with your Face Pull technique.

Terrific contribution. Thank you !

Nice vid. Mos def will give some of these a try.

The next time I buy a used car I will check to see if some muscle dude was picking it up and dropping it frequently.

Get Silent Mike to visit your gym Brian!!

This is gonna sound weird but, I really appreciate the way you articulate your advice. you sound intelligent without coming off like a know it all. way to represent for the smart lifters.

Love the videos Brian! Looks like your subscriber numbers are going up as well!

Farmers carry are the shit

Has anyone told you that your traps are huge?

Thanks Brian, although this is not the kind of videos you like to make. This is one of the most motivational posts for me, even after watching it about 50 times since you posted it... Thanks man, even at 41 years it still inspiring and wants me to be 20 again lol

Great info and sense of humour. Subscribed.

If you were an animal, would you be a T-rex with cobra traps!?!?

'Rack pulls above the knee' - AlphaDestiny

I cringed when I saw the title but at precisely 49 seconds both hands went to the sky and it was all PREACH!!! PREACH!!!! Another great vid, thanks.

YOU SAID IT! Compound movements are the best. Pull-ups did wonders for my back, shoulders and traps!

Thanks for the tips John Cena!

Wow some really good advise on here. I am going to hit the like and subscribe button!

Great video. Going to try these today.

The first three are the best way to build the traps , especially when I remember caring a big ass old school tv down the street my traps where on fire . Great video👍

I discovered Brian yesterday while watching a Supertraining video. Where the hell have I been? This dude is insane strong and athletic.

Thanks Omar Isuf for featuring u! U have great channel

great video, farmers walks are awesome, started using them 3 months ago and difference is unreal.

Great video. You have a lot of really useful information. You deserve more subs!

Thanks for the tips man No matter what you learn something new everday

"Behind the back" shrugs ARE what the Smith Machine was really made for. Love your vids, and this is the first time I've actually commented on ANY RU-vid video in a few years. Thought I'd get your opinion on the trap bar for variety as far as pulls, farmers walk, etc if "heavy things" aren't available. Great work brother. And btw, I'd say a cross between Cena and Chris Pratt. 😂😂😂

Hey Brian, Fairly new SUB, I joined up after your DIP PAIN post. That 280 lbs around your hips still hurts me. 🤣 Thanks for your insight and knowledge, I greatly appreciate your videos. I’m already seeing my lifts get heavier. Not HEAVY, but it’s a relative thing. All the best Sir! Cheers

I don't know about USA, but in Brazil we have neutral grip barbell. That can be used to do farm walk (excuse my english). Thank's a lot Brian. Can't express how much this channel helps me.

It’s great you instruct with a bit of humour. Makes it more relatable, awesome! Excuse me... going to work on my traps now

Yeah, shrugs stopped working for me years ago lol. Thanks for the tips. I also bought some captain crush grippers and an ab wheel because of you. I'm still on a cut, but super close to my weight goal before I go back to bulk. True inspiration, Brian.

Another great vid! Thanks Brian!

Farmers walk = best exercise ever "created" by human necessity. I saw a big change on my lifts, traps, grip, abs and calves due to farmers walk. And i do it with bear foot, huge difference. Another great video Brian. Keep them coming.

Love your channel, dude !

Thanks Bro, Awesome Video !!!!

Dude, just 1 min into your vid I had to subscribe. Functional/compound movement !!

Great channel!

Another great video! Thanks :)

Thanks for your advice

Great to see videos like this as they confirm my thoughts...Thank you for this video along with the elaboration of WHY you believe what you say.

This is good advice. No amount of shrugging did anything for my traps, but they really started growing with heavy deadlifts. I can only imagine what farmer's carries, rack pulls, and front loaded carries will do for them...

Amazing video !

Found this channel through Omar, now I'm a new subscriber.

Great video Brian. Just to add, for anyone who doesn't have access to a front carry strongman implement, a heavy dumbbell works great. Hold it in a goblet rack position and just walk with it. it doesn't even have to be that heavy. 70 lbs burnt me out. Hopefully I can work up to the 130s my gym has one day.

Bench Ys are a great shoulder exercise to. Takes a while to get to the weight you were working in the video. Thanks for the great lesson today.

Thank you Brian! God bless!

Appreciate the video brother, will definitely be grabbing the stacked bumper plates and carrying them until i get the sandbags and keg.

I ENJOYED THIS VIDEO I WILL USE THESE EXERCISES IN MY PUSH AND PULL WORKOUT ROUTINES THANX A LOT I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS AS WELL AS YOUR OTHER VIDEOS 👊🏿👍🏿💯

Great Training tips!

With rack pulls I sometimes hold the weight as long as I can.. one more thing... performing shrugs on standing calf machine for a finisher . You can load a lot of weight on traps. Thanks again Brian!

Dang man you making me fall in love with strongman! lol Bodybuilding first, then powerlifting, then maybe strongman! Definitely liked!

You are hilarious; I'm not even a minute in and I've subscribed. Also I body build, so hopefully I can learn something new from you.

Great videos

Very useful information , thank you bro

Awesome video!

Dude ur a beast man. Wanna be as big as u one day only can hope n work my ass off to get there!

thanks man. will defo gives these a try. I can't do shrugs anymore. this will sound stupid I was once writing a uni assignment and got a bit stressed and tore one of my neck muscles. anytime I've done shrugs since my neck goes again. defo will give these a go