When you think of a perfectly sculpted upper body, your traps probably aren’t the FIRST muscle that comes to mind.
Your traps don’t really need numerous exercises or dedicated days on your training block, but they should be isolated and prioritized!
Bigger and stronger traps ….
- Help make your entire upper body look more buff.
- Are a necessity for a symmetrically sculpted upper body.
- Can help you lift more weight for other exercises.
- Are important for keeping your shoulders stable and injury-free.
It may be basic and boring, but the standard shoulder shrug is king for trap development.
There is a reason you see bodybuilders sticking to the “basics” (squats, deadlifts, curls, shrugs, etc.) over and over again….. basics always work the best!
So… definitely keep shrugging!
Today we want to show you an “upgrade” to the basic shrug that you may want to try if bigger traps are your goal!
It’s a shrug variation you may have never tried before that could very well be what you need to incorporate if your traps aren’t growing or if you are just bored and just need a little something to spice up your upper body routine!
This exercise is also Vince’s favorite trap exercise and something he’s been including in his recent training phase.
We actually got the idea to tell you about this trap exercise and film an instructional video with Vince showing you how to do it because the number one question we’ve been getting this month is ….
“What is Vince doing to grow his shoulders?! They are getting huge.”
You asked – we are delivering!!
Any guesses what the exercise is?
We already told you it’s not the standard shrug. It’s also not some of the other well-known trap exercises you may have tried.
It’s not a Farmer’s Walk.
It’s not a Dumbbell Upright Row.
It’s not a Rack Pull.
The HANG POWER CLEAN is the trap exercise Vince has been doing to build his traps and create the bigger upper body many of you are noticing.
Consistently incorporate this one movement into your upper body days, and you should see some significant growth too!
FOR BIGGER TRAPS
TRY VINCE’S FAVORITE EXERCISE
– THE HANG POWER CLEAN –
What is a Hang Power Clean?
The hang power clean movement is seen a lot in CrossFit or powerlifting. It is essentially an explosive shrug. We like to call it a shrug .. but with a twist!
Think of it this way …
- Regular Shrugs are slow and totally controlled from beginning to end.
- Hang Power Cleans are much more explosive, allowing you to throw more weight than the standard shrug.
How to perform the Hang Power Clean:
Start with a regular long barbell (like the ones you squat and deadlift with) on the ground in front of your feet.
Only use the bar for now. You can add plates once you have nailed your form.
- Grip at shoulder-width apart. If you go too wide, you will put too much stress on the shoulder. If you go too narrow, it will put way too much stress on your wrists.
- Bend slightly at the hips and drive elbows up, going slightly above shoulder height.
- At the top of the exercise, you will “flip” the bar by rotating your elbows under the bar to catch the barbell.
- Slightly lower the bar back down.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
A cue that may help you out is to think or say out loud — BIG SHRUG – ELBOWS UP – FLIP UNDER!
If you are doing the Hang Power Clean correctly, you should get an insane pump after only doing a few reps!
** If you are still having trouble nailing your form using the longer olympic barbell, you can always practice with DB’s or a pre-loaded shorter barbell until you’ve perfected your form.
What to avoid when doing the Hang Power Clean:
Sometimes when you google videos of people doing this movement, you will see them try to get a lot of momentum going.
They will bounce their knees and throw with their back and shoulders.
Don’t do this!!
Leave your back and legs out of this movement as much as possible. Your momentum should primarily come from your shoulders and traps.
The HANG POWER CLEAN is an exercise that is difficult to learn by only reading about it. It is better to watch someone else perform one before you attempt to do it on your own.
Vince filmed an instructional video that breaks the movement down step-by-step! You can watch it BELOW!
If you’ve been working your traps for a while and they aren’t growing….
TRY THE HANG POWER CLEAN!!
Just don’t forget the two most important things for any muscle to grow….
- Make sure you focus on whole-body training.
- Fuel your workouts through a diet that is best for your goals and body type!
You can’t only train traps, and you can’t out-train a bad diet.
If you need help making sure you are eating and exercising for your goals and body type, we created a really short quiz to help you out.
It is FREE and just 6 questions, so it only takes a few minutes of your time! You get your results as well as recommendations to help you get started INSTANTLY!
Check it out FOR FREE … by clicking HERE!
