Would you consider them shoulders or back? They run from the base of your skull down to your shoulders and amazingly even around your shoulder blades and part way down your back between the shoulder blades and next to the spine. So hence the conundrum.
Or I guess the better question I should ask is do you train them on your shoulder day or your back day? Or do you split certain exercises for each?
I alternate depending on what I'm focusing on for back day. Sometimes I will throw upper traps in when I'm waiting for a machine or a bench/chair just to keep going. However, I consider traps a back muscle. Also, I may choose to superset traps with delts. For example, I could do seated bent over rear flies with lateral raises the do a drop set of dumbbell shrugs going from 100 to 60 dropping by 10 lbs. All of the exercises end up hitting upper traps in some way. Great way to get them crazy pumped, and your shirt soaked in sweat.
Yup. Upper and lower, and they have quite different angles that need addressed for development of the back. Some are even counter intuitive because a lift will appear to be entirely anterior deltoid, but also nail lower traps.
I've had that happen, the trap head ache. It's a real bitch! And I can't say it's from not being warmed up either. Doesn't happen much anymore thankfully
For me. When I hit traps hard, I run the rack from heaviest weight I can hold and shrug correctly-- I get headaches and my traps feel super tight for several days post workout. Massage helps mine. My back us trained twice a week which probably plays a factor as well. Knowing the muscles does help you know exactly what area you are targeting in addition to muscles used as accessories to the targeted one.
Could the headache be from holding your breath? I would get headaches from holding my breath during squats, If I breath then I dont get them
I am prone to not breath properly (apnea) in some exercises, specially when moving very heavy weights (like you said, squats, leg press) and I'm not sure about when I train traps. I'll check out next time I hit traps, but since the pain comes clearly from the upper neck I don't think is related to breath in this case.
Thanks for the advice, ESmetalhead, maybe I could avoid any high pressure related headache taking this into account.
I do traps on shoulder day. When I do lateral raises and rear delts they're so pumped already that I can finish them up quick. As far as the pain goes. After a grueling trap workout, go home and ask your wife or whoever to roll out your neck, traps and mid back with a Stick roller. $15 from Amazon. That helps me tremendously.
I ve been contemplating this trap headache issue for a few days, and this is what I have come up with. It may be technique. So, the muscle that may be giving you problems is the levator Scapulae. If you are extending the neck, that is, looking up when you do the shrugs, there may be too much stress on the levator. Be sure to bring your chin toward your chest to effectuate more stretch on the levator and greater activation of the upper traps. It will take the levator entirely out of the movement. Just a thought.
I have my 11 year old daughter walk on my back; I think she practices dance moves balancing on one foot. Gets my lower traps and rhomboids really good. But, I usually have to bribe her with some chocolate or a buck or two lol
