How much of an influance can strong trapezius muscles have on sprinting speed?
I noticed that Carl lewis’s traps were quite well developed. Obviouslt the bigger sprinters have good traps aswell, especially the rear aand inner trapezius. Do shrugs train the rear trapezius or just the ability to lift up - top part of the trapezius.
If some one has strong traps - does it allow for more powerfull - yet relaxed arm movements in the sprint?
Does anyone think that perhaps the trapezius is a somewhat under-rated muscle group, in terms of its influance on sprint speed?
Should I add trapezius strengthening exercises to my routine, such as the shrug?
I remember reading that some elite powerlifters, such as Ed Coan, actually dropped shrugs from their routines becuase the hypertrophy of the traps, inhibited them from rolling there shoulders back for a deadlift lockout. I don’t how this would effect a sprinter, obviously these are larger men, and I don’t think some shurgs would hypertrophy the shoulder to that kind of extreme. I agree with above poster, probably about as useful as curls, if your allready pulling, your traps should be plenty strong.
I would think they are neither good or bad. Mo used 3x10 DB shrugs, I think someone said smith uses lifting as a means to “recreate” the sprinting activity in a different way, so using fast curls or fast shrugs like how you pump your arms quickly, to help develop that motion. Throw some shrugs in there on occasion, just like you’d do curls.
