Trapezius Exercises.
The Trapezius muscle can be exercised in 3 ways: pulling, lifting, or carrying. The trapezius is sometimes referred to as traps as I will refer to it as such throughout this article. In this article, you will learn the ONLY 3 EXERCISES YOU WILL EVER NEED FOR THE TRAPS with an additional 2 secret trap exercises.
What Are The Trapezius Muscles?
The trapezius is a large triangle muscle extending over the back of the neck, shoulders, and upper spine. The trapezius plays a huge role in various head, neck, and shoulder movements.
The traps can be broken into three basic parts:
Upper Trapezius.
The upper traps are responsible for elevating the shoulder blades (scapulae) and are involved with movements such as shrugging.
Middle Trapezius.
The middle section of the traps helps with retracting the scapulae, pulling toward the spine. This action is important in movements such as pulling the shoulders back.
Lower Trapezius.
This part helps with depressing the shoulder blades and is involved in movements like pulling the shoulders downward.
Should You Train The Traps?
The traps play a huge role in shoulder stability, improved posture, and daily life with lifting, carrying, and pulling. Training the traps will also help you to develop a more aesthetic appeal.
“The traps play a huge role in shoulder stability, improved posture, and daily life with lifting, carrying, and pulling.”
From my personal experience training the traps right from the get-go is a must. At the beginning of my journey, I trained the traps and am thankful that I did as it helped me develop my shoulder strength and improve my overall posture.
How To Work Out The Traps.
The traps can be worked out by lifting, carrying, or pulling. It’s through these movements that the traps get the most activation possible. In most cases working the traps last will be most beneficial.
The traps can be worked out by lifting, carrying, or pulling.
Compare that to exhausting the traps in the beginning and then doing an exercise that needs the traps such as dumbbell flies. In this case, the shoulders won’t reach their maximum exhaustion hence, this may limit your potential to adequately stress other muscles to grow. This will be a more glaring factor as you get closer to your genetic potential, if you’re a beginner don’t worry too much about this as you will have the help of newbie gains.
The Most Effective Exercises That Target The Traps?
Exercise #1: Dumbbell / Barbell Shrugs.
The Dumbbell / Barbell shrugs are a staple in developing the traps as it is easy to learn and apply progression overload.
Steps For Dumbbell / Barbell Shrugs:
Step 1: Stance.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step 2: Starting Position.
Hold the barbell in front of you or the dumbbells to your side with an overhand grip.
Step 3: Movement.
While keeping a straight posture, lift your shoulders straight up towards your ears, then lower the weight back down.
Workout Tip:
This exercise is fantastic for developing the traps however, do dumbbell/barbell shrugs at the very end of your workout as this will prevent your forearms from getting too exhausted to do any other exercise.
Exercise #2: Farmer Walks.
Farmer walks are a great way to develop the traps and forearms. This exercise is great after doing dumbbell shrugs as it helps to exhaust the traps completely.
Steps For Farmer Walks:
Step 1: Starting Position.
Grab a dumbbell in each hand, then let it hang from your sides with your arms fully extended while standing.
Step 2: The Movement.
Lift the dumbbells slightly and walk forward with short controlled steps.
Step 3: Maintain Form.
Keep an upright posture, shoulders back, and walk for a set of distance or set of time.
Workout Tip:
Try to put this exercise at the very end of your workout so you don’t exhaust your forearms right at the beginning of the workout.
Exercise #3: Bent-Over-Rows.
Bent-over rows are great for building the middle of the traps and hitting the rear delta as well. This exercise helps to pre-exhaust the biceps if I was working the back and biceps in the same workout.
Steps For Bent-Over Rows:
Step 1: Starting Position.
Stand with feet hip-width apart, and hold the barbell or dumbbell with an overhand grip. Then hinge at your hips until nearly parallel with the ground.
Step 2: Rowing.
Pull the weight to your lower chest, squeezing your back muscles this should feel like you are trying to touch your shoulder blades together.
While doing this you will want to keep your elbows tucked close to your sides.
Step 3: Lowering.
Lower the weight with control, fully extending your arms.
Workout Tip:
Lowering the weight from the top position will be the most beneficial movement throughout this exercise. So I recommend going as slow as possible as this will help exhaust the muscle and help to build your strength up.
You could also use momentum to get the weight up once your positive strength is exhausted. Be mindful to give your body a period of rest, usually 1 – 7 days of rest to avoid overtraining.
This is because when lowering a weight with control uses your strongest strength level. There are three levels of strength in any given muscle.
Secret Exercise 1#: Deadlift.
Deadlifts are great for the back, and legs and are a great compound exercise for the whole body.
Steps For Deadlift:
Step 1: Setup:
Stand with feet hip-width apart, and bend at your hips and knees to lower your body. You are gripping the barbell in front of you with an overhand or mixed grip.
Step 2: Lift:
Keep your back straight, and chest up, and lift the barbell by straightening your hips and knees simultaneously. Then stand tall, extending your hips and fully straightening your body.
Step 3: Lowering.
Hinge at your lower hips and bend your knees to lower the barbell to the ground in a controlled manner.
Workout Tip:
- Maintain a neutral spine.
- Keep the barbell close to your shins and thighs.
Secret Exercise 2#: Rest Pause Dumbbell Side Laterals.
Dumbbell side laterals focus mostly on the side deltoid however, the traps get engaged especially once you incorporate the rest pause. This is a fantastic way to work the shoulders while training the traps as a byproduct.
Steps for Dumbbell Side Laterals:
Step 1: Setup:
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with the dumbbells in each of your hands at your side.
Step 2: Lift:
Raise each dumbbell to the sides until the arms are parallel to the ground.
Step 3: Lower:
Lower the dumbbells back down with control.
Workout Tip:
When doing a rest pause use a little bit of momentum by bending your knees slightly then shoot up with momentum to help assist the dumbbell back weight up.
Summary.
Training traps can be hard if you don’t know how to work them properly. However, they are quite easy when you know exactly how to train them, by focusing on these 5 exercises:
Dumbbell / Barbell Shrugs.
Farmer Walks.
Bent-over Barbell Row.
(Secret Exercise) Deadlifts
(Secret Exercise) Rest-Pause Dumbbell Side Laterals
Through training with proper technique and applying progressive overload, these exercises should be all you need for training your traps.
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