It is absolutely essential that you work out your traps, or trapezius muscles, as they help you maintain good posture, and add to your strength, endurance, stamina and balance. The trapezius muscles are unique in the sense that they are not concentrated in a particular area of your body. Traps begin from the upper neck area and extend to your back and shoulder blades. That is why these muscles are critical for your overall physique and performance.
To train traps, you will need to focus on exercises that stimulate both vertical and horizontal plane movements – these will build your upper and lower traps respectively. If this sounds a bit confusing to figure out on your own, don’t worry!
1. Barbell Shrug
Barbell shrugs will help you develop upper traps. This workout consists of 4 sets, between 12 and 15 repetitions each. Here’s how it works:
● Keep an upright posture; feet shoulder width apart
● Hold the barbell at the thigh level; palms facing inwards
● Lift your shoulders as high as possible
● Keep this posture steady for 3-5 seconds
● Back to the starting position; repeat
2. Bent-Over Lateral Raise
This is a vertical movement exercise for your lower traps. For best results, I recommend 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions. That’s how it goes:
● Stand straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand; palms facing inwards (i.e. towards torso)
● Let your back arc forward; knees and elbow bent a little, arms at your sides
● Lift your arms until they’re parallel to the floor; elbows at shoulder height, shoulder blades squeezed together
● Hold for 3-5 seconds
● Gently lower your arms to the starting position; repeat
3. Face Pull
This exercise will help you build your upper traps. I suggest 4 sets of 15 reps each. Here is what you need to do:
● Connect a rope to a cable machine and grip both ends with your hands
● Make sure your arms are parallel to the floor; your elbows slightly above your wrists
● Pull the rope to your face
● Slowly return to the starting position; repeat
4. Calf-Machine Shoulder Shrug
For this one, I’d go with 4 sets consisting of 12-15 repetitions. Here’s how to execute the workout:
● Start with the pads of the calf machine directly on your shoulders; inhale deeply
● As you exhale, lift your shoulders to the level of your ears
● Keep this posture for 3-5 seconds
● Gently lower your shoulders; repeat
Final thoughts…
There you have it! Four amazing traps exercises for better posture and balance, as well as increased strength and endurance! Make sure to include those in your next gym session.