The diamond-shaped trapezius muscle, located in your neck, upper and mid-back, is a surprisingly complex muscle. Composed of upper, middle and lower fibers, the trapezius performs a number of joint motions, from extending the cervical and thoracic spine to rotating, elevating, depressing and adducting the scapula. Small wonder, then, that there are so many equipment options for working your traps.
Barbell
Barbells are popular for a number of trapezius exercises, including shrugs, upright rows and bent-over rows. To do bent-over rows with a barbell, pick up the barbell in an overhand grip. Hinge forward from the hips, keeping your back straight and bending your knees slightly. Keep your head up and chest out as you lift the bar straight up toward your lower chest, then lower the bar until your arms are straight but not locked. Allow your elbows to naturally flare out from your body throughout the range of motion.
Trap Bar
Sometimes called a shrug bar, the trap bar is a special barbell originally designed for performing deadlifts. Your lower body fits inside the open, diamond-shaped "trap" in the middle of the bar. You can also use the trap bar to perform shrugs. Stand inside the trap, holding the bar by the handles on either side of the trap, and shrug your shoulders up against the weight, then relax back into the starting position.
Dumbbells
Dumbbells are one of the most versatile pieces of exercise equipment for working your traps. You can use dumbbells for a wide variety of trapezius exercises, including shrugs, wide rows and upright rows. To do upright rows, hold a dumbbell in each hand, just in front of your thighs, with arms straight but not locked. The ends of the dumbbells should touch, as if they were connected by an imaginary bar. Lift this "bar" straight up, close to your body, until it's underneath your chin. Let your elbows flare out and up to either side of your head during this motion. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
T-Bar
The T-bar is a plate-loading machine meant to work your general back musculature, including your traps. The T-bar, which is little more than a long steel bar fixed to the ground at one end with a short crossbar for a handle at the other end, approximates the motion of a bent-over row. To do a T-bar row, load a weight plate or plates onto the end of the T-bar nearest the crossbar handle. Straddle the T-bar, facing the weight plates. Bend forward from the hips, keeping your back straight, head up and chest out. Grasp one end of the crossbar in each hand and lift the bar up and in toward your chest, letting your elbows naturally flare out as you lift. Lower the bar until your arms are straight but not locked, then repeat.
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