Building the trapezius muscles not only contributes to a balanced physique, but also helps prevent injury. Strong trapezius muscles help stabilize your shoulders and protect your neck from impact. While you may not wish to be so developed in this area that you cannot turn your head, adding a little size and strength can benefit just about anyone. Consult your physician before beginning any diet or exercise program.
Shrugs
The barbell shrug is a basic exercise to build the upper back, and there are several ways you can perform this exercise. Grab a barbell with your hands placed just wider than your legs, and shrug the bar up and down. Do not bend your arms or attempt to kick the weight up with your legs. Do not roll your shoulders around as this only stresses the joints. For variety, you can spread your hands out nearly twice as wide as your shoulders, which stretches your upper back more and then shrug. Dumbbells can be used for this exercise as well.
Snatch and Clean Pulls
Both exercises involve pulling a barbell from the deck to the level of the mid-chest. To do a clean pull, bend down and grab a barbell with your hands just wider than your shoulders while your feet are placed no more than shoulder-width apart. Arch your back and bend your legs, then quickly straighten your knees and then your hips, keeping the bar in close to your body at all times. Just as the bar passes mid-thigh level, explosively shrug your shoulders upward to give extra power to the bar allowing it to move up to your chest level, which means your arms will bend at this point, although there should be no attempt to pull the bar up with the arms. To execute a snatch pull, grip the bar with your hands nearly twice as wide as your shoulders.
Decline Shrugs
To work the lower aspect of your trapezius further down toward the center of your back, lie face down on a bench that is inclined forward about 60 degrees. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and shrug them upward. This not only works the trapezius, but also some of the smaller muscles that stabilize the shoulder such as the rhomboids, which makes this an excellent exercise to extend your lifting career. Do not pile the weight on quickly with this exercise, instead maintain good form, and work on holding the weights at the top in the position of peak contraction for a count of two on every repetition.
Face Pulls
This exercise requires you to use either a cable stack or resistance band set at face level. If you are using a cable handle, two handles are required. Grab one end of the handles or band in each hand, arch your back, and pull your elbows back. This is another exercise where you should not pile the weight on quickly, but focus on proper technique and controlled movement. Do not rock back and forth while performing this exercise. Smoothly pull the elbows back, and imagine you are trying to crack a walnut in between your shoulder blades.
References
- PubMed.gov: Shoulder Joint and Muscle Characteristics in the Recreational Weight Training Population.
- PubMed.gov: Gender Effects on Trapezius Surface EMG During Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Due to Eccentric Shoulder Exercise.
- PubMed.gov: Electromyographic Activity of Selected Scapular Stabilizers During Glenohumeral Internal and External Rotation Contractions.
Member Comments