Your trapezius muscles are flat, triangular muscles located between your neck and the deltoid muscles near your shoulders. Also known as "traps," your trapezius rotate, retract and elevate your scapula, or shoulder blades, and extend your neck. Well-developed traps give your shoulders a powerful look, and you can strengthen your trapezius with different resistance-training exercises. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Clean and Jerk
The clean and jerk is a power lifting movement that works your legs, lower back, shoulders and your trapezius. Load up a barbell with as much weight as you can lift safely. Hold the bar with an overhand grip, then bend your knees and lift the weight off the bench. Let your arms hang down until the bar reaches your knees, then jump up quickly and shrug your shoulders as you bend your knees deeply. Allow the momentum of your motion to propel the bar upward and onto the front of your shoulders, the MyFit website instructs. From there, hop up again and split your feet so one is forward and one is back, pressing the bar over your head. Walk your feet together, stand in that position for a moment and lower the bar.
Upright Row
The upright row is an exercise you can perform with a barbell, dumbbells, resistance bands or cables on a pulley machine at the gym. To perform the movement, stand with a slightly-narrower-than-shoulder-width stance and an overhand grip on the bar. Hold the bar at about your thigh level, then pull it straight up, finishing with it just under your chin. Your elbows should be pointed up toward the ceiling at the top of the move. Lower the bar on the same path as it went up and repeat.
Shrugs
A barbell or dumbbells are a good choice for shrugs. The movement itself is quite basic, the Bodybuilding website explains. Hold a barbell at thigh level with an overhand grip, or hold dumbbells at your sides. Shrug your shoulders upward in the direction of your ears and hold for a moment at the top. After your traps have received a good contraction, lower your shoulders and repeat.
Considerations
Pay attention to your muscle development as you continue to strengthen your trapezius. Some people develop faster than others, and you don't want to be in a situation where your traps are developing so quickly they throw other muscles out of balance. Your trapezius muscles are also used as secondary muscles in other movements such as rowing exercises and shoulder laterals.
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