Your trapezius muscles run along the tops of your shoulder, up your neck and down both sides of the spinal column. Your traps are made up of four main parts, the lowest of which helps you draw your shoulder blades back and rotate them. Using a resistance band, or tubing, increases the intensity of these exercises, but you can do many of them without the band. Consult your health care professional before doing any new exercises.
Reverse Fly
Secure the middle of the band to a stable object and grab hold of an end in each hand. Hold your arms out straight, with your hands just above belly-button height and your palms facing inward. Slowly draw your arms out to the sides with a very slight bend in your elbows, keeping them just below shoulder height. Return your arms to the starting position and repeat. Your back should be straight and your neck in line with your spine throughout the movement.
Upright Row
Stand with both feet on the middle of the resistance band. Wrap the ends around each hand so that the band is taut when your arms are straight and your palms are resting against your thighs. As you exhale, engage your shoulder and back muscles to draw your hands up to chest or chin height. Slowly lower your hands back to the starting position and repeat as many times as you can. As you raise your hands, keep them close to your body and make sure your elbows are higher than your hands at all times. Avoid leaning back or forward as you perform this exercise.
Shoulder Shrugs
This exercise can be done with dumbbells or a resistance band. Position the band as for the upright row, but keep your hands by your sides, palms facing inward. Keeping your arms straight, stretch the band by shrugging your shoulders up to your ears. Hold them in this position, exaggerating the movement as much as you can, then lower and repeat. To ensure you use your trapezius muscles and not your biceps, keep your arms straight throughout this exercise.
Shoulder Press
This exercise targets your deltoids and triceps. However, any overhead movement also works your trapezius muscles. Stand with both feet on the center of the band, with enough slack so you can raise your hands to shoulder height. In this position, the band should be reasonably taut and your elbows should be tucked into your sides. Push your hands directly up over your head until your arms are only very slightly bent at the elbows. Lower back down with control, and repeat as many times as you can.
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