Your trapezius is the large, diamond-shaped muscle that covers much of your upper back. The trapezius, or traps for short, has three main functions: elevation, retraction and depression of your shoulder girdle. Your shoulder girdle consists of your scapulae and clavicles and has nothing to do with your humerus which is part of the shoulder joint. You can perform numerous exercises you that affect your trapezius.
Deadlifts
Powerlifters and weightlifters have very well developed trapezius muscles, especially the upper region, which is responsible for elevation of the shoulder girdle. One of the key exercises performed in both of these sports is the deadlift. Deadlifting is an effective whole-body exercise that places a significant emphasis on the upper traps. To perform this exercise, place a barbell on the floor and stand with your feet under the bar, hip-width apart. Bend down and grasp the bar with an overhand shoulder-width grip. With straight arms and your shoulders pulled down and back, extend your hips and knees, and stand up straight. Keep your shoulder girdle locked in place by contracting your traps as hard as you can. Bend your knees, push your hips back and lower the bar back to the floor. Do not allow your lower back to become rounded because this can lead to injury.
Shrugs
Shrugs are a popular upper-trap exercise used by bodybuilders. This exercise can be performed using a barbell or dumbbells as preferred. Grasp the weight and hold it in front of your thighs. Bend your knees slightly and hold your core muscles tight. With straight arms, shrug your shoulders upward — imagine trying to touch your shoulders to your ears. Slowly lower your shoulders and then repeat. Do not swing, sway or otherwise jerk the weight up because this may lead to injury as well as a less-effective workout.
Wide Grip Bent Over Barbell Rows
This exercise targets the middle part of your trapezius muscle, which is responsible for pulling your shoulders back. Grasp a barbell with a wide overhand grip. Bend your knees slightly and then lean forwards from your hips until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor. Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders. Keeping your wrists straight and leading with your elbows, bend your arms and pull the bar up and in to your chest. At this point, your elbows should be bent at right angles. Hold this position for a second before slowly lowering the bar back to arms' length. Keep your lower back slightly arched and do not jerk the bar up. This exercise is best performed with a moderate — not excessive — weight.
Shrug Dips
Shrug dips target the lower part of your traps, which is responsible for depressing your shoulder girdle. Strong lower traps can enhance shoulder girdle stability and general shoulder health. Sit sideways on an exercise bench and place your hands palms-down on either side of your hips. Extend your arms and lift your butt off the bench. Swing your hips forward so that your butt is in front of the bench. You should have your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. The farther forward your feet are placed, the more demanding this exercise becomes. Keep your arms straight and sink your body down between your shoulders in a movement that resembles a shrug. Your shoulders should move toward your ears. Push down into the bench to push yourself back up, depressing your shoulder girdle fully. This exercise can also be performed using parallel bars but this is an advanced movement because it involves lifting your entire body weight.
References
- "Anatomy of Exercise: A Trainer's Inside Guide to Your Workout"; Pat Manocchia; 2009
- "Powerlifting"; Barney R. Groves; 2000
- "Strength Training Anatomy"; Frederic Delavier; 2010
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